Friendly Persuasion (1956) User Reviews (84)

Funny as well as dramatic story about a Quaker family caught up in the American Civil War

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 20 January 2014]

This is the interesting and solidly performed story of a family of Quakers in Southern Indiana in 1862 . This religious sect is strongly opposed to violence and war . The official name of the Quaker religion is Society of Friends , members of the faith are called Friends and nicknamed Quakers ; the book written by Jessamyn West is called "The Friendly Persuasion", meaning the faith , which more specifically refers to the Quakers' way of communicating. It concerns about "Jess Birdwell" (Gary Cooper , he initially turned the film down because he didn't believe the American public would accept him as Quaker , and role was originally intended for Bing Crosby) is the patriarch of a family of Quakers , a Christian sect that refuses to take part in wars . His son "Josh" (Anthony Perkins) wishes to adhere to pacifism but worried he's using his religion to hide his cowardice , he then enlists the army , causing angry on his mother (Dorothy McGuire , though Katharine Hepburn turned down the role and Jean Arthur was considered to play her) . Their children are very special : the little boy Jess Jr. (Richard Eyer) lives in conflict with the goose "Samantha" . And "Mattie" (Phyllis Love) falls in love with an Union soldier, "Gard Jordan" (Peter Mark Richman) . As Jess/Gary Cooper (before Cooper became involved Montgomery Clift was offered the role of Birdwell, but turned it down) along with his family attempt to remain to its ideals , despite the Civil War which touches their farm life .

This enjoyable film packs comedy , religious and familiar life , sense of mood , spectacular battles and lots of reflection . As it deals with the conflict between maintaining a religious belief and reality when takes place a bloody war ; as the flick utterly catches up the spectator in the family's troubles . This earnest picture captures a tender humor and mirth which pervades the whole story ; in addition , at the end occurs a stirring climax . Agreeable screenplay , originally released without screen writing credit due to blacklisting of Michael Wilson; credits restored in 1996 . Spectacular battle depicted in the film based on facts, as the final is very exciting , it was against the Confederate raiders led by General John Hunt Morgan ; on July 9, 1863, 450 members of the Indiana Home Guard met John Hunt Morgan's raiders in battle south of the town of Corydon, Indiana . Gary Cooper as a devout Quaker father and Dorothy McGuire as his wife are very well as the parents ; furthermore , Anthony Perkins is nice as the son fearing being taken for a coward . Good support cast such as Robert Middleton , Peter Mark Richman , Richard Hale , Russell Simpson and uncredited , almost extras : Robert Fuller , William Schallert , John Dierkes , Joe Turkel and Doug McClure . Spectacular and glowingly gorgeous scenarios , including amusing race horses . Colorful and glimmer cinematography by Ellsworth Fredericks in De Luxe Colour Photography . Sensitive as well as moving musical score by the classical composer Dimitri Tiomkin .

The motion picture come out of a minor Hollywood studio , Allied Artists , was compellingly directed by the maestro William Wyler . Wyler was considered by his peers as second only to John Ford as a master craftsman of cinema and the winner of three Best Director Academy Awards . Wyler was a great professional who had a career full of successes in all kind of genres as Film Noir : ¨Detective story¨ , ¨The desperate hours¨ , ¨Dead End¨ ; Western : ¨The Westener¨, ¨Friendly persuasion¨ , ¨Big Country¨ , but his speciality were dramas such as : ¨Jezebel¨ , ¨The letter¨ , ¨Wuthering Heights¨ , ¨The best years of our lives¨, ¨Mrs Miniver¨, ¨The heiress¨ , ¨the little Foxes¨ , ¨The collector¨ and Comedy as two films starred by Audrey Hepburn : ¨How to steal a million¨ and of course the immortal comedy-romance ¨Roman's holiday¨ . ¨Friendly persuasion¨ results to be a good film that catches up the audience . Rating : Better than average , worthwhile seeing .

Thee Should Watch

[ferguson-6 · 7/10 · 29 December 2013]

Greetings again from the darkness. Released in 1956, this William Wyler film holds up today because some of the debate and dilemmas touched on remain unresolved 57 years (and numerous wars) later. The film takes place in 1860's Indiana as the Civil War rages. The story is told from the perspective of a pacifist Quaker family and is based on the 1945 book by Jessamyn West.

The patriarch of this Quaker family is played by Gary Cooper, who was four years past his Oscar winning performance in High Noon, and five years from his death due to cancer. His wife, the Minister Eliza, is played well by Dorothy McGuire, who the following year would play the mother in Old Yeller. The film's best performance comes from young Anthony Perkins (his second film) who of course made cinematic history as Norman Bates in the 1960 classic Psycho. Both of these Perkins characters share mommy issues and complicated decisions of conscience.

