{"id":16730,"date":"2011-04-22T22:09:51","date_gmt":"2011-04-23T05:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=16730"},"modified":"2021-01-30T13:59:37","modified_gmt":"2021-01-30T20:59:37","slug":"bostonians-the-1984","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=16730","title":{"rendered":"Bostonians, The (1984)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;You always want to please someone &#8212; Miss Chancellor, your parents, whoever else is dear to you. But it&#8217;s not really you.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Poster-209x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"209\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-16731\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Poster-209x300.jpg 209w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Poster-89x128.jpg 89w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Poster.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 209px) 100vw, 209px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA suffragette (Vanessa Redgrave) and her chauvinist southern cousin (Christopher Reeve) vie for the affections of a charismatic young orator (Madeleine Potter).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Christopher Reeve Films<\/li>\n<li>Feminism and Women&#8217;s Issues<\/li>\n<li>Jessica Tandy Films<\/li>\n<li>Literature Adaptation<\/li>\n<li>Merchant Ivory Films<\/li>\n<li>Love Triangle<\/li>\n<li>Vanessa Redgrave Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nMerchant-Ivory&#8217;s adaptation* of <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bostonians\">Henry James&#8217; tragicomic novel<\/a> (which prompted the coining of the phrase &#8220;Boston marriage&#8221;) is apparently quite faithful to its source material (which I&#8217;ve never read) &#8212; up until its infamously modified final scene. Vanessa Redgrave deservedly won an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of a <em>very<\/em> thinly-veiled lesbian suffragette in post-Civil War Boston who falls head-over-heels in love with Potter from the moment she first hears her speak; meanwhile, Christopher Reeve gives one of his best non-Superman performances as the unapologetically prick-ish southern lawyer vying for Potter&#8217;s attentions. As the center of the battle between Redgrave and Reeve, Potter &#8212; an unconventionally cherubic beauty &#8212; is a controversial casting choice, but ultimately (I believe) suits the role: she exudes enough gentle charisma to convince one of her viability as a magnet for both suitors. This most unusual &#8220;love triangle&#8221; plays out against Merchant-Ivory&#8217;s typically lush period sets, and &#8212; despite a frustratingly melodramatic ending, and insufficiently explored characterizations &#8212; offers some subtly provocative statements about the nature of repression, longing, obsession, and rivalry. <\/p>\n<p>* Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, long-time Merchant-Ivory collaborator, wrote the screenplay. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Vanessa Redgrave as Olive Chancellor (oddly excluded from Peary&#8217;s list of nominees in <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Redgrave.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Redgrave-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-16736\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Redgrave-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Redgrave-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Redgrave-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Redgrave.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Christopher Reeve as Basil Ransome<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Reeve.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Reeve-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-16755\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Reeve-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Reeve-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Reeve-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Reeve.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Madeleine Potter as Verena Tarrant<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Potter21.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Potter21-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-16757\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Potter21-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Potter21-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Potter21-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Potter21.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine supporting performances (in small roles) by Jessica Tandy, Linda Hunt, and Nancy Marchand<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Tandy.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Tandy-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-16758\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Tandy-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Tandy-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Tandy-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Tandy.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Hunt.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Hunt-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-16759\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Hunt-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Hunt-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Hunt-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Hunt.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Marchand.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Marchand-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-16760\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Marchand-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Marchand-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Marchand-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Marchand.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Lovely sets and production values<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Sets.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Sets-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-16762\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Sets-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Sets-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Sets-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/04\/Bostonians-Sets.png 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though it&#8217;s strongly recommended just to see Redgrave&#8217;s performance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0086992\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1984\/08\/02\/movies\/the-screen-redgrave-in-jame-s-bostonians.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.digitallyobsessed.com\/displaylegacy.php?ID=5552\">Digitally Obsessed Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/en_gb\/film\/the-bostonians-1984\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;You always want to please someone &#8212; Miss Chancellor, your parents, whoever else is dear to you. But it&#8217;s not really you.&#8221; Synopsis: A suffragette (Vanessa Redgrave) and her chauvinist southern cousin (Christopher Reeve) vie for the affections of a charismatic young orator (Madeleine Potter). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Christopher Reeve Films Feminism and Women&#8217;s Issues Jessica Tandy Films Literature Adaptation Merchant Ivory Films Love Triangle Vanessa Redgrave Films Review: Merchant-Ivory&#8217;s adaptation* of Henry James&#8217; tragicomic novel (which prompted&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=16730\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16730","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16730","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16730"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67097,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16730\/revisions\/67097"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}