Rachel, Rachel (1968)

[sugarpuss]

I was going to watch "The Clock" on TCM on Demand last night, but wound up watching this on Cinemax instead. I like Joanne Woodward, but I'm always a bit hesitant about ANY late 60's-era movies, since so many of them wind up dated.

But what an absolutely beautiful movie. I've been thinking about it all day, which is why I had to post about it.

Rachel (Woodward) is a spinster teacher who lives with her mother, is friends with another schoolteacher who has a darker secret and is "courted" by an old childhood friend who comes back to town. So much of this movie is carried by Joanne Woodward's performance. The movie depended on it. She wasn't over the top or too bland for the part--she was perfect. By the end of the movie, I wanted her to find true happiness and love--she was a person I'd like to be friends with in real life.

I also enjoyed that it wasn't dated--there was a few things: the reference she makes in passing about LSD, the church scene where the guest went on about love and the hippie guy giving Rachel the flower. It was artsy without being pretentious or confusing. The flashbacks gave great insight into Rachel's mind and past. Even the scene where Rachel has sex with Nick was tastefully done--showing nothing but her face. Paul Newman's direction was fantastic. He really knew how to get the most out of his wife's performance.

I just loved this movie. It's coming up June 4 @ 3:15 pm and June 25 @4:05 am on the WMax channel. If you're looking for a good drama, this is it.