Something went wrong with this adaptation of a long un-produced Tennessee Williams script. Could it be the casting? The limp and uninspired direction? The fact that the script was undercooked and needed more rewrites to really be something? It was everything. But there's still a small spark of what could have been buried underneath the southern heat and genteel society parties. It comes in the for... read more
Description:Widely considered the most important American playwright of the post-WWII, era, Williams wrote the TEARDROP DIAMOND screenplay at the height of his late-1950’s heyday, amid such classic plays, (which themselves were adapted into classic films), as “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Suddenly, Last Summer,” “Sweet Bird of Youth,” aWidely considered the most important American playwright of the post-WWII, era, Williams wrote the TEARDROP DIAMOND screenplay at the height of his late-1950’s heyday, amid such classic plays, (which themselves were adapted into classic films), as “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Suddenly, Last Summer,” “Sweet Bird of Youth,” and “Orpheus Descending.” Set in the Roaring Twenties in the town of Memphis, the film tells the story of Fisher Willow (Howard) a headstrong young heiress who chafes under the constraints of proper Southern society, and who rebels by asking the impoverished but handsome son of her father’s caretaker, Jimmy Dobyne (Evans), to escort her to the major social events of the season. The relationship is purely a business arrangement at the outset, with Fisher paying for Jimmy’s time and attention, but when she discovers that she really loves him, she finds it impossible to re-write the rules and earn the affection she tried to buy. Howard’s ability to evoke the dueling strength and fragility of this quintessential Williams heroine, along with her stunning mastery of his lush, poetic language, firmly establish her as one of the best actresses of her generation, and place her Fisher Willow in a pantheon of performances that includes Vivien Leigh’s Blanche DuBois, Elizabeth Taylor’s Maggie the Cat, Anna Magnani’s Serafina delle Rose, and Geraldine Page’s Alexandra Del Lago.... (more)(less)
“Something went wrong with this adaptation of a long un-produced Tennessee Williams script. Could it be the casting? The limp and uninspired direction? The fact that the script was undercooked and needed more rewrites to really be something? It was everything. But there's still a small spark of what could have been buried underneath the southern heat and genteel society parties. It comes in the form of Ellen Burstyn as Miss Addie, a severely disabled woman thanks to a history of opium addiction and a series of strokes. I wanted to know more about her history. Our main heroine, Fisher Willow, seems so small compared to her. Addie has a spark, a verve and nerve that the greatest of Williams' heroines possess, even as they descend into madness, poverty, or both. Burstyn plays the role for ever” read more
"En los años veinte, Fisher Willow, una guapa heredera sureña, se enamora de un apuesto joven que trabaja en la plantación de su familia. Los problemas surgen cuando se pierde un diamante y se desencadena una serie de incidentes que harán peligrar su relación..."
SandM1827 added this to a list 2 years, 4 months ago
"
I'm a huge Tennessee Williams fan, which may have worked both ways for me as I struggled to enjoy this film while simultaneously trying to stifle my disappointment in some of its weaker points. The direction here is a bit stilted and uncertain and the performances never quite lift the film above its built-in faults. Watch Suddenly, Last Summer instead. "
SandM1827 added this to a list 2 years, 6 months ago
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The evolution of Bryce Dallas Howard
The evolution of Chris Evans
adapted from Tennessee Williams
Monthly Movie Journal: Feb. 2011
Favorite Female Movie Characters
