MeYesMe

I've been in some pretty uncomfortable situations. There was one time I wanted to escape my present company so desperately that I pretended my water broke (amazing they bought it, as I was only five months pregnant). But nothing compares to the painful evening the couple in this film endure. It's almost voyeuristic as we observe, in real time, the lulls in conversation, forced laughter, and embarrassing confessions of these two losers.

Two things that are praiseworthy: (1) Tom Noonan, who plays Michael (and is also the writer/director) is completely believable in his role, and (2) the movie's pretty short.

One more thing - I've seen, read, and dreamt a whole lotta of scary things in my life, but apparently I'm a nightmare lightweight compared to the stuff going on in Noonan's mind. The segment where Jackie reads her "children's story" aloud is, quite possibly, the most disturbing sequence on film.

Well, it's obvious that Selznick was trying his best to recapture that GWTW magic...but this is an unbelievably inept failure. Here's what you can expect from this overblown sex-western:

--Jennifer Jones (in pancake make-up so orange that she put me more in mind of an Oompa-Loompa than the half-breed we're supposed to see) apparently directed to act as though she's Scarlett O'Hara with a lobotomy and bad grammar.

--Gregory Peck as rogue murdering rapist and the apple of his daddy's eye. At one point even doing a pretty decent vocal imitation of Clark Gable -- too bad it's just the voice.

--Lionel Barrymore lazily repeating his "It's a Wonderful Life" role from the same year -- wheelchair & grumpiness standing in for effort.

--Butterfly McQueen as kerchiefed ditzy maid. Hmmm, wonder where they got that idea?

All in all, a miserable movie experience. You'd think that since they cribbed from the best it'd have turned out better! Go figure.

This is "Gone With the Wind" for people who don't care too much about quality. Miriam Hopkins is cast in the Scarlett role - selfish, social-climbing, with no compunctions about using people at whim. The difference is that Scarlett eventually learns her lesson and we have hope, at the end of the story, that she'll live according to the knowledge she's acquired. At the end of THIS story - we're positive that Becky's going to eventually end up in hell, and good riddance. Becky's a manipulative brat who rises to the top, comes crashing down and is eager to start the cycle again.

Although it's historically important as the first feature length movie shot in three colors, that's not nearly enough to recommend it. Hopkins, usually an emotional involving actress, comes off overwrought and broad - like she's acting in a silent movie and someone hit the sound switch without telling her.