IMDb RATING
6.6/10
2.5K
YOUR RATING
An eccentric girl forces a reluctant college student into an affair.An eccentric girl forces a reluctant college student into an affair.An eccentric girl forces a reluctant college student into an affair.
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 3 wins & 7 nominations total
Chris Bugbee
- Eddie Roe
- (uncredited)
Sandy Faison
- Nancy Putnam
- (uncredited)
Austin Green
- Pookie's Father
- (uncredited)
Elizabeth Harrower
- Landlady
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAfter winning the part of Pookie Adams, Liza Minnelli had a copy of the script sent over to her mother, Judy Garland, who read it and thought the part of this troubled, friendless girl would be an unattractive role for her daughter. Minnelli says she became defensive and argued that Pookie was a great role for any actress, but that Garland was personally concerned Minnelli identified too closely with Pookie.
- GoofsWhen they are walking by the cows he's telling her about all the stuff he read in her letters and she's wearing a short skirt with a pink blouse. Then they show them from the back in a far away shot as they walking away from the cows and their clothing has changed to the ones they were wearing when they were flying the kite.
- Quotes
'Pookie' Adams: [a little brassily, during her first tryst with Jerry] So, would you like to peel a tomato?
Jerry Payne: [confused] What?
'Pookie' Adams: [quieter, more seductively] Do you want to strip me?
- SoundtracksCome Saturday Morning
Lyric Dory Previn Music Fred Karlin
Performed by The Sandpipers
A & M Records Recording Artists
Featured review
This is one of the few films I've seen in which every shot represents the theme and overall feeling of the film. No matter whether Minnelli's Pookie and Burton's Jerry are together as a couple, in a crowd, or completely alone, a sense of loneliness pervades the situation. To achieve this Pakula uses several long shots of the characters, or, during the party scene, he has Pookie and Jerry on separate levels of the staircase, staring up or down at each other from a distance. From the very first shot we see this, with Pookie and her father walking to a bench and then sitting there waiting, in an extremely long take that spans the entire opening credits. In representing the awkwardness of a first sexual experience, another extremely long take is used, in which Jerry disrobes Pookie, take off each piece of clothing one by one, hanging them up in the closet or folding them properly, then doing the same for himself, and within this the loneliness is established in Pookie's great enthusiasm to "get in the sack" and Jerry's calculated attempts at making the experience romantic, which are completely unromantic. Even McIntire's small role as Charlie plays an important part in the representation of the loneliness, as he assumes that Jerry is a virgin, like he is, thinking he confide this is in Jerry because they have it in common, which they don't. Minnelli's acting in this excellent, probably on the same par as her role in Bob Fosse's "Cabaret." This is also one of the few films I have actually not just felt sad about, but actually did cry at. I believe this is a very well-made film, and it deserves a higher rating than it has on here. The subjects it deals with are not trivial in the least, they are an important part of life, and the ending is perfect in proving this. It is very realistic in the psychological portrayal of its characters, which is a very difficult thing to pull off. I have not read the book, but I am sure the characters are established just as well in this film adaptation. Although it is a sad film to watch, Pakula hooks us right away with Pookie's outrageous personality, and although, like Jerry, we feel she is annoying person, even if she is friendly, we cannot stop listening to her and watching her, and when she is not in a scene we feel something is lacking. So, rather quickly, we begin to enjoy her character and what it brings to the film, just as Jerry begins to enjoy her company and she helps him learn to enjoy his life and be more outgoing, even though, in the end, this works against Pookie. I feel this film has been highly overlooked, and I definitely recommend it, even with the sad ending it brings. By the end of the film I had fallen in love with Pookie, and this is what makes it such a strong film.
- How long is The Sterile Cuckoo?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Sterilna kukavica
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $13,982,357
- Runtime1 hour 47 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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