The opposition to war and violence is the main theme here, and there have been many interpretations over the years. Is it religious belief or fear that prevents the men from joining the cause? At least Perkins' character is honest enough to wonder. Cooper kind of plays against type here since he was so often a man of movie action, but in reality his strength of character and belief allows him to maintain his image.

Comedy relief is at hand given the youngest son's ongoing battle with Samantha the Goose, a family pet with devious attack modes. And daughter Mattie, played by Phyllis Love, falls madly in love with a soldier played by Peter Mark Richman. See, every character has their own personal battles and decisions regarding conscience and violence.

The great Margaret Main has a sequence as a single mother of three daughters (every one a gem!). The daughters introduce Cooper and Perkins to the joys of music ... forbidden by the Quaker church. One of the daughters is played by Marjorie Durant, whose father was a writer and assistant to Charlie Chaplin. Her grandmother married EF Hutton, so Ms. Durant could have spent a great deal of time researching her only family stories.

While it's difficult to understand these days, screenwriter Michael Wilson was not originally credited for his work. He was on the Hollywood Blacklist, and his screen credit was not reinstated until 1996. William Wyler was one of the most successful directors in Hollywood history and his resume includes Jezebel, Mrs Miniver, The Best Years of Our Lives, and of course, Ben-Hur. Though this movie was nominated for 6 Academy Awards, it didn't win any and lost out to Best Picture winner Around the World in 80 Days. A final note of interest, this was Ronald Reagan's favorite movie and he presented a copy to Mikhail Gorbachev in hopes the message would prove the downside to war.

More Challenging Than I Thought It Would Be

[evanston_dad · 8/10 · 6 February 2017]

A surprisingly challenging film about what happens when devoutness to a religion collides with the realities of the world.

Dorothy Maguire is the Quaker mother who wants to do the thinking for her young adult children, misguidedly wanting to prevent temptations from entering their lives rather than equipping them to deal with them when they do. Gary Cooper is the more reasonable father who doesn't see why pleasure and religious faith have to be mutually exclusive. Then a little thing called the Civil War directly affects them, and they have to decide when to stick to their beliefs and when to modify them for something bigger than themselves.

Overall the movie is still a little light for my tastes and doesn't flesh out these questions as complexly as I might have preferred. But still, I was expecting a cornball, wholesome family film and so was pleasantly surprised by what I got instead.

"Friendly Persuasion" garnered six Academy Award nominations but won none: Best Picture, Best Director (William Wyler), Best Supporting Actor (Anthony Perkins), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song (warbled by Pat Boone), and Best Sound Recording.

Grade: A-

One of the all-time great movies

[JoeMartin · 19 February 2004]

Heartwarming, funny (sometimes hilarious), serious, beautifully filmed - many shots are so perfectly framed you could hang them on your wall. Every performance is perfect for the character in the story, including the goose, Samantha.

The change of pace provided by the interweaving of the characters' different stories, the appropriate & beautiful music for the various scenes, the sense of getting to know interesting people, genuine married love between two strong characters as well as the awakening of young love in a setting which has not had sex thrust in their faces, real friendship, the respect paid to religious convictions along with gentle humor at personal foibles - everything adds up to a wonderful film which sticks in the memory and needs just the opening bars of the title song to be brought back gloriously to mind.

Truly, one of the all-time great movies.

From a Friendly Standpoint

[dillo · 6/10 · 28 April 2002]

I found 'Friendly Persuasion' to be not only charming and well-made, but a good representation of the problems of Quaker life during war time. Making the decision to be non-violent (pacifism is *not* the same as passivity) is one that is made every moment our our lives. Being human, we Friends do not always live up to our self-set standards; but this movie does show a Quaker family trying its best to remain faithful to its creed.

As to the previous reviewer who questioned the use of the Plain Speech during the Civil War period, this is not an anachronism. Many Friends continued to use it into the 20th century (haven't thee ever seen 'The Philadelphia Story'?). Some of us who were radical in the turbulent times of the 60s and 70s resurrected it as a connection to our roots. I use it; I think in it; but as Jess Birdwell says, 'I can say "you" if you want me to.'

