Reviews

I saw this most memorable movie on television, late night, when I was about 12 or 13 years old. I was drawn into it from that time. I saw it on only one other occasion.

From the start, the story compels the viewer to keep watching to the end. The combination of real acting, directing, cinematography and the riveting story that spans many years is impossible to resist.

I saw this fine film about 10 years after I first saw it. I was never given the chance to see it again. I would give anything to own a copy this unique film for my own benefit.

John Martin, 46, Texas

This 46-year-old, (now 47-year-old) lifelong gay native of Fort Worth saw this movie when I was 21 years old. I liked it and I didn't like it even then. Gay what? What is 'gay'? Anyway, I enjoyed many things about this movie just as much as I could complain about just as many more that I didn't like. I think that John Hurt and Ryan O'Neil deserved to be shown better than they were shown in "Partners."

WARNING: What follows is a big rambling digression from my "Partners" comments. (Updated by original poster on Dec. 30, 2008)

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I had seen the movie "Ode To Billie Joe" with my gay parent and my straight sister when it first came out in 1976. We all had known gay people for many years. In those days, the idea of being 'gay' was still kept private and only spoken of in close circles. Times were evolving then, just as they are still evolving now.

In my experience back in those days, one's own "gayness" was not talked about openly unless they had a desire to tell their story on Television. In the early to mid 1970s a lot of different kinds of people wanted to be on TV or something like that. I do admire those early open pioneers.

Back in the day I remember that 'gayness' (whatever that means) was respected by those who matter. Nobody ever had to make an issue of it, just as I have never done.

Neither my gay parent nor I or anybody else cared to talk about our personal business, and it was good in a way and it still is.

I had always loved the Bobbie Gentry song that inspired the movie since it was released in 1968. I had to see this movie, of course.

I rather understood the idea of Billy Joe's situation and that of the other characters because the story was told from a 1950's rural Mississippi perspective. Later in my life, it was suggested that the end was the particularly offensive part because of a line that was spoken by one of the main characters, and I still agree with that observation. (Though, if the viewer takes into account the locale and time period of the story, the line is actually respectful of the person considering the place and time)

Over My 46 years I've seen a lot of movies with gay characters and the only one I ever respected for that effort is "Victor/Victoria" (1982).

I didn't care too much for "The Birdcage" (1996) in spite of the talented people that participated in the making of the movie. I despised Nathan Lane's character (though Lane later redeemed himself as a gay/?/ man in the cable series "Sex And The City"). To me, the only good thing about "The Birdcage" was Gene Hackman's stellar performance as the conservative U.S. Senator.

In 1973 a wise women said: "Everybody thinks and feels differently as the years go by, don't they"

John Martin, 46, Fort Worth, Texas

This is a most memorable production of the beloved "Cinderella" story. I can say from personal experience that it has held up over the years. I remember that it was shown every year on television from 1967 to 1971.

Leslie Ann Warren essays the title character expertly with keen insight into the story's many nuances. It is noteworthy that Cinderella is a brunette in this production.

Pat Caroll delights the audience as one of the step-sisters with a fun personality and a squeaky knee.

The step-mother is played by the brilliant Jo Van Fleet whose character performances ("Cool Hand Luke") continue to live on in movies and television.

The score was written by the most talented Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein.

John Martin, 45

I am 45 years old and I watched this 'Movie Of The Week' on TV when it was new. As I grew older I saw it again and would notice certain things that I didn't see when I was younger. The TV Movies, now called TV Mini-series were so much better in the early to mid 1970s, I think.

Now, I would find it very hard to watch because many people believe Pvt. Slovik should not have been executed considering the overall circumstances and also because of so many other experiences over my years. This film helped shaped my heartfelt opposition to the death penalty. I'm happy to say that I have always respected the work of Martin Sheen and his sons over the years.

John Martin, Fort Worth, Texas

I saw this show a few times in the 1980s when it was new. First I heard the theme song as I was going to sleep. About the next day I watched the show (I had to stay up to do that, and it it was because of the theme song!) I saw an episode where Ethel tutored the older son in Algebra and I was most impressed by the honesty of that story. I also enjoyed seeing Dick Sargent again because I remember the "Darrin Switch" on "Bewitched" when it originally happened and I have admired him in other roles. This brief show should be produced on DVD just so we can examine it fully. I had to figure out after only one or two episodes that apparently the living people did not know that Ethel was an angel.

See This Show, John Martin, 44

I have seen this remake and was impressed with the acting and the style. As remakes go this film works well because it stays close to the original. The previous comparison to Gus Van Sant's remake (which actually used the original script with only 3 or 4 minor variations) was not entirely accurate.

As a rule, I don't care for remakes but I had been very impressed with Ms Robertson's portrayal of Patty Duke in the TV production "Call Me Anna." Because of her acting ability I watched this version of "Notorious" just to make a comparison. I watched the movie from start to finish and never saw one moment that compared badly with Hitchcock's original. There were even improvements due to changing attitudes of today's society. Since this was meant for TV and stayed so focused only added to the experience.

John Shea is most convincing as the U.S. agent who remains cynical about the under-cover spy's motive. The sexual tension between the two is handled in a real and true way without being offensive to some viewers and was better than the "Hollywood" treatment which I am sure that even Mr. Hitchcock himself regretted.