Two People (1973 film)

Last updated
Two People
TwoPeoplePoster.JPG
Original poster
Directed by Robert Wise
Written byRichard De Roy
Produced byRobert Wise
Starring Peter Fonda
Lindsay Wagner
Estelle Parsons
Cinematography Henri Decaë
Edited by William Reynolds
Music by David Shire
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • March 18, 1973 (1973-03-18)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Two People is a 1973 American drama film produced and directed by Robert Wise and starring Peter Fonda and Lindsay Wagner. The screenplay by Richard De Roy focuses on the brief relationship shared by a Vietnam War deserter and a fashion model.

Contents

Plot

Deirdre McCluskey is a Manhattan-based fashion model who has completed an assignment for Vogue with photographer, Ron Kesselman, who is also her lover, and Barbara Newman, an editor, in Marrakech. Ron has announced plans to explore the Sahara Desert in lieu of returning home to his son out-of-wedlock with Deirdre, Marcus, leaving them to go to Casablanca by train, without him.

Deidre, aware her love for Ron has died, recognizes fellow passenger Evan Bonner from a cafe where she had eaten the previous day. She approaches his compartment to ask if he has any kief he'd be willing to share with her. Seeing him alone and in tears, she returns to Barbara.

When the train breaks down, Evan and Deidre explore a nearby Arab village while waiting for it to be repaired. Deirdre is attracted to Evan but he withdraws from her advances. On board a flight from Casablanca to Paris, he confesses he deserted in Vietnam, was brought to Moscow by a pro-peace group, and lived in Sweden and Morocco until, weary of his nomad existence, he decided to surrender and face court martial and a prison term.

Deirdre spends a day and night with Evan in Paris before they return to the United States. The following morning, she proposes they remain in Europe, supported by her salary, but he declines. They fly to New York City, where the two are welcomed at Deirdre's townhouse by her mother and son. Deirdre repeats her offer, but Evan is determined to put his past behind him, and later that day he surrenders to the authorities.

Cast

Production

Fonda said "We shot the film in sequence. It was designed by Bob. It was simply the best way to shoot the film. We rehearsed for a week and a half. You know, we spent five weeks on the Marakesh Express. It worked out pretty well." [1]

Critical reception

Roger Greenspun of The New York Times called the film "a very silly movie" and added, "I am tempted to hang the movie with quotations from its dialogue — which would be unfair. It is really equally bad in all departments . . . Two People is remarkably of a piece — not with the consistency of a movie director like Robert Wise, but rather with the consistency of something cooked up from the same package of synthetic soup." [2]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times observed, "It must have sounded like such a good story idea, all those months or years ago when they were writing the film . . . What we have here, potentially, is a sort of bittersweet, radicalized Love Story , and that must have been what sold the director, Robert Wise, on the project. The movie sounds superficially as if it might have a comment to make on the effect of the war on its warriors. Well, that may be true, but true of a movie they didn't make. What we're left with is an awfully awkward journey into banality." [3]

TV Guide rated the film one out of four stars and commented, "Fonda and Wagner (in her film debut) just aren't able to pull it off." [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Stanwyck</span> American actress (1907–1990)

Barbara Stanwyck born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic screen presence and versatility. She was a favorite of directors, including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang, and Frank Capra, and made 85 films in 38 years before turning to television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Fonda</span> American actress and activist (born 1937)

Jane Seymour Fonda is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the AFI Life Achievement Award, the Golden Lion Honorary Award, the Honorary Palme d'Or, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lily Tomlin</span> American actress (born 1939)

Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. She started her career as a stand-up comedian as well as performing off-Broadway during the 1960s. Her breakout role was on the variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1969 until 1973. She starred as Frankie Bergstein on the Netflix series Grace and Frankie, which debuted in 2015 and earned her nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Golden Globe Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Fonda</span> American actor (1940–2019)

Peter Henry Fonda was an American actor. He was the son of Henry Fonda, younger brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget Fonda. He was a prominent figure in the counterculture of the 1960s. Fonda was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Easy Rider (1969), and the Academy Award for Best Actor for Ulee's Gold (1997). For the latter, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama. Fonda also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joanne Woodward</span> American actress and producer (born 1930)

Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward is an American actress, producer, and philanthropist. A star since the Golden Age of Hollywood, Woodward made her career breakthrough in the 1950s and earned esteem and respect playing complex women with a characteristic nuance and depth of character. She is one of the first film stars to have an equal presence in television. Her accolades include an Academy Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

<i>Mr. and Mrs. Bridge</i> 1990 film by James Ivory

Mr. & Mrs. Bridge is a 1990 American drama film based on the novels by Evan S. Connell of the same name. It is directed by James Ivory, with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and produced by Ismail Merchant.

Lindsay Wagner American actress (b. 1949)

Lindsay Jean Wagner is an American film and television actress, model, author, singer, acting coach, and former adjunct professor. Wagner is best known for her leading role in the American science-fiction television series The Bionic Woman (1976–1978), in which she portrayed action character Jaime Sommers. She first played this role on the series The Six Million Dollar Man. The character became a popular-culture icon of the 1970s. For this role, Wagner won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Dramatic Role in 1977 - the first for an actor or actress in a science fiction series. Wagner began acting professionally in 1971 and has maintained a lengthy acting career in a variety of film and television productions to the present day.