Sensitive, sentimental, but also witty

[michaelberanek275 · 10/10 · 27 September 2018]

Extra fun watching with fellow Quakers on a course in England, a film sensitively exploring the situation of Quakers at a transitional time in the 19th century, soon to on the whole discard the obsession with hats and the universal 'Thou' and 'Thee', but yet to be greatly challenged into 20th century with choices of behaviour at times of war. There's a lot of laughs but it stops short of mockery and there's real sympathy to be had for the Quaker nuclear family so well played here by all. The novelties and dissipations of the time are viewed through a Quaker lens and of course some kind of accommodation to it all, indeed to the matter of the civil war's challenges takes place, but all participants maintain their dignity and self-assurance. There's lots of mild innuendo and diversion from the serious matters, which all get wrapped up oddly satisfactorily in a little over 2 hours.

I Would Have Preferred A More Complex And Intelligent Movie

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 28 August 2005]

Up until a couple of years ago I used to be a member of the environmental movement and the modern environmental movement owes much of its genesis to the Quaker faith , Greenpeace for example was founded in 1970 by Canadian Quakers opposed to nuclear testing . Without going into much detail I eventually left the environmental movement due to disillusionment and I have little good words to say about Quakers / pacifists and their dubious moral stance . When I learned about the plot of FRIENDLY PERSUSION which centres around a Quaker family who find themselves caught up in the American Civil War and having to find themselves choose between practical necessity and principal I just knew I'd have to see it . Here is a movie that personifies what great drama is all about where the protagonists have to make deep decisions and hopefully illustrates the hypocrisy of pacifism , but after seeing the movie I was aghast at its lack of drama and complexity. Worse still it lacks moral courage

The opening scene is straight out of a Walt Disney production . Filmed in glorious and beautiful technicolor we see a young child little Jess Birdwell being attacked by a goose with entirely human mannerisms . The character interaction between goose and child is amusing and becomes something of a running theme in the movie . The story continues as the Birdwell family and their Quacker friends discuss the war and how they're going to stick to their self righteous principles and not take part in it and you just know that they'll have to discard their principles and take part by the end . Alas as the film continues I started to notice more and more wasted potential as to the drama

What is the film trying to say ? Is it saying that war is wrong or is it saying pacifism is wrong ? . We see large portions of the running time dedicated to the pacifist characters self righteously saying they'll not take part in the conflict then the most self righteous critic Purdy takes up arms when is farm is burnt down by the Rebs . Is Purdy condemned as a hypocrite ? Possibly but it's understandable he wants revenge , what's not so understandable is why the elder Birdwell son Josh joins the Union home guard , especially since he's watched his parents condemn Purdy's actions . When Jess Birdwell Snr realises his son might be dead he picks up arms in a character arc that's not entirely convincing and it's here that the movie starts to fall down .Jess narrowly survives being killed by a Reb who he overpowers but eventually sets free . Wouldn't it have been more dramatic if he'd killed his prisoner ? And while he's away his homestead is visited by Confederate forces ! Oh no his wife and daughter will get gang raped before they're murdered with young Jess ! Actually they won't because these soldiers are very polite and appreciate Mrs Birdwell looking them dinner , they're so appreciative they even apologise for thinking of the family goose as lunch . And the movie ends with with the Birdwell family intact except for Josh who has his arm in a sling

The problem with all this is that there's little involving the fundamental core of drama - Internal conflict . People easily pick up guns but their motives for doing so are not always convincing . When they come back from the war nothing as really changed from a dramatic viewpoint , they're still alive and everything they hold dear is still there . It might involve making changes to the original book but wouldn't it have been far more poignant if a couple of the Birdwell's had died thereby illustrating the cruelty of war along with the need to fight ? Director William Wyler and many of the contemporary audience of FRIENDLY PERSUSION had seen the first hand horrors of war , whilst here the movie points out that the enemy are not brutal and everyone goes home to their family after a conflict . What a dangerous and hypocritical message to send out

"Thee Pleasures Me In A Hundred Ways"

[bkoganbing · 10/10 · 22 August 2006]

When Monogram Pictures decided to change its name to Allied Artists to give it a more prestigious look, the studio didn't last too long after that. Still had the Monogram/Bowery Boys look to it. But the biggest and best film that little studio ever put out was this wonderful film by William Wyler.

Gary Cooper by now had a whole lot of career roles, but this one as Jess Birdwell, Quaker farmer in Southern Indiana during the Civil War was probably his last really great performance. But for Dorothy McGuire this was her career role. She and Cooper work so well together that you think you are prying in on the family of Eliza and Jess Birdwell.

The film is based on a novel by Jessamyn West and it's about the effects of the Civil War on the Birdwell family, the parents and the children, Anthony Perkins, Phyllis Love, and Richard Eyer. The tenets of pacifism are not easy to follow, especially during time of war. And we're not talking about war overseas. But war just the other side of the Ohio River where Confederates do cross occasionally for raiding.

