Rating: 
Summary: Riveting and Remarkable
Review: Say what you will about Streisand, she scores here with a beautifully directed and acted tour de force. Extracting painfully emotional characterizations from her actors, director Streisand does indeed look like buttah, but she allows the story to be Tom Wingo's. The sheer volume of the book made it impossible to include every detail, but the essence of the tale, and the moral of forgiving your parents in order to find yourself, remains as powerful on the screen as it was on the page. You will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A literary adaption that surpasses it's source.
Review: Sorry Conroy fans, I like the movie better. The book was very good, however it was sometimes unnecessarily cruel and even taxed credibility at times. The movie, on the other hand, takes the basic storyline and turns it into something really special. Nick Nolte gives a stunning performance a Tom Wingo, and the rest of the cast is also first rate.And then there's Barbra Streisand, who in many ways is playing a character very similar to herself. I happen to think she is very good, but not great, as Susan. It is behind the camera, however, that Streisand really shines. She was robbed at Oscar time. Conroy co-wrote the screenplay himself, was involved in the filming and casting, and personally loved the movie. So Conroy defenders, leave Barbra alone!
Rating: 
Summary: Watchable romance with strong characterization.
Review: The events of "The Prince of Tides" play out in such a fashion that one tends to forget how soapy and melodramatic they really are. What begins as one man's emotional awakening to the events of his past in an attempt to help his sibling generates into a run-of-the-mill romance easily found in the pages of any Harlequin novel. And yet, through acting zeal and its abidance by the rules of tearjerkers, this film actually pays off in a weird sort of way. At the center of the story is Tom Wingo (Nick Nolte), a middle-aged Southern football coach with a wife and three children. The film's calendar art opening sequence serves to show his childhood in an appealing light, yet his adult life is anything but enjoyable. His wife is estranged from him, put off by his humorous approach to serious situations and by his unwillingness to discuss the pitfalls of their marriage. When his mother, whom he clearly despises, informs him that his sister Savannah has attempted suicide again, he heads off to New York City, where he will meet with her psychiatrist, Dr. Susan Lowenstein (Barbra Streisand), to help her unlock the pain in Savannah's subconscious. The story's change in setting and story is the decision point for audiences, who can either accept the drama and enjoy it, or groan at the segue from the suicide angle to a romance storyline. Once in New York, Tom begins revealing events from his childhood to Lowenstein, who listens with a caring ear, perhaps more caring than the ethics of her career would allow. As their relationship begins to deepen, Tom reveals more to her, including a carefully guarded secret known only by his two siblings and mother, as well as his feelings for her. A heads up of what to watch for in this movie: its well-structured plot, which, despite its melodramatic subject matter, weaves a fine web of love, hate, revelation, and the courage to overcome hardships. The romance that eventually takes flight between Tom and Lowenstein is run-of-the-mill, from their shared family discord to their realization that it cannot last forever. Even still, these aspects are given some vitality: Tom agrees to help her son become a football player, and later antagonizes her haughty celebrity husband at a dinner party in one of the film's most memorable scenes. The bittersweet ending has been done countless times before, but it's helped by the fact that we have come to like the characters and can appreciate, if not comprehend, their situation. Even more interesting is the way in which Tom slowly begins to break down. As his resolve begins to fade, he breaks into new emotional ground, letting go of the hardships he has been holding inside all of his life. His family life is revealed in gritty detail, all of which provides reason for the attitudes he holds to presently. And when it comes time for him to break down and face his torments, we believe in his emotion because of his experiences. This is the kind of character we can come to care about deeply, through his many realizations and reawakenings. Kudos to the cast, which is stellar all around. Nolte shines as Tom, giving a powerful performance full of convincing emotion and forceful dialogue. Streisand's role as Lowenstein is good enough, better than most give her credit for; she gets the job done in front of and behind the camera with serviceable results. Add to this a supporting cast that includes Blythe Danner as Tom's wife, Kate Nelligan as his mother, and Streisand's own son, Jason Gould, as her character's son, and you have a truly becoming cast that adds zest and freshness to the script. Some may not think that this is enough for "The Prince of Tides" to work, but in a way, it is. With a story that jumps from place to place, much like that of a soap opera, the cast is able to chew on the material with terrific gusto, making the changes of pace, setting and story easier to stomach. It's not a completely original piece, yet there is an appeal in its cliched romance, and a strong depth of feeling behind its characterization and human story. On this, the movie is a success.
Rating:
Summary: Watchable romance with strong characterization.
