The Sterile Cuckoo (1969)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Alan J. Pakula

Writers:

John Nichols (novel) and
Alvin Sargent (writer)

Release Date:

22 October 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

First love is beautiful hurt....if it happens to you once, you're lucky.

Plot:

Two students from neighboring colleges in upstate New York are swept up in a tragic romantic interlude...

Plot Keywords:

College | Break Up | Breakdown | Party | Broken Heart

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Liza Minnelli	...	'Pookie' (Mary Ann) Adams
Wendell Burton	...	Jerry Payne
Tim McIntire	...	Charlie Schumacher

Also Known As:

Pookie (UK)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:PG (re-rating) (1972) | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:M (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Clinton, New York, USA

Company:

Boardwalk Productions

Trivia:

Patty Duke was offered the part that eventually went to Liza Minnelli.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In Pookie's written rants against the weirdos of the world, the word is always spelled "wierdo."

Quotes:

Jerry Payne: [seeing Pookie naked for the first time] Gee, Pookie, your body's just... beautiful.
'Pookie' Adams: Yeah? Well, I'd better get my beautiful ass into this beautiful bed, before it freezes off!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "L.A. Law: The Unsterile Cuckoo (#4.1)" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Come Saturday Morning

Loneliness...

This is one of the few films I've seen in which every shot represents the theme and overall feeling of the film. No matter whether Minnelli's Pookie and Burton's Jerry are together as a couple, in a crowd, or completely alone, a sense of loneliness pervades the situation. To achieve this Pakula uses several long shots of the characters, or, during the party scene, he has Pookie and Jerry on separate levels of the staircase, staring up or down at each other from a distance. From the very first shot we see this, with Pookie and her father walking to a bench and then sitting there waiting, in an extremely long take that spans the entire opening credits. In representing the awkwardness of a first sexual experience, another extremely long take is used, in which Jerry disrobes Pookie, take off each piece of clothing one by one, hanging them up in the closet or folding them properly, then doing the same for himself, and within this the loneliness is established in Pookie's great enthusiasm to "get in the sack" and Jerry's calculated attempts at making the experience romantic, which are completely unromantic. Even McIntire's small role as Charlie plays an important part in the representation of the loneliness, as he assumes that Jerry is a virgin, like he is, thinking he confide this is in Jerry because they have it in common, which they don't. Minnelli's acting in this excellent, probably on the same par as her role in Bob Fosse's "Cabaret." This is also one of the few films I have actually not just felt sad about, but actually did cry at. I believe this is a very well-made film, and it deserves a higher rating than it has on here. The subjects it deals with are not trivial in the least, they are an important part of life, and the ending is perfect in proving this. It is very realistic in the psychological portrayal of its characters, which is a very difficult thing to pull off. I have not read the book, but I am sure the characters are established just as well in this film adaptation. Although it is a sad film to watch, Pakula hooks us right away with Pookie's outrageous personality, and although, like Jerry, we feel she is annoying person, even if she is friendly, we cannot stop listening to her and watching her, and when she is not in a scene we feel something is lacking. So, rather quickly, we begin to enjoy her character and what it brings to the film, just as Jerry begins to enjoy her company and she helps him learn to enjoy his life and be more outgoing, even though, in the end, this works against Pookie. I feel this film has been highly overlooked, and I definitely recommend it, even with the sad ending it brings. By the end of the film I had fallen in love with Pookie, and this is what makes it such a strong film.