{"id":88386,"date":"2022-11-24T00:04:25","date_gmt":"2022-11-24T07:04:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=88386"},"modified":"2024-06-22T20:36:12","modified_gmt":"2024-06-23T03:36:12","slug":"fine-madness-a-1966","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=88386","title":{"rendered":"Fine Madness, A (1966)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;To hell with his poetry! I want to make him a useful, social human being.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Poster-199x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"199\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-88387\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Poster-199x300.png 199w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Poster-85x128.png 85w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Poster-179x270.png 179w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Poster.png 622w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nThe abused wife (Joanne Woodward) of a violent would-be poet (Sean Connery) hires a shrink (Patrick O&#8217;Neal) to try to cure him &#8212; but Connery&#8217;s womanizing ways and raging temper continue to wreak havoc on himself and the world.\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>Domestic Abuse<\/li>\n<li>Jean Seberg Films<\/li>\n<li>Joanne Woodward Films<\/li>\n<li>Patrick O&#8217;Neal Films<\/li>\n<li>Psychotherapy<\/li>\n<li>Sean Connery Films<\/li>\n<li>Womanizers<\/li>\n<li>Writers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThis inexcusable mess of a &#8220;comedy&#8221; is one of three <em>GFTFF<\/em>-listed films director Irvin Kershner made from 1964 to 1970 about delusional and\/or self-absorbed men who cause misery for those around them; the other two are <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5284\"><em>The Luck of Ginger Coffey<\/em> (1964)<\/a> (featuring a noteworthy performance by Robert Shaw) and <a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=43631\"><em>Loving<\/em> (1970)<\/a> (featuring an insufferable performance by George Segal). While it&#8217;s understandable that Connery wanted to continue to break away from his James Bond persona in the 1960s, this was a definite shift for the worst: his Samson Shillitoe (what a name!) is like a warped Bond on steroids, with none of the charm and all of the cockiness. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Connery-Writer.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Connery-Writer-1024x557.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"348\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-88401\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Connery-Writer-1024x557.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Connery-Writer-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Connery-Writer-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Connery-Writer-768x418.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Connery-Writer-496x270.png 496w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Connery-Writer.png 1299w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Poor Woodward receives the brunt of Samson&#8217;s anger at all turns &#8212; and watching the domestic violence taking place in their home is harrowing. It&#8217;s infuriating to see her portrayed as a resolutely loyal (albeit gritty and resilient) dame willing to put up with it all given her husband&#8217;s supposed &#8220;genius&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Woodward2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Woodward2-1024x559.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"349\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-88399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Woodward2-1024x559.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Woodward2-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Woodward2-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Woodward2-768x419.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Woodward2-494x270.png 494w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Woodward2.png 1291w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Indeed, everything about this dated film smacks of misogyny and juvenile glorification of sex and violence, from an early scene in which Samson seduces a (what else) ditzy secretary (Sue Ane Langdon) while allowing a carpet cleaning machine to fill up an office with suds (funny &#8211; not): <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Carpet-Cleaning.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Carpet-Cleaning-1024x561.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"351\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-88390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Carpet-Cleaning-1024x561.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Carpet-Cleaning-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Carpet-Cleaning-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Carpet-Cleaning-768x421.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Carpet-Cleaning-493x270.png 493w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Carpet-Cleaning.png 1301w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; to his belittling words and demeanor at a women&#8217;s social event for which he&#8217;s being paid to present: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Contempt.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Contempt-1024x557.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"348\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-88395\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Contempt-1024x557.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Contempt-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Contempt-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Contempt-768x417.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Contempt-497x270.png 497w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Contempt.png 1297w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; to numerous sequences in which he either swings at or literally knocks out his wife:  <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Violence.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Violence-1024x570.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"356\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-88391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Violence-1024x570.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Violence-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Violence-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Violence-768x428.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Violence-485x270.png 485w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Violence-1038x576.png 1038w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Violence.png 1277w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; to his break-in and destruction of the office of the surprisingly unfazed therapist his wife has paid. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-ONeal.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-ONeal-1024x561.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"351\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-88393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-ONeal-1024x561.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-ONeal-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-ONeal-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-ONeal-768x421.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-ONeal-493x270.png 493w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-ONeal.png 1287w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Naturally, he also manages to seduce women left and right as he continues to avoid being served process papers and being taken out by a few hitmen; among his conquests are Colleen Dewhurst&#8217;s silver-haired Prussian nurse:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Dewhurst2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Dewhurst2-1024x554.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"346\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-88396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Dewhurst2-1024x554.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Dewhurst2-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Dewhurst2-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Dewhurst2-768x416.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Dewhurst2-499x270.png 499w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Dewhurst2.png 1299w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and O&#8217;Neal&#8217;s neglected, sexually frustrated wife (Jean Seberg). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Seberg4.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Seberg4-1024x550.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-88397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Seberg4-1024x550.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Seberg4-300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Seberg4-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Seberg4-768x413.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Seberg4-502x270.png 502w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-Seberg4.png 1297w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This is all really a mess, and worth skipping. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Some fine location shooting<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-NYC.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-NYC-1024x570.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"356\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-88388\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-NYC-1024x570.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-NYC-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-NYC-128x71.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-NYC-768x428.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-NYC-485x270.png 485w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-NYC-1038x576.png 1038w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Fine-Madness-NYC.png 1273w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo; stay far away from this one. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0060414\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s2037fine.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/24797\/a-fine-madness#articles-reviews\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;To hell with his poetry! I want to make him a useful, social human being.&#8221; Synopsis: The abused wife (Joanne Woodward) of a violent would-be poet (Sean Connery) hires a shrink (Patrick O&#8217;Neal) to try to cure him &#8212; but Connery&#8217;s womanizing ways and raging temper continue to wreak havoc on himself and the world. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Domestic Abuse Jean Seberg Films Joanne Woodward Films Patrick O&#8217;Neal Films Psychotherapy Sean Connery Films Womanizers Writers Review: This inexcusable&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=88386\"> 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-88386","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\/88386","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=88386"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98015,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88386\/revisions\/98015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=88386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=88386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=88386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}