The Way We Were (1973)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writer:

Arthur Laurents (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

19 October 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Everything seemed so important then .. even love!

Plot:

Two desperate people have a wonderful romance, but their political views and convictions drive them apart.

Plot Keywords:

College | Writing | Hollywood | Communist | Bittersweet

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Barbra Streisand	...	Katie Morosky
Robert Redford	...	Hubbell Gardner
Bradford Dillman	...	J.J.
Lois Chiles	...	Carol Ann
Patrick O'Neal	...	George Bissinger
Viveca Lindfors	...	Paula Reisner
Allyn Ann McLerie	...	Rhea Edwards
Murray Hamilton	...	Brooks Carpenter
Herb Edelman	...	Bill Verso
Diana Ewing	...	Vicki Bissinger
Sally Kirkland	...	Pony Dunbar
Marcia Mae Jones	...	Peggy Vanderbilt
Don Keefer	...	Actor
George Gaynes	...	El Morocco Captain
Eric Boles	...	Army Corporal
Barbara Peterson	...	Ashe Blonde
Roy Jenson	...	Army Captain
Brendan Kelly	...	Rally Speaker
James Woods	...	Frankie McVeigh
Constance Forslund	...	Jenny (as Connie Forslund)
Robert Gerringer	...	Dr. Short
Susan Blakely	...	Judianne (as Susie Blakely)
Edward Power	...	Airforce (as Ed Power)
Susanne Zenor	...	Dumb Blonde (as Suzanne Zenor)
Dan Seymour	...	Guest
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dorian Cusick	...	Professor's Wife (uncredited)
Robert Dahdah	...	Officer Passing Plaza (uncredited)
Beverly Goodman	...	Young Lady Pedestrian (uncredited)
Marvin Hamlisch	...	Guest at movie screening (uncredited)
Don Koll	...	Officer Dining (uncredited)
Bruce Pecheur	...	Party guest (uncredited)
Cornelia Sharpe	...	Girl at Party (uncredited)
Andrea True	...	Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
Sydney Pollack

Writing credits
Arthur Laurents		(written by)
David Rayfiel		uncredited

Produced by
Richard A. Roth	....	associate producer (as Richard Roth)
Ray Stark	....	producer

Original Music by
Marvin Hamlisch

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Jr.		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John F. Burnett

Production Design by
Stephen B. Grimes		(as Stephen Grimes)

Set Decoration by
William Kiernan

Costume Design by
Dorothy Jeakins
Moss Mabry

Makeup Department
Donald Cash Jr.	....	makeup artist
Gary Liddiard	....	makeup artist
Kaye Pownall	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Russell Saunders	....	unit production manager (as Russ Saunders)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hawk Koch	....	assistant director (as Howard Koch Jr.)
Jerry Ziesmer	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Richard M. Rubin	....	property master

Sound Department
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recordist
Kay Rose	....	sound effects
Jack Solomon	....	sound
Sharron Miller	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Jerry Trent	....	dance foley (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Albert Taffet	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bernie Pollack	....	costume supervisor (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Margaret Booth	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Ken Runyon	....	music editor
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Paulie DiCocco	....	driver: Barbra Streisand (uncredited)
James Morris	....	transportation (uncredited)

Other crew
Betty Crosby	....	script supervisor
Phill Norman	....	title designer
Carol Shapiro	....	unit publicist
Nicholas Barber	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Grover Dale	....	choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Rastar Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1973) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1976) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (video)
• Warner-Columbia Films (1974) (1986) (Finland) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Solters & Digney  publicity

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Ballston Spa, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

When Robert Redford procrastinated about taking the role of Hubbell Gardner, producer Ray Stark approached Ryan O'Neal.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the very end of the movie when the camera is behind Katie as she reaches up to touch the front of Hubbell's hair, he grasps her wrist with his right hand. When the shot immediately switches to behind Hubbell, his hand is not on her wrist.

Quotes:

[to Katie]
Hubbell Gardner: You hold on and I don't know how. And I wish I did. Maybe you were born committed... I can't get negative enough. I can't get angry enough. And I can't get positive enough.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Who's the Boss?: The Way We Was (#3.12)" (1987)

Soundtrack:

In the Mood

Beautiful movie

I think the word for this movie is, gorgeous. Nothing I've seen (I haven't seen a lot, but still) has compared to the chemistry, the depth of feeling, and the realistic portrayal of two opposites both beautiful in their own right. This movie is a testament to the way we were really, how it was beautiful to be decadent and disgusting in the thriving 50's, of the attractive "waspishness" of Ivy leaguers, of politics and war. The movie is not dated either, its quality making it appealing to a whole spectrum of people who would normally not be interested in something this good. I first saw this movie in a history class and to my surprise most of the people in the class loved it, people who would normally go see "Titanic" and rave about it for days. I think that is, if not something else, at least evidence of this movie's depth, quality, feeling, (and although very sentimental) realism. If you enjoy the finer things in life, dim the lights, fix yourself a vodka martini straight up, and watch "The Way We Were".