Each of the Birdwells feel differently about the war, including hired hand Joel Fluellen who's a runaway slave. He's got real reason to fear raiding Confederates. Phyllis Love is in love with Peter Mark Richman who's a non-Quaker friend of the family and he's gone off to war. And Anthony Perkins feels it his duty to defend what they've earned and sweat for.

Perkins got an Oscar nomination for his role. It's a telling portrayal of the angst of youth brought up in a pacifist house. Perkins is a truly torn individual.

Years ago I met Anthony Perkins at a science fiction convention in NYC. The poor man looked nervous and ill at ease in those surroundings. He was there because of the Psycho films and the role of Norman Bates with which he had become so identified with. I have to say he looked grateful that someone asked him about Friendly Persuasion. He said he admired both Gary Cooper and Dorothy McGuire as thorough going professionals and it was a pleasure to be working with them and William Wyler and associated with Friendly Persuasion.

In some of the lighter moments of Friendly Persuasion before the war hits home, Cooper and Perkins go on a trip to sell some of their farm produce. They stop at widow Marjorie Main's house with her three eligible daughters who haven't seen a male face in ages. In a more liberal age it would have been quite explicit what daughter Edna Skinner does to Perkins. Cooper knows though, you can see it in his face as to what's coming.

Friendly Persuasion's popularity was helped a great deal by Pat Boone's record of the title song which was a Gold record for him. But a really great version was done by Bing Crosby for the Longines Symphony in the Sixties. It was nominated for Best Song, but lost to Doris Day's Que Sera Sera.

One of Gary Cooper's best screen moments ever is the death scene with his friend Robert Middleton. Middleton who is also Peter Mark Richman's father is Cooper's best friend and friendly rival every Sunday before church for him and Quaker Meeting for Gary. They have a friendly horse race on the way. Cooper finds Middleton shot and dying from a Confederate soldier. Middleton and Cooper both are superb and I guarantee not a dry eye was in any movie house when this was first released. It's followed by a scene where Cooper disarms the Confederate who killed Middleton and let him go. His Quaker faith kicked right in.

Dorothy McGuire in the meantime forcibly hosts a rebel patrol who confiscate the Bidwell stores. They're about to confiscate the pet goose Samantha for dinner when she whacks the offender with a broom. The goose gets a pardon. She stood up and fought for what she loved even if it was a family pet. It's one of her best screen moments.

William Wyler took some southern California landscape and did a marvelous job in recreating Indiana of 1862. He brought home a winner in every way for Allied Artists.

And Friendly Persuasion will pleasure thee in a hundred ways.

"I'll not harm thee"

[Steffi_P · 7/10 · 13 December 2009]

In this, the age of the big picture, colour, widescreen and authentic costume and set design were no longer simply the trappings of the spectacular epic. They could be the means with which to tell a simple story or present a message with contemporary relevance. Friendly Persuasion is an unpretentious costume drama (not technically a Western although it looks a bit like one) which speaks about pacifism and the difficulties of reconciling religious discipline with human self-expression.

Unusually for a picture from this era, Friendly Persuasion only had one screenwriter, the blacklisted Michael Wilson. Although Wilson had done some great stuff in collaboration, the fact that he was on his own here shows. The overall idea and structure of the story is very strong. The first part is full of light humour and touching vignettes of family life, the idea of this presumably to give more impact to the darker and more dramatic final act. However this build-up and meditation on Quaker life is all a bit too neat and simplistic, as "temptations" such as dancing, fighting and gambling are lined up and dealt with one after the other. Even the weightier finale I feel pulls too many punches, with a very pat ending that seems almost disrespectful to the issues involved.

Behind the camera is director William Wyler, one of the very best. Unfortunately Wyler, who around this time had a self-confessed urge to move away from small-scale dramas towards the fun of the big picture, seems to have neglected some of his dramatic sensibilities. It is great that he brings the most out of the landscape's beauty, and uses this as a backdrop for the tenderness of the story. It's also brilliant that he tends to use long takes with multiple characters in the shot, allowing scenes to play out naturally before us. However, he doesn't close things down often enough to bring in intimacy or personal space. He doesn't isolate characters so our whole focus is on them, at least not until the final act. In the broad expanse of the first part of the picture, we miss out on any real emotional connection with individuals via the camera. Not that I would want him to overuse the more intimate techniques, and in fact the beauty of his earlier pictures was that he didn't overuse them, but when he did put them in he got them just right.