Review: The events of "The Prince of Tides" play out in such a fashion that one tends to forget how soapy and melodramatic they really are. What begins as one man's emotional awakening to the events of his past in an attempt to help his sibling generates into a run-of-the-mill romance easily found in the pages of any Harlequin novel. And yet, through acting zeal and its abidance by the rules of tearjerkers, this film actually pays off in a weird sort of way. At the center of the story is Tom Wingo (Nick Nolte), a middle-aged Southern football coach with a wife and three children. The film's calendar art opening sequence serves to show his childhood in an appealing light, yet his adult life is anything but enjoyable. His wife is estranged from him, put off by his humorous approach to serious situations and by his unwillingness to discuss the pitfalls of their marriage. When his mother, whom he clearly despises, informs him that his sister Savannah has attempted suicide again, he heads off to New York City, where he will meet with her psychiatrist, Dr. Susan Lowenstein (Barbra Streisand), to help her unlock the pain in Savannah's subconscious. The story's change in setting and story is the decision point for audiences, who can either accept the drama and enjoy it, or groan at the segue from the suicide angle to a romance storyline. Once in New York, Tom begins revealing events from his childhood to Lowenstein, who listens with a caring ear, perhaps more caring than the ethics of her career would allow. As their relationship begins to deepen, Tom reveals more to her, including a carefully guarded secret known only by his two siblings and mother, as well as his feelings for her. A heads up of what to watch for in this movie: its well-structured plot, which, despite its melodramatic subject matter, weaves a fine web of love, hate, revelation, and the courage to overcome hardships. The romance that eventually takes flight between Tom and Lowenstein is run-of-the-mill, from their shared family discord to their realization that it cannot last forever. Even still, these aspects are given some vitality: Tom agrees to help her son become a football player, and later antagonizes her haughty celebrity husband at a dinner party in one of the film's most memorable scenes. The bittersweet ending has been done countless times before, but it's helped by the fact that we have come to like the characters and can appreciate, if not comprehend, their situation. Even more interesting is the way in which Tom slowly begins to break down. As his resolve begins to fade, he breaks into new emotional ground, letting go of the hardships he has been holding inside all of his life. His family life is revealed in gritty detail, all of which provides reason for the attitudes he holds to presently. And when it comes time for him to break down and face his torments, we believe in his emotion because of his experiences. This is the kind of character we can come to care about deeply, through his many realizations and reawakenings. Kudos to the cast, which is stellar all around. Nolte shines as Tom, giving a powerful performance full of convincing emotion and forceful dialogue. Streisand's role as Lowenstein is good enough, better than most give her credit for; she gets the job done in front of and behind the camera with serviceable results. Add to this a supporting cast that includes Blythe Danner as Tom's wife, Kate Nelligan as his mother, and Streisand's own son, Jason Gould, as her character's son, and you have a truly becoming cast that adds zest and freshness to the script. Some may not think that this is enough for "The Prince of Tides" to work, but in a way, it is. With a story that jumps from place to place, much like that of a soap opera, the cast is able to chew on the material with terrific gusto, making the changes of pace, setting and story easier to stomach. It's not a completely original piece, yet there is an appeal in its cliched romance, and a strong depth of feeling behind its characterization and human story. On this, the movie is a success.
Rating: 
Summary: Book was a 5 STAR , movie was a 2 STAR
Review: The movies never do justice to Pat Conroy and his work. Read the book, much more enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: Movie not much to do with the book
Review: This film is a complete misrepresentation of the book "Prince of Tides." After reaching ¾ of the film I couldn't stomach it any longer, I turned it off. The Prince of Tides is NOT just about the love story between Tom and Susan, it is also about growing up in the South and living amongst a dysfunctional family of abuse and social problems. There was absolutely nothing about Luke in the movie. Which by the way is the REAL Prince of Tides. Tom Wingo (Nolte) is NOT the Prince of Tides as stated in the movie. In fact the poem written by Savannah titled "Prince of Tides" was already written by the time Tom shows up in NY. I hate when Hollywood tries to change the stories they make movies on, such as the newest film, "Count of Monte Cristo", another total misrepresentation of the original story.
Rating:
Summary: my soul grazes like a lamb on the beauty of indrawn tides...
Review: this has got to be one of the most faithful adaptations of a beloved bestselling novel i've ever seen. critics and moviegoers from afar have tried to criticize this film or nitpic where they could but i still believe the screenplay and final executed project were nearly flawless. barbra streisand shows us she not only has a velvet eye for perfection when it comes to selecting actors to play all the major roles here but how versatile an actress she really can be. i was used to seeing streisand taking on the quirky roles as well as old musicals like funny girl or the wonderful yentl up until this film. prince of tides teaches up that in life there are things we may forget but it is always the truth that can set us free. we also learn the old rule of thumb here that those folks who who chose to forget their past are virtually condemned to relive it. great film and i wish we could see more serious and deeply moving films from streisand like this one.
Rating:
Summary: The Prince of Tides will Wash Over You
Review: This is a dramatic, moving movie with great characters and wonderful plot development. Barbara Streisand plays a wonderfully real psychologist who seeks to help Nick Nolte's character deal with his troubled past in order to help his future. It is very moving and will leave you thinking about it a week later.
Rating:
Summary: A Perfect Drama!
Review: This is the perfect date movie, a drama so engrossing, so well acted and so lavishly produced that it doesn't lose your attention throughout its long 132 minute run. Adapted from a best-selling novel of the same title by Pat Conroy (also author of "The Great Santini"), director and star Barbara Streisand has the support of the best ensemble cast one can imagine in delivering a superior movie. everyone included does a stllar job, from Nick Nolte as the protagonist and figure lovingly referred to in the title, Barbara as the psychiatrist who unravels the horrible mystery behind the protagonist's family history, and a supporting cast that includes Bliythe Damnner as Nolte's estranged wife, and George Carlin as the complex and interesting gay neighbor to Nolte's kid sister in New York. This is a wonderful film, one that dances back and forth in time, that does an unusually good job at translating a complex and convoluted story to the screen quite magically, and one that is not only plausible but also breath-taking in its import and seriousness. One comes away recognizing the growth in Nolte's character and applauding the way the whole story fits together and is so believable. I save this one for rainy Friday nights, when I want to escape from the humdrum of a workweek gone bad. I can highly recommend it, and know you will come to love it, too. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Barbra Streisand triumphant directorial achievement
Review: This movie is certainly a triumph for Barbra Streisand as a director. The entire cast is superb. Streisand should not have acted though in this movie - some of her scenes are pathetic.
|
