Rating: 
Summary: A Moving Film, Streissand and Nolte Have Chemistry!
Review: Having read the novel by Pat Conroy, you'd be satisfied with this film. There are some aspects however, for reasons of time, this is only a 2 hr movie, were not dealt with in the movie as they had in Conroy's novel,i.e. Savannah and Luke's(Tom's siblings) are better characterized and the life Tom had with his mother and father in the rural South, marked by domestic violence and finding inner strength in a realm of fantasy, Tom's mother's stories and later on Savannah's imaginative writing. When Tom goes to New York to check up on Savannah (who has attempted suicide) he meets the charismatic and aesthetic Dr. Susan Lowenstein, superbly performed by director/actress Streissand. It seems Streissand was meant for the role- she has the definate New York urbane intelligence and her chemistry with Nick Nolte resembles that of an old Hollywood film a la mode Rhett and Scarlett in Gone With the Wind. The love story, as Dr. Lowenstein delves into the troubled past of Tom Wingo, and a romance blossoms in their sessions, is very touching. The saddest part in fact is that Tom Wingo is married, estranged from his wife, and the right thing to do would be to give up his affair with his psychiatrist and return with the recovering Savannah back to his life in the South. The ending is warm and touching, much like the ending to Bridges of Madison County,"whenever I hear the wind it will whisper the name Lowenstein " Nick Nolte tells us, his voice and his superb performance giving us the magic we badly need in our romantic-less lives. I suggest you read both the novel and then view the film.
Rating:
Summary: This movie took my breath away
Review: I am not a fan of Streisand's music, but her acting and directing abilities are TOPS, and no movie proves it more than The Prince of Tides. I saw the movie *before* reading the book, and after seeing the movie, the book was a disappointment. It is over-descriptive of details that are unessential to the theme of the book, which to me is that you have to deal with your past in order to face the future head-on.Being a survivor of rape, molestation and emotional abuse, I was EXSTATIC(sp?) to finally find a film that realistically portrays the LONG-TERM effects of sexual and emotional abuse. As Nolte so brilliantly put it "The silence was worse than the rapes," and, "Savannah could stay silent, but she couldn't lie." Being asked, or worse, FORCED to keep a secret as heavy as abuse and rape eats away at you until you feel as if you have no soul left, and you become unable to deal with even the smallest day-to-day issues without closing yourself off into a shell and building protective barriers (like Nolte's joke-cracking whenever someone wanted to discuss a serious issue). It's obvious to anyone who is a survivor, loves a survivor, or works with survivors, that all of Tom Wingo's "present-day" issues, from his failing relationship with his wife to his inability to have rational conversation with his mother, to the loss of his job as a coach and teacher - all stem from the strain of trying to hide the horrible secret his mother forced him and his siblings to keep. You can't deal with an issue like rape unless and until you are able to TALK ABOUT IT. Then and ONLY THEN can the healing begin. It was only after telling "the secret" that Tom Wingo began to be able to open his heart in order to trust again. I think the sex between Wingo and Lowenstein was simply a symbolism for Wingo's new-found ability to trust the women in his life. Thank you Nick Nolte and Barbara Streisand and Pat Conroy for writing a script that so realistically gets to the heart of the matter.
Rating: 
Summary: VFrenchPerfume
Review: I found this movie very moving and Nick Nolte's character portrayal superb! I recommend this movie for viewers who enjoy a good drama that will tug at your heartstrings. P.S. re/ Mourning Cloak reviewer... remember this is a fictional production. Don't take it so Personally!
Rating: 
Summary: sick, immature movie, DISTORTED VIEW OF THERAPY
Review: i have little good to say about this movie. as a therapist myself, i feel the therapist in this movie was repugnant...totally unethical in sleeping with her patient...obviously an emotionally disturbed woman. to analyze it just a bit, i can't help but think that it was the writer's fantasy that their therapist have sex with them...any good therapist would tell you that what barbra streisand's character did would ultimately prove very destructive to the patient. yet this movie stated that it was okay for her to have sex with him...because he "wasn't really her patient." well, for starters, it's equally BAD THERAPY for her to have sex with...a patient's brother...but the fact is, she was treating him LIKE a patient, giving him real sessions and asking him personal questions about himself. in short, he WAS her patient, and there's no excuse for what she did...it violates all boundaries: professional, personal and emotional. and i say this movie is immature because clearly the people who made this movie and acted in it had no idea of the real emotional effect such a relationship would have on a character such as nick nolte's. i've worked with patients who have had sex with past therapists, and let me tell you...in the best of cases it proves very disturbing to them in the long run. it's not a subject to be treated lightly, because it's not, despite what it might look like, a romance. in fact, it's much closer to incest. sick, sick movie. and scary (but perhaps not surprising) that it became so popular in america. and by the way, even if it is a fantasy (a normal one) for people to want to seduce their therapists, it doesn't mean for ONE SECOND that it would be healthy IF THEIR THERAPISTS GIVE IN TO THEIR PATIENTS' WISHES! the whole point of therapy is that the therapist understands this...and keeps their boundaries, modeling healthy boundaries and limits.
Rating:
Summary: Huh???
