{"id":20275,"date":"2011-10-31T09:26:56","date_gmt":"2011-10-31T16:26:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20275"},"modified":"2021-02-03T00:54:55","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T07:54:55","slug":"country-girl-the-1954","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20275","title":{"rendered":"Country Girl, The (1954)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;They all start out as Juliets and wind up as Lady Macbeths.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Poster-189x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"189\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-20276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Poster-189x300.jpg 189w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Poster-80x128.jpg 80w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Poster.jpg 476w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 189px) 100vw, 189px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAn aging has-been singer (Bing Crosby) with an embittered wife (Grace Kelly) is given a second chance at fame when a theatrical director (William Holden) insists on casting him as the star in an upcoming musical &#8212; but will Crosby&#8217;s insecurities  and alcoholic tendencies prevent him from success?\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>Actors and Actresses<\/li>\n<li>Bing Crosby Films<\/li>\n<li>Grace Kelly Films<\/li>\n<li>Has-Beens<\/li>\n<li>Love Triangle<\/li>\n<li>Play Adaptation<\/li>\n<li>William Holden Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nBased on a play by Clifford Odets, this stagy melodrama will forever remain infamous as the film that &#8220;robbed Judy Garland of her Oscar&#8221;, given that a heavily deglamourized Grace Kelly won the Best Actress Oscar instead. Knowing this, one watches <em>The Country Girl<\/em> with an extra degree of skepticism &#8212; is Kelly&#8217;s performance really even a viable contender against Garland&#8217;s? Sadly, one emerges convinced that the rumors are all true: Garland WAS robbed. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Kelly.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Kelly.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"512\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-68220\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Kelly.png 512w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Kelly-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Kelly-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Kelly-360x270.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>At first, Kelly&#8217;s performance is reasonably impressive, given that she does bravely (?) allow herself to be completely stripped of all charm and appeal (not to mention make-up), and convincingly embodies her character&#8217;s deeply held bitterness; but her portrayal ultimately emerges as one-note &#8212; and the film itself is such a troubled vehicle that it&#8217;s impossible to ever fully engage with her dilemma, or feel any genuine sympathy for her. <\/p>\n<p>At its heart, <em>The Country Girl<\/em> is a tale of corrosive misogyny, with Holden&#8217;s cynical, divorced director so embittered by his own past romantic challenges that he seems to be questioning the utility of women in general &#8212; as evidenced in the following disturbing quotes:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a pity that Leonardo da Vinci didn&#8217;t have a wife to guide him; he might have really gotten somewhere.&#8221;<br \/>\n&#8220;I don&#8217;t like strong women, Mrs. Elgin.&#8221;<br \/>\n&#8220;You know why he lacks authority? Because his wife has too much of it.&#8221;<br \/>\n&#8220;They all start out as Juliets and wind up as Lady Macbeths.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It&#8217;s up to Kelly, naturally, to convince Holden that all she&#8217;s ever wanted was for her husband to succeed &#8212; in other words, that&#8217;s she&#8217;s a good 1950s wife rather than a shrewish impediment to his happiness. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Holden.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Holden.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"512\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-68221\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Holden.png 512w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Holden-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Holden-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Holden-360x270.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>To say more about this evolution would give away spoilers &#8212; but suffice it to say that both her character arc and Holden&#8217;s feel palpably calculated. Meanwhile, Crosby provides the film&#8217;s only truly sympathetic performance:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Crosby3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Crosby3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"512\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-68222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Crosby3.png 512w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Crosby3-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Crosby3-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Crosby3-360x270.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Seemingly unafraid to present his character as the complex and conflicted individual he is, his cripplingly insecure Frank Elgin comes across as all too authentic and pathetic. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Bing Crosby as Frank<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Crosby.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Crosby.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"512\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Crosby.png 512w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Crosby-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Crosby-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Atmospheric cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"512\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20297\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Cinematography.png 512w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Cinematography-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Country-Girl-Cinematography-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though must film fanatics probably won&#8217;t be able to resist checking it out, given its historical notoriety. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0046874\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/reviews\/12370\/country-girl-1954-the\/\">DVD Talk Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1954\/12\/16\/archives\/screen-crosby-acts-in-country-girl-film-based-on-odets-drama-makes.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.digitallyobsessed.com\/displaylegacy.php?ID=6440\">Digitally Obsessed Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;They all start out as Juliets and wind up as Lady Macbeths.&#8221; Synopsis: An aging has-been singer (Bing Crosby) with an embittered wife (Grace Kelly) is given a second chance at fame when a theatrical director (William Holden) insists on casting him as the star in an upcoming musical &#8212; but will Crosby&#8217;s insecurities and alcoholic tendencies prevent him from success? Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Actors and Actresses Bing Crosby Films Grace Kelly Films Has-Beens Love Triangle Play Adaptation&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20275\"> 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-20275","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\/20275","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=20275"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20275\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68224,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20275\/revisions\/68224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20275"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20275"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20275"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}