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The Way We Were (Special Edition)

The Way We Were (Special Edition)

List Price: $19.94
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Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Dear Lord What's the Point?
Review: I am apparently the only person in the land that thought this movie was terrible. Shame on the universe for letting these two put together such a mawkish, insipidly gut wrenching film as this. The plight of these two people is apparent, but neither soul is even tolerable.

I reached the end of the movie glad for the suffering I had witnessed, wishing only that further misery and spiritual punishment could somehow be levied on the characters. If Amnesty International were truly interested in reducing injustice in this world, they would take up the cross of seeing that this movie never again saw the light of day.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The ending was no good.
Review: Movie summary:
Hubbell and Katie meet in highschool where Hubbell is the star athlete who does nothing but hang around with a crowd that like to make fun of things such as poilitics. Katie on the other hand takes everyhing seriously as an ambitious peace keeper who fights for every cause and whilst giving a speech everyone else puts her down yet Hubbell admires her. As the two slowly become friends, she realizes Hubbell's talent of writing and pushes him. When highschool ends the two lead on into the world with their different lives. Hubbell joins the navy and Katie works at a radio station, but the two meet up and slowly Katie rekindles her highschool love for him whilst Hubbell slowly enters the relationship only with high respect for her morals at first, but those morals years later end up destroying their relationship. They even have a daughter but that doesnt help their relationship in any way.

The timeline was confusing but the actors were wonderful. Robert Reford gives life to the movie with his good looks and superb acting talent as Barbara Streisand makes the movie more realistic and challenging and the two bring a romance on the screen of how opposites attract.
I didn't take too highly to the ending though, neither one of them is prepared to change their prospectives and even if they try to change the other doesn't accept it. Even though they loved each other all the way to the end they never understood that love is the most important thing in the world not politics or ambitions. It somehow reminded me of a shorter version of The Thorn Birds (Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward) where one is ambitious and that causes everything to be destroyed.

I had the DVD version and the hour long documentary was without Robert Redford, a shame.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Best Barbra Columbia DVD, the movie's great too.
Review: First lets talk the movie. Pauline Kael, when talking about Barbra Streisand, said something to the effect that, Streisand doesnt really employ an "actors" trade in her performance, she never really becomes a different character in the way Faye Dunaway BECOMES Joan Crawford for example. But thats OK. What makes Barbra so compelling as an actress is the way she throws herself with reckles abandon into the role. Perhaps thats why her best movie roles are when she plays characters who's emotional world is larger than life. Katie Morosky is exactly such a character. Katies passion for blind social causes is touching in the same way that Fanny in Funny Girls faithfulness to Nick was touching. Consequently, Katies profuse sexual passion for Redford thrills you the way hearing Barbra going full throttle into the climax of a song thrills you.

Unfortunately also like Funny Girl there is not much to like about this film outside of Barbra's performance. Once Barbra and Hubbel get married the movie really well...lags. Why do Hubbel and Katie even break up, who decided to have Redford cheat on Katie and why does he do it? It is a bit baffling, but when you're being hypnotized by Barbras performance it is easy to overlook such things.

NOW the DVD transfer: I hate to admit this, but unlike in othe rmovies, the widescreen version looks almost EXACTLY the same as the VHS transfer. I guess when you do a movie that is mostly close ups you dont see very many new things once that movie is restored to widescreen. Nor is the picture quality any better than the video version, which was fine anyway. The commentary by Sydney Pollock however is great, AND the documentary provides wonderful incites into some of the decisions(however questionable) about which scenes were cut, etc. Also you get to SEE alot of the cut scenes, though it might be better to have those set aside in a seperate section. All in all a triumph for barbra and her fans.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: classic romance
Review: A classic romance, THE WAY WE WERE has never looked or sounded better. After years of fuzzy, washed-out prints on video, the long-awaited DVD release of this masterpiece has been worth the wait.
Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford lead the cast as Katie and Hubble, two mismatched lovers who deeply care for each other, but have irreconcilable differences that tear them apart.
Among the strong supporting cast are Allyn Ann McLerie (CALAMITY JANE), Lois Chiles, Herb Edelman, Bradford Dillman, Viveca Lindfors, and Murray Hamilton.
The DVD includes commentary by director Sydney Pollack, documentary featuring interviews with Pollack, Streisand, screenwriter Arthur Laurents and composer Marvin Hamlisch, and the original trailer.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An Epitomic Masterpiece of Relationships
Review: The movie, "The Way We Were" is undoubtably one of the best films I have ever seen. It embraces the social and comical issues of its time, giving it an underwritten story behind the major plot - the story of two people. Caught in the times, their own opinions, and a bond so strong that they wanted to stop at nothing to hold onto it, "The Way We Were" encapsulates the true meaning of what it's like to be in love, when it's truly "lovely" and what it's like when you find that you have you let go of that love, or it has already let go of you. Then revisiting that love years later, knowing that it's still there, but knowing that the best way to survive it is going your separate ways. This is the first time I have seen this movie - I am in my 20s - and I felt I could relate to this movie in more ways than one. A must see for anyone that had to let go of someone they love or someone had to let go of them.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THE WAY THEY WERE
Review: The movie of THE WAY WE WERE harkens back to a time when screen romance still existed. Streisand was never better on the screen. She deserved the Oscar for her heartbreaking performance as Katie, and Redford has never been more romantic. There hasn't been a screen romance like it since. And everyone who loved the movie in 1973 longs for the days when movies seemed full of dreams and romance.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Streisand and Redford - Chemistry, CHEMistry, CHEMISTRY!!
Review: Neither have ever looked more beautiful or been paired so perfectly...though, oddly enough, they would seem an extremely unlikely-pair. In fact, no Hollywood pairing up to that point or since, has known greater anticipation. You can't take your eyes off them when they are together. And, more importantly, they surpass expectations...which is ALWAYS satisfying. Barbra is truly wonderful in this film, which brought her a second (and last to date) Best Actress nomination. Redford has to be given credit for taking the role because, in the end, the audience, and he himself realize what his character is truly made of. The film falls short of a 5 star rating simply because of the editing, which leaves it choppy. However, it certainly earns the other 4 stars because of the greatest pairing Hollywood has come-up with to date (except maybe Redford and Newman).

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A wonderful treatment for a classic film
Review: This DVD demonstrates why this medium is so fantastic.

I watched the film in its entirety, then watched the documentary, then watched the film all over again listening to Sydney Pollack's insightful commentary. It was a completely different experience to do so.

What his commentary highlighted was the subtlety of Redford's performance - he was brilliant. I never rated him as an actor until I heard Sydney and Barbara's views on him. The documentary, showing the missing scenes (and why they were deleted), provides an interesting persepective on the film and the characters.

If you love the movie, you will need to have this DVD.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This is a great movie
Review: Sydney Pollack has directed an excellent film -- the integration of story, acting, music and brilliant editing make this a timeless experience. Barbra is superb - the opening scenes, with that haunting theme song, are so well put together. Redford was a perfect choice for Hubble Gardner. You can't miss with this film - it's a classic.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One Of The Best Romantic Movies
Review: The Way We Were has been one of my favorite movies ever since I was a little girl. It has everything going for it; a great story line, the luscious Robert Redford, a beautiful song/music, and as much as it pains me to admit this, even Barbra Streisand (I can't stand her) did a pretty good job.


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