T.R. Baskin

I saw this film when it first came out and was deeply moved because I identified with T.R. - I lived her story when I first left home, including making big mistakes about recognizing when I was merely being used by men I thought really liked me, and the awful places you end up living because you make barely a living wage, and the loneliness - all of it. Every thematic scene in this film could be my own life, with only the details changed. I've never seen another film that comes even close to capturing this experience.

Today when I was trying to find this film, I was shocked to discover how badly it was rated by critics at the time. I'm glad to see that people here respect the film and that most rate it very highly.

I'm going off now to see if I can get somewhere. A classic.

Chicago, early 1970's, looking gloomy and dangerous, and unfriendly. Young T.R. arrives in the Windy City hoping to find fame, fortune, or at least a decent and interesting life,far from her hometown of rural Ohio. Candice Bergen turns in a performance that you just have to love; her character T.R. has such an offbeat, yet witty sense of humor, and she is a real go-getter, a modern, free-thinking 70's girl who wants to make it on her own. The movie has an interesting structure, in that it begins midway through her adventure. By the time she is hooked up with Peter Boyle (another terrific performance) in the hotel room, she has already been in Chicago for a while and has experienced a lot. We learn of her experiences as she relates them to her "blind date," always with a sharp sense of sarcastic humor. The question the viewer has is, who is this mysterious guy Larry who arranged this odd meeting of strangers, and why would a gorgeous young woman like Bergen agree to meet an unknown man in his hotel room? Well we find out through flashbacks, of T.R. getting her office job, and becoming acquainted with the city, moving into a cheap tenement apartment, and finally, meeting a man, (James Caan) who sweeps her off her feet,and exposes just how naive and innocent T.R. really is... "T.R. Baskin" is truly a superb time capsule; it completely encompasses the mores and attitudes of the 1970's. Filled with location shooting around Chicago, always a fascinating city, like New York during that decade. T.R. makes us think about life, about the mistakes we make when we are young, and in the end, she brings a tear to our eyes as we see her inevitably lose the innocent quality that made her move to the big city in the first place. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough. It's filled with colorful, funny characters and much insight. Sadly this is a forgotten title, never released for purchase on dvd or even VHS as far as I can tell. The copy I managed to track down is poor, and murky and the picture even jumps for about 10 minutes somewhere in the middle. Strangely this washed out old copy actually adds to the film's already nostalgic feel. I hope "T.R. Baskin" gets rediscovered, as it truly is a lost gem with an amazing cast.

I saw this movie when it came out in the theatres and I loved it. I haven't been able to find a copy yet. It is only listed on the IMDB. I still use many of the lines I remember from the film. Such as, "Do I have any mail?" to the mailman. He says, "What's your name?" She says, "Occupant" Not as a smart alec reply but more in saddness. She is 18 to 22 years old and applying for a job with a woman personel interviewer. The lady asks if she has been convicted of a crime. Bergan answers, "27 arrests, no convictions" The lady writes down "None"

The other characters are all equally memorable and touching. It is bittersweet and realistic, without becoming maudlin. I reccommend that you see it if you get the chance.

. . . to get this movie released on DVD? I too am among those who saw it on television years ago and who remember bits and pieces of the dialog (like, to paraphrase, "It's like admiring someone from a distance and when you get up close to him you notice he has bad skin." If I recall correctly Candace Bergman speaks this line while looking down on Michigan Avenue from a high-rise apartment, perhaps in the John Hancock building, and it served as a metaphor for what she found out about life in the big city). Its soundtrack was also liable to turn up frequently in the 98 cent bargain bins and this is how I happened to recognize it when it showed up on the CBS late movie in the late 1970s. The Chicago location was unusual for a 1971 film -- well before pictures like "The Blues Brothers," "Ordinary People," and "Risky Business." Candace Bergman's performance, and way of delivering lines, was indeed mesmerizing, and this film's unavailability and obscurity makes unavailable and obscure a certain moment in 20th century American history that we don't think too much about; it is rather like the dark side of the Mary Tyler Moore show, a snapshot of a lost generation. Please, someone bring it back.

I saw T. R. BASKIN at the cinema in Colorado when I was a college student several times. I recommended it to everyone. I thought it was on a par with FIVE EASY PIECES or THE LAST PICTURE SHOW. I don't think Candace Bergen was ever better and (the now late) Peter Boyle was great as was James Caan. Many years later in New York I had the opportunity to tell Candace Bergen how much I liked that film and she said, "Oh, they hated it. They all hated it." I thought it was very well written, with many very funny and clever lines. There is a heartbreaking misunderstanding in it that makes for fine drama. I recall it had a subtle touching depth to it and I would love to see it again all these years later to see how it holds up.