Review: I have never read the novel by Mr. Conroy. Most have said that this is a bland and boring movie, and that Barbara Streisand didn't do well. But I totally disagree. I'm not a Streisand fan, but I don't hate her either. I believed that this movie was beautifully enthralling, lifting up my own hopes and spirits as though I was a flower petal and being lifted by a breeze. It took me far from my own home and led me on a search throughout the movie, and the actors were so emotionally and beautifully carved out that they were definitely not cardboard cut-outs or boring or stupid. I loved this movie, and it touches you in the heart and soul, even if you haven't read the book. I suppose if I read the book it will be different, and I will compulse against Mrs. Streisand, but for now I'm not going to read the book but enjoy the movie for its fantastic work and realistic feeling. This movie has haunted me for over two weeks, and has compelled me to see it three times since. I would see it more times then that, but it's also an emotional ride. So in other words, I LOVED this movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Barbra's Ego Undoes A Worthwhile Effort
Review: I loved Pat Conroy's book, The Prince of Tides. I looked forward to the film version. Nick Nolte was an inspired choice to play Tom Wingo. I have no qualms with the rest of the cast. I, too, wish that more of the story (of Luke especially) could have been told. But, I have no major problem with the screenplay and the direction served the script fine. My problem is that Streisand as producer and director should have read the damn book a little closer when it came to the character of Lowenstein, the psychiatrist. She was described as upper-class, slim & dark, cultured, refined & immaculate. Now, Barbra may be interesting & intelligent....but classy and refined she ain't. Not with footlong violet fingernails that would rival the Dragonlady's. Maybe if I hadn't read the book, it would have worked...but I doubt it. Casting in a movie is half the battle. And that her ego allowed her to cast herself in this role says more about Barbra's delusions than it does her talent. She told the story well, but the great love and understanding between Wingo and Lowenstein just wasn't believable for me between Nolte and Streisand. Too bad, because she handled the rest of the movie pretty well. I only wrote this because Barbra did a lot of bitching at the time that she was overlooked at Oscar time for Best Director. I truly feel that had she cast that role to someone else and JUST directed, she would have made the list. But, she had to make the movie a Barbra Streisand movie starring Barbra and thereby sank it rom potentially great to just a good film. Ego will get you every time. 3-1/2 stars.
Rating:
Summary: Great film, unthrilling DVD.
Review: I loved the book, I loved the film. I think Streisand beautifully captured the essence of the book's emotional intensity. For me,the scenery in the film was exactly as I'd imagined it based on Pat Conroy's descriptions. HOWEVER, having waited eagerly for the DVD, was very disappointed to find no special features of note (unless you call trailers and filmographies 'special features'). I know I've seen a 'Making of...' somewhere before and assumed that it would be included in this addition. As thrilled as I am to own this movie on DVD, don't buy this thinking there are extras. You'll be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: A story of salvation!
Review: I loved this movie, even though I agree with the reviewers who said that the movie did not do justice to the book. I believe that with a book this powerful, where every character has such depth and intensity, it would be literally impossible in the confines of a movie's "time" limits to do it justice. I, too, would love to have seen the story of Luke and Savannah--Savannah was actually the strongest character in the book, but the movie portrayed her as the weakest. I would also have enjoyed their interesting grandmother, Tolitha, (who could forget the chapter where she had the children take pictures of her in a coffin in the funeral home), and their grandfather who dragged the cross from one end of town to the other. I just think that this book was so powerful that a decision had to be made as to which aspect of it would be portrayed. I agree with one reviewer that a mini-series would have been in order. I would gladly have devoted 10 or 12 hours to watching this wonderful story!
Rating:
Summary: Some Terrific Moments from Nolte, but Babs Bombs
Review: I may be a bit cynical about the film version of a book I so immensely enjoyed reading. Yet, while the book was a spellbinding page-turner, I found myself squirming through much of the film, especially once Barbra Streisand's nails began taking on a life of their own. The character she portrays is quite secondary in the book, yet here is a central focus, as could be expected. That said, Nick Nolte is fantastic in a role that earned an Oscar Nomination, and the supporting cast is uniformly fine throughout. Also, as a director, Striesand does capture some moments of pure blissful perfection that made this an Oscar worthy best film nominee in 1991. But, there are crucial elements of prose missing from the plot, and I found myself confused by unncessary devices like therapy sessions that showcase la Streisand in place of the story that needed to be told. Martin SCorcese would have OWNED this film had he directed it. Streisand, on the other hand, manages to inspire and cajole, but ultimately falls flat when trying to make sense of the characters. To be sure, she is one of the few Legends when it comes to filmmaking and acting, but "The Price Of Tides" pales by comparison to other noteworthy efforts like "Yentl." See it for Nolte, and then take the book to bed for an incomparable read!
Rating:
Summary: "worship Barbara" meets execrable depravity
Review: I still can't understand why this movie was so highly acclaimed. Anything beautiful and good in it (hence the one star for things like enjoyable island scenery) is far outweighed by the degredation that saturates the film. The "moral" of the story seems to be: "Have an illicit affair...it's good for you, and good for your marriage." And I was so disturbed by the images of the rape scenes that I had to leave the room. It turned my stomach, and made me sick thinking some pervert rapists out there are probably getting cheap thrills from it. Rape is one of those things that is--or should be--stirring enough on its own; it doesn't need graphic portrayal to "drive home" its painful reality.
My other gripe about this film is that much of it seems centered around the glorification of Streisand and of the character she plays. The film seems to be singing, "Look at me. I'm hot. I'm brilliant. I'm irresistable. And I heal people."
I have a list of films labeled "don't bother" but those words are too passive for this film, which prompted me to create a new category called "don't watch."
|