Thank goodness for the cast, upon whose shoulders it mainly falls to convey the sympathy and humanity of this picture. Although he apparently didn't like the role, Gary Cooper is just what you need here – relaxed, steady and universally likable. Conversely though, he and co-star Dorothy McGuire did not get along – although you'd never know it, since she comes across believably as his perfect companion. Some wonderful supporting players provide the picture with its only effective comedy. Walter Catlett, here sounding more than ever like Honest John from Pinocchio, manages to give a hilarious turn from a part that isn't really funny on paper, but is under his delivery. Marjorie Main is terrific, in a section of the story that is somewhat silly and unnecessary, but made bearable by her understatement. And then of course Russell Simpson, a familiar face from many John Ford pictures, who does little more here than give disapproving looks, but adding a wonderful comic touch by doing so. The standout performance is undoubtedly that of Anthony Perkins, perhaps a little unfairly so because his role is the only one that really calls for such a level of passion and intensity, but he does magnificently. At the Oscars he lost out to Anthony Quinn in Lust for Life. Fair enough, Perkins is a little too overwrought at times, whereas Quinn is always full and rounded.

Friendly Persuasion is a picture that ought to be excellent, and in many little ways it is. But I feel there may have been a bit too much confidence on the part of the makers – Michael Wilson's confidence in his abilities as a lone screenwriter, William Wyler's confidence in the beauty of the image to translate to that of the story, and in the cast to carry the movie through their performances. It is perhaps an unfortunate product of independent production – made with good intention, stuffed with great ideas, competently made at least in part, but not pulled off with the level of teamwork and practical dedication to make its message work.

One of Wyler's very best films

[MOscarbradley · 10/10 · 4 August 2018]

This piece of authentic homespun Americana is still one of a handful of truly great films made by its director William Wyler. It won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, something almost unheard of for an American film at the time. It's simplicity itself; a tale of Quakers during the American Civil War and very smiliar in style and tone to Andrew McLaglen's "Shenandoah". Gary Cooper, (never better), is the peace-loving farmer, Dorothy McGuire, (equally good), is his wife and Anthony Perkins, (brilliant in only his second film and picking up an Oscar nomination), is the son who goes off to fight.

Wyler, who himself served in the Second World War, was too canny a director to make an outright anti-war film though the message of the picture is clear. He was also too good a director to fudge it. It may move at a quiet, almost stately pace while remaining one of his most overtly cinematic pictures. A huge hit in its day, it seems now to have all but disappeared.

Plods along pleasantly for most of the time

[Marlburian · 7/10 · 25 August 2022]

At 137 minutes, a bit on the long side, though it plods along pleasantly enough. And just as action looms (along with the Confederate raiders), there are three protracted emotional "men-off-to-the war" scenes. When the action at the river finally happened, it was presented very well on screen.

A time-worn Gary Cooper looks too old for his role, and acting kudos go to Anthony Perkins and Richard Eyer as his sons - and to Sammy the Goose (apparently played by three different birds). And it was good to see Robert Middleton as an affable nice person - I associate him with "nasty-guy" roles.

I was not convinced by how easily the rag-tag raiders moderated their behaviour, even releasing the goose after Eliza's pleas. These scenes would have been more realistic had the troops been commanded and controlled by a Southern gentleman.

An exceptional film!

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 10/10 · 7 November 1999]

Wyler's "Friendly Persuasion" and "The Big Country" entitle an authentic and significant theme which is somewhat expressed in stronger terms in "Friendly Persuasion" but which meet with the impressive "The Big Country."

The story is simple, lovely and sensitive...

Gary Cooper, head of a Quaker family, is a loving husband and a caring father who has to consider his position at the outbreak of the Civil War in Southern Indiana... Cooper believes - as a father - that a man must be guided by his own conscience...

Anthony Perkins takes the part of Cooper's son which he plays beautifully... He is the 'peace-loving' young man who does not believe in fighting... He is like his mother shattered and teared apart by the events, but also feeling uncertainty about his capacity to meet danger without giving way to fear... Perkins sees that he has to convince himself that he is not a coward, so he becomes a member of the Home Guard, ready to defend the community...

Dorothy McGuire emits pleasant emotions as the Quaker mother, projecting inner beauty to her family...

Sentimental and well done, "Friendly Persuasion" is superbly acted and directed, beautifully shot in color... The film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Directing, Best Supporting Actor, Best Sound Recording and Best Song...

competing influences

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 4 July 2021]

Jess Birdwell (Gary Cooper) is the head of a Quaker family in Southern Indiana. It's 1862 and it's been two tough years of war. Eliza (Dorothy McGuire) is his loving wife and Josh (Anthony Perkins) is his eldest son. Doubts about joining the war start seeping in. When rebel raiders approach, there is a difference of opinion.

