The Sterile Cuckoo

I saw The Sterile Cuckoo by accident in 1970. I went to the movie theater to see True Grit because John Wayne had been nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. The double feature that day included The Sterile Cuckoo and it changed the way I would view movies from that day on. I loved every second of this achingly beautiful story about first love for a gangly, awkward, pushy, scared girl and a shy young man. Liza Minnelli is so incredible in this role as she conveys the desperation of a woman who has probably never been loved and can't understand that it scares people away if you hold too tight and reveal too much. She has no game to play and it costs her. She is the whole movie as all the emotions of the part are captured in her beautiful, expressive eyes. Her monologue in the phone booth near the end of the film should be required viewing for anyone interested in persuing an acting career. Few before her or since have pulled off such a challenging feat with such seamless realism. She was fantastic in Cabaret because it showcased the full range of her talents but this is her best work as an actress.

For years, I put off watching this film, and when I finally did turn it on, the title and everything I'd read about it led me to think that I was going to be seeing a classic late sixties type comedy on the general level of THE TIGER MAKES OUT, THE HEARTBREAK KID and GOODBYE COLUMBUS. Instead, I was treated to a moving, somber, slow paced but intriguing story of two very ordinary and very real people. There are few genuine laughs, but even fewer false notes in this obscure little gem that probably would have been totally forgotten, if not for Liza Minelli.

In recent years, Liza's talents seem to have gotten all but lost in all the hype and scandal around her. People remember that she's her mother's daughter, they remember that she was in rehab, they remember her reputation for marrying gay men and beating them up, and they remember cartoon like portrayals of her in places like the recent Broadway show, THE BOY FROM OZ. What they don't remember is that, besides being a great singer, Liza is truly a sensational actress.

Film work is far more eternal than any other kind, in entertainment, especially these days when everything is on video, and there are hundreds of premium movie stations available. But while Judy Garland might have done more movies before she was twenty than her daughter did, in her entire life up to this point, I'm not sure if Judy ever gave a performance that was as real, as sensitive and as genuine as Liza's performance here.

If you ever think that Liza's success was due to her mother, remember that Judy had two other children who tried, but didn't quite succeed in the forever fickle entertainment industry. Then watch this film, that a relatively inexperienced Liza did when she was in her early twenties, and ask yourself if she deserves her success.

This film, along with the performances of the two principals, Minnelli and Burton, as well as the soundtrack, evoke a time in everyone's past, at some time or other.

As two drifting college students, they have a chance meeting, become interested in each other, then gradually grow apart. The sets are evocative of New England and upstate New York, beautiful in autumn, beautiful and sad. Reminding us perhaps of past relationships, longing, and wishes that were never fulfilled.

The soundtrack is sentimental, but not overly so, I am not a major fan of Minnelli, but in this film her performance was understated and believable. The film leaves us with a sense of loss and longing, recalling times we were younger, relationships of the past. 8/10.

From the moment this movie begins, with the evocative Sandpiper's rendition of "Come Saturday Morning", the ache in my body becomes almost unbearable -- but this little gem is so beautifully realized that it is worth it. Minnelli, Burton, and Alan Pakula's direction are close to perfect. This is a very special movie, that transcends the period it was made to lament the underdog's painful journey through want and wish and heartbreaking compromise, all while the conventional world seems to go blithely on, unaware of the slings and arrow of outrageous fortune that befall those born not to have their places in the sun. A fine achievement for almost everyone involved in this film. It is also notewothy that Liza, a unique actress, has never quite found the cinematic career she deserves -- there have been some seering, indelible moments, notably CABARET and NEW YORK, NEW YORK, and the aforementioned, but the 1970's didn't seem the time for her. Incidentally, I have wondered for twenty five years what she might have done in a filmed biography of Clara Bow!

Liza Minnelli...That name conjures up so many images: Her mother, Judy, elegance, beauty, humor, and sometimes pain. Well, she sheds all of them except the last 2. In this role as the odd Pookie Adams, a girl who is afraid of "weirdos" but who in a sense really is, Liza Minnelli has to pull together a wonderful (Academy Award Nominating) part that will tug at your heart and look at the world through HER eyes. Pookie meets Jerry Payne (Wendell Burton) and goes through a couple of sly tricks to make sure that he never forgets her. Jerry falls in love with this strange but lovable girl. That is until her fear of him leaving makes her over-protective and a little pushy. It begins to drive him away. But what movie on teenage lovers is really convincing? Well, these two sure are convincing. Sometimes you just want to strangle Pookie and other times you just want to jump into the screen and hold her close and say "It's gonna be all right". I rated this a 7 because there was something missing and I felt it. But otherwise, Liza Minnelli fans, this is way worth it!