Synopsis:
In Depression-era Mississippi, a gangly teen (Mary Badham) relates the story of her older sister (Natalie Wood), who fell tragically in love with a new lodger (Robert Redford) in the boarding house owned by their self-serving mother (Kate Reid).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Charles Bronson Films
• Deep South
• Depression Era
• Flashback Films
• Natalie Wood Films
• Robert Redford Films
• Sydney Pollack Films
• Tennessee Williams Films

Review:
Inspired by a one-act play by Tennessee Williams, this Technicolor soaper — directed by Sydney Pollack, with screenplay input from Francis Ford Coppola — is referred to by several reviewers as a distillation of Williams’ classic themes all rolled into one less-than-satisfying tale. While Wood gives a heartfelt performance:

… and Reid is effectively witchy as her brutally mercenary mother:

… bland Redford and awkward Badham (clearly recreating some version of her most famous role as Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird) fare less well, and both Charles Bronson and Robert Blake get short shrift as would-be lovers of Wood.

In its favor, the film is beautifully photographed by James Wong Howe.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

• Natalie Wood as Alva
  
• Kate Reid as Hazel
  
• James Wong Howe’s cinematography
  
  

Must See?
No, unless you’re a Wood fan.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Time Out Capsule Review (spoiler alert!)
• TCM Article
• DVD Savant Review