Well, that's an odd little broad-comedy detour with the Hudspeth women. This movie deals with tough important issues. I really like getting a sense of Quaker life and believes. They don't always fit with the broad humor. The ending feels a bit condensed. The battle feels cut short. It's an interesting and different wartime movie. Of course, its most important aspect may be its connection to McCarthyism through its writer. That does add something but the pacifism in the movie is somewhat watered down. There are lots of competing influences here and it's an interesting case study.

Sincere, heartfelt...but unexciting

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 18 December 2010]

A labor of love for director William Wyler, based upon the stories of Jessamyn West regarding the Birdwells, a peacemaking Quaker family in 1862 Indiana who are faced with changing times when Civil War unrest breaks out. Will the Birdwell men fight for their freedom or "hide" behind the sanctity of the church? Gary Cooper plays the family patriarch with a rascally touch; he coasts through the role--never letting us forget he's acting the good sport--though his boyish charm sparks the proceedings and attains the good will of the audience. The children bristle under the strict guidance of their by-the-Good-Book mother (a retread performance from Dorothy McGuire), with eldest son Anthony Perkins questioning the family's refusal to become involved in potentially violent matters. There's also a bad-tempered goose, and a freckle-faced child who opens the movie with a voice-over narration (which is then, thankfully, abandoned). Certainly the most prestigious picture up to this time to be released from second-string Allied Artists, though the plastic coating over the project mitigates against enthusiasm. ** from ****

Quite Satisfying, With Thoughtful Drama & Many Good Lighter Moments

[Snow Leopard · 22 October 2004]

This fine adaptation of "Friendly Persuasion" is quite satisfying, with thoughtful drama that takes place in an interesting and believable setting, plus many good lighter moments. Though the story ultimately focuses on just a couple of the characters' concerns, along the way it provides an effective overview of their lives as a whole.

Gary Cooper is surprisingly believable in a somewhat atypical role as a Quaker father. Dorothy McGuire is well-cast as the sometimes fretful mother, and Anthony Perkins works very well as the son torn between his family and what he perceives as his duty. Walter Catlett is a bit over-the-top as the organ salesman, but he is entertaining, and his character is used well. In fact, the subplot with the organ is an interesting contrast with the main plot about the war, mirroring a couple of the same themes in a much less consequential context.

The setting in the American Civil War is well-conceived, and the family's dilemmas are portrayed sympathetically and convincingly. It is such a nice contrast with the type of movie that has to make its points through heavy-handed, contrived events, and it offers some worthwhile thoughts without pretending to offer easy, superficial answers.

Besides all that, it's a thoroughly enjoyable movie because of the many lighter, amusing moments. Director William Wyler and the cast work them in nicely with the more serious material, and the film maintains a harmonious balance throughout. It all makes for a very worthy and memorable picture.

Sweet and slow

[shanie25350 · 7/10 · 29 September 2021]

Sweet. Slow. Okay. I appreciated the film as a time capsule, a slice of Americana, and a glimpse into Quaker life during the Civil War. I liked the idyllic and colorful cinematography and set design, as well as the acting. Gary Cooper is perfect in the role of a Quaker father who is nice, gentle, and restrained, but also slightly mischievous and badass for a Quaker. I also liked Dorothy McGuire in the role of the mother and pre-Psycho Anthony Perkins in the role of the son. I even liked the character development, but unfortunately, it took way too long for anything exciting to happen in the movie. When it does, it's over before you know it and the movie ends rather abruptly. It's a sweet film, but would have benefited from better editing.

A near perfect blend of casting, acting, direction and music

[dedsllanber · 10/10 · 25 January 2001]