<i>Two for the Seesaw</i> 1962 film by Robert Wise

Two for the Seesaw is a 1962 American romantic-drama film directed by Robert Wise and starring Robert Mitchum and Shirley MacLaine. It was adapted from the 1958 Broadway play written by William Gibson with Henry Fonda and Anne Bancroft in the lead roles.

<i>Foxes</i> (film) 1980 drama film by Adrian Lyne

Foxes is a 1980 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Adrian Lyne, in his feature film directorial debut, and written by Gerald Ayres. The film stars Jodie Foster, Scott Baio, Sally Kellerman, Randy Quaid, and Cherie Currie, in her acting debut. It revolves around a group of teenage girls coming of age in suburban Los Angeles toward the end of the disco era.

<i>Georgia Rule</i> 2007 American film by Garry Marshall

Georgia Rule is a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed by Garry Marshall, written by Mark Andrus, and starring Jane Fonda, Lindsay Lohan, Felicity Huffman, Dermot Mulroney, Cary Elwes, and Garrett Hedlund. The original score was composed by John Debney.

<i>Harper</i> (film) 1966 film by Jack Smight

Harper is a 1966 American mystery film based on Ross Macdonald's 1949 novel The Moving Target and adapted for the screen by novelist William Goldman, who admired MacDonald's writings. The film stars Paul Newman as Lew Harper, and was directed by Jack Smight, with a cast that includes Robert Wagner, Julie Harris, Janet Leigh, Shelley Winters, Lauren Bacall, and Arthur Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lindsay Lohan</span> American actress and singer (born 1986)

Lindsay Dee Lohan is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera Another World at age 10, her breakthrough came in the Walt Disney Pictures film The Parent Trap (1998). The film's success led to appearances in the television films Life-Size (2000) and Get a Clue (2002), and the big-screen productions Freaky Friday (2003) and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004).

<i>Strangers When We Meet</i> (film) 1960 film by Richard Quine

Strangers When We Meet is a 1960 American drama film about two married neighbors who have an affair. The movie was adapted by Evan Hunter from his novel of the same name and directed by Richard Quine. The film stars Kirk Douglas, Kim Novak, Ernie Kovacs, Barbara Rush, and Walter Matthau.

<i>Gable and Lombard</i> 1976 film by Sidney J. Furie

Gable and Lombard is a 1976 American biographical film directed by Sidney J. Furie. The screenplay by Barry Sandler is based on the romance and consequent marriage of screen stars Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. The original music score was composed by Michel Legrand.

<i>In the Cool of the Day</i> 1963 film by Robert Stevens

In the Cool of the Day is a 1963 British-American romantic drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in Metrocolor and Panavision. The film is directed by Robert Stevens and starring Peter Finch, Jane Fonda, Angela Lansbury, Arthur Hill, and Constance Cummings; with Nigel Davenport, and John Le Mesurier.

<i>Until They Sail</i> 1957 film by Robert Wise

Until They Sail is a 1957 American black-and-white CinemaScope drama film directed by Robert Wise and starring Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine, Paul Newman, Piper Laurie, and Sandra Dee. The screenplay by Robert Anderson, based on a story by James A. Michener included in his 1951 anthology Return to Paradise, focuses on four New Zealand sisters and their relationships with U.S. Marines during World War II.

<i>Ash Wednesday</i> (1973 film) 1973 film by Larry Peerce

Ash Wednesday is a 1973 American dark drama film directed by Larry Peerce and starring Elizabeth Taylor. It was produced by Dominick Dunne. The screenplay by Jean-Claude Tramont focuses on the effect that extensive cosmetic surgery has on the life of a middle-aged married woman.

<i>Joy House</i> (film) 1964 French film

Joy House is a 1964 French mystery–thriller film starring Jane Fonda, Alain Delon and Lola Albright. It is based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Day Keene.

<i>F.T.A.</i> Documentary about the 1971 anti-Vietnam War FTA Show

F.T.A. is a 1972 American documentary film starring Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland and directed by Francine Parker, which follows a 1971 anti-Vietnam War road show for GI's, the FTA Show, as it stops in Hawaii, The Philippines, Okinawa, and Japan. It includes highlights from the show, behind the scenes footage, local performers from the countries visited, and interviews and conversations with GIs "as they discuss what they saw in battle, their anger with the military bureaucracy, and their opposition to America's presence in Indochina." Called by Fonda "a spit and a prayer production" it was far from a big budget Hollywood movie, or even a well-funded documentary. While the movie "is raw," it "underscores how infectious the movement of the 60s and 70s was", and chronicles both the Tour itself as well as the soldiers who came to see it and "the local talent of organizers, labor unions and artist/activists" in the countries visited.

Falling for Christmas is an upcoming American Christmas romantic comedy film directed by Janeen Damian from a screenplay by Damian, Michael Damian, Jeff Bonnett and Ron Oliver. The film stars Lindsay Lohan and Chord Overstreet. George Young, Jack Wagner and Olivia Perez appear in supporting roles. It marks Lohan's first role in a major production in over a decade following a series of career setbacks while recovering from addiction and legal issues. Brad Krevoy and Michael Damian serve as producers on the film, which was first announced in May 2021 and began production in Utah in November 2021. It is scheduled to be released on November 10, 2022, by Netflix.

References

  1. ↑ Goldman, Lowell (Fall 1990). "Peter Fonda: I Know What It's Like to Be Dead". Psychotronic Video. No. 7. p.  35.
  2. ↑ New York Times review
  3. ↑ Chicago Sun-Times review
  4. ↑ TV Guide review
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.