Love Lessons

Adaptation for TV of Jill Gascoine's book "Just Like a Woman" concerns 50-year-old businesswoman, on the verge of retiring with her husband on his boat, who learns she's pregnant, which puts the couple's plans on hold and causes the husband in particular to reexamine his life. Patty Duke (looking and acting a lot older than 50) has some choice moments in her portrayal of Sunny, a feisty middle-ager determined to have a final fling at motherhood, yet we don't get any sense of her priorities other than having this baby (she's either pinched or drawn in anger--or, worse, a shoulder for everyone else to cry on). Husband Ronny Cox has the more complex character, but his doubts and insecurities--very relatable human qualities--are treated almost villainously. The narrative jumps around, opening up new wounds and bringing in new characters, but skimps on emotion. ** from ****

It should be no surprise that The Divine Miss D had yet another winner last Wednesday night, even beating the Divine Miss M in the ratings. Love Lessons is a story that would probably scare the hell out of any middle aged couple....Duke and Ronny Cox find out she's having a baby at 50! What Duke's decision is will come at no surprise to viewers, but how they get there and paying the price for that decision are uttlerly fascinating due largely to the two performances. We can see both of their sides, so that is part of why you want to keep on watching, to see if you will finally agree with one or the other...Duke wants the baby, Cox does not. The film's only problem was with some rather mindless subplots including the affair that Duke's best friend's husband is having (On Duke's and Cox's boat!) and an old friend of the family who has had his eye on Duke for years. Other than that you have top-rate acting, directing (from fellow actor Doug Barr, who played Jean Smart's hubby on Designing Women) and script. Donna Hanover, NY Mayor Guliani's estranged wife also appears as Duke's best friend and is also fine in her role. If only CBS had more faith and aired it on a Sunday night instead of a Wednesday, but at least they aired it during a sweeps period (like most of Duke's movies). This is her best since 1997's A Christmas Memory. She's been around for close to 50 years now on screen...let's pray for fifty more!