Nearly half a century old but a film with irresistible charm and atmosphere. Some might describe it as rather sickly sentimental at times, but William Wyler's touch is always assured and coaxes performances of great charm from all the principals. I saw the film for the first time in1957 and was immediately captivated by it. It has remained one of my favourite movies -and takes its place with such classics as "It's a wonderful Life" and "Casablanca" It was also the first time that I really noticed the music of Dimitri Tiomkin, who is now firmly established as my favourite film composer. He is the composer 'par excellence' in setting mood, and there is something haunting in his themes and melodies. Take away Tiomkin's soundtrack and you would destroy the film. Fortunately you can buy the CD of the soundtrack. Tiomkin also wrote the music to "It's a Wonderful Life", and "Gunfight at the OK Corral", which I find also strangely moving. Another feature of the film which adds to the overall charm is the inclusion of humorous touches such as Gary Cooper staring through two curtain hoops at the music booth at the county fair which gives him the appearance of wearing glasses. The strong storyline involves the viewer directly in that one realises the crucial choice involved in taking up arms to defend one's home or refusing to oppose the aggressor because the New Testament asks us to "turn the other cheek". So, what makes this film so memorable? I have spoken to people who think that this movie is "O.K" -"nothing special", and other such comments that suggest mediocrity. But to me , there is an atmosphere that is unforgettable- and thanks must go to the genius of Wyler, Tiomkin, Cooper and a host of talented craftsmen and women.

Well directed and acted...but the ending left me a bit flat.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 16 January 2011]

"Friendly Persuasion" is the story about a Quaker family living along the Indiana border during the Civil War. Given that Quakers are pacifists, the family stays out of the action and tries to maintain their separatist ways. However, the husband (Gary Cooper) seems to have more trouble than usual trying to keep this separation, as lots of temptations seem to get the best of him (such as music and his desire to best his Methodist neighbor). As for the wife (Dorothy McGuire), she seems like a giant wet blanket--a veritable black hole that sucks all the fun out of everything! If it's fun, she's against it! As for their three kids, all of them also struggle with temptation and external influences that challenge their commitments to the simple Quaker lifestyle. Ultimately, when Southern raiders attack, each member of the family is faced with the decision to sit by passively, fight for their country or run.

This is a lovely film to watch for many reasons. It's obvious that the director, the great William Wyler, took his time allowing the story to unfold. Along the way, there were lots of nice vignettes that served to give this film a lot of heart and a nice gentle sense of humor. In addition, the actors did a very nice job and the end result is very enjoyable--at least up until the end. The end just annoyed me because several of the characters seemed so untrue to who they were throughout the rest of the film. In addition, any respect you had for their religious commitment was negated by some of their actions. The wife, for instance, actually AIDS the Confederate soldiers--and I thought although the Quakers would be against violence, they would NOT condone treason. And, as for the father, after Confederates just killed his friend and one of them tries to kill him, he hits the guy and tells him to just go away. Huh?! It was as if the writers just didn't know how to wrap all this up and I felt dissatisfied--especially after investing well over two hours on the movie.

My opinion is that the film is a lovely narrative but the writing at the end just left me cold.

Perfect

[dgray-1 · 10/10 · 17 February 2002]

As I recall this movie was unofficially black-listed because of who wrote the screenplay. Such a shame as this is one of the few perfect movies ever made. Every frame is measured and presented perfectly. Every role is played perfectly. Just watch the opening scene and you will be hooked. It is a truly magically experience.

An unsophisticated look at pacifism

[steiner-sam · 6/10 · 28 December 2021]

It's set in 1862 in Jennings County, Indiana, not far from the Ohio River and Kentucky. It follows a Quaker family's experience with the Civil War.

The Birdwells are a Quaker family of five. Jess (Gary Cooper) is a small farmer that sells nursery products like fruit trees and bushes. He's devout but inclined to push the edges of Quaker customs. His wife, Eliza (Dorothy Malone), is devout and also a preacher (Quaker women have preached from the beginning of the movement). However, their meeting is mainly of the silent Quaker type. Josh (Anthony Perkins) is the oldest child and uncertain about his pacifist beliefs in the face of potential attacks by Morgan's Raiders. Mattie is the daughter who is in love with Gard Jordan (Mark Richman), a Union soldier and a Methodist. Little Jess (Richard Eyer) is the younger son and provides much of the comic relief in the movie. Father Jess's friend is Sam Jordon (Robert Middleton), a prosperous Methodist who likes to race with Jess on the way to their respective churches on Sunday mornings.

Much of the film quaintly portrays Quaker practices clashing with secular society, as in a summer fair or the allowance of a pedal organ in the home. It also reflects a very 1950s perspective on romance, in which the only goal of a young woman is to get married. However, the serious themes of war and peace are addressed when Confederate soldiers threaten the community and engage various members of the Birdwell family in differing ways.

The movie is not very sophisticated, and I wondered about some of the distinctives (or lack of them) attributed to the Quakers. However, Jessamyn West consulted on the movie and was a Quaker from southern Indiana, so I presume appearances must be relatively accurate. The issue of pacifism is addressed directly, albeit somewhat superficially. Nonetheless, it was engaged more sympathetically than most films do.

