stjohn1253

This film is hilarious. For example, Tatopoulus' line "That's a lot of fish" contains the most basic element of humor: brevity. The movie consistently delivers such intended laughs and never takes itself seriously. All of the characters melded well, and it's puzzling that Maria Pitillo's performance should have been considered sub-par. To this viewer, she was convincing and engaging. And so what if the movie lacks the "spirit" of Godzilla? It also lacks the ludicrous special effects of the Japanese versions.

"Friendly Persuasion" deserves every accolade IMDb reviewers have heaped upon it. Wyler and all associated with this film demonstrate what fine work Hollywood can do--absolutely no doubt about that.

So, why isn't it more well known and iconic?

A possible answer lies in the utter blandness of the title: it has all the intrigue of "Pillow Talk"--too easily passed over when looking for something gratifying to view. Wyler's film is excellent on so many levels; therefore, it should have an excellent title. Why not "Crisis Point" or "Torn Soul" or "Thine Trials"? This is not to say that those titles are excellent, but they're better than "Friendly Persuasion".

What if "Ben-Hur" had been titled "Unfriendly Friends"?