Full of underrated performances!!

[Elizabeth-328 · 9/10 · 22 November 2000]

Everyone knows that Gary Cooper was a fantastic actor and won two Oscars. But he didn't win an Oscar for "Friendly Persuasion", and should have. I think this is perhaps his best performance. If you don't believe me, check out the parts involving the organ!

Anthony Perkins is also magnificent. Everyone always associates him with his best, and most well-known, role of Norman Bates in "Psycho." But he is very complex and moving in his struggle to decide between his religion and his country.

"Friendly Persuasion" is funny, dramatic, and extremely moving. It's a family classic that every movie buff should see. I give it a 10 out of 10!

A beautiful film, but that intrusive music often overpowers the good

[brooklynjm · 7/10 · 7 May 2019]

Good script and direction, some wonderful performances (esp Perkins and Cooper) -- but the syrupy Tiomkin score, esp the theme tune, are used incessantly to hammer home every plot point. (A sin John Williams is often guilty of!) One wonder why producers can't trust fine performances, a literate script and excellent photograph to carry a film. Too often syrup is poured over fine work and warps the final product ... another example, at random - "Out of Africa."

A big, colorful, entertaining movie that could only have been made in the 1950s

[robfollower · 10/10 · 21 August 2019]

I don't really believe some of the reviews that suggest this film had some sort of covert political agenda. It's just a good story but what makes it outstanding is the talent of Gary Cooper and Dorothy McGuire. They are wonderful together. He is so understated in his acting and so appealing and she is so powerful, so strong. Neither ever made a bad movie and a number of their performances are exceptional (Cooper in Sergeant York and McGuire in A Tree Grows On Brooklyn, as examples). Their chemistry in this film is endearing. McGuire's handling of the Confederate raiders (including swinging a broom at one to protect Samantha, the family goose) and Copper's honorable treatment of the Confederate soldier are wonderful. The plot is excellent and it captures the tragedy of a nation, a state and a community divided by brutal civil war. This movie must be considered as an "essential".

Too clean, too civilized, too anticlimactic even by the 50s and Wyler's standards...

[ElMaruecan82 · 6/10 · 8 February 2019]

Families or households could be either happy or dysfunctional, in William Wyler, they always found the right painter to their complex relationships especially with war or conflicts as emotional canvases. Either like peas in a pod or not amounting to a hill of beans, Wyler always knew how to draw individuals as family members, generally getting the best out of actors.

But even by Wyler's standards, there's something too conventional in that bucolic portrayal of a Quaker homesteader's family: the Birdwells, starring Gary Cooper as the reassuring patriarch, Dorothy McGuire the straight-laced holier-than-thou mother who bans as much fun as possible it's a wonder she got such goofy kids: Little Jess with his love-and-hate relationship with a pet-goose, Phyllis Love as Mattie enamored with one of the neighbors' son and Anthony Perkins as the awkward-mannered son. What we've got in the beginning is literally "Little Quaker House in the Prairie".

The first act establishes the major conflict between the Quakers' pacifist philosophy and the ongoing Civil war threatening their peaceful life and calling for every man, old or young, to defend their properties, their lives. Watching Gary Cooper playing a Quaker naturally takes us back to "High Noon" where his bride played by Grace Kelly refused to see him confront Frank Miller, the score from Dimitri Tiomkin and the Oscar-nominated song makes the parallel even more inevitable. But there's a reason why "High Noon" is a classic and why "Friendly Persuasions is only an acceptable finished product made in Hollywood.

The major conflict set-up during a powerful church sequence is cancelled out by the sense of unshakable sitcom-like unity within the Birdwells' family and diluted in many debatable episodic moments involving the buying of an organ or a horse. I understand it's supposed to show that the Birdwells aren't equally zealous, that Jess has a knack for sport and music but by the time the action really picks up, we're only a twenty minutes away from the ending and the climax didn't leave up to the expectations the tag-line inspired. I read Wyler didn't know whether Cooper should have used a gun or not and that hesitation shows up. Even Cooper was displeased with his character believing it didn't fit his reputation.

It's like the real dilemma wasn't much between God's precepts and the war but how to handle actors' images for the sake of the film' publicity. So it's no wonder the film failed to deliver a definite answer to its issue if the director was more cautious about the public's response. Wyler is one of the best of his generation but I have a feeling the film might have been different if it was directed by Elia Kazan. It's a real shame because you can see how Anthony Perkins (the only Oscar-nominated cast-member, which is saying a lot for a Wyler picture) is too tortured deep inside, to be drowned in the middle of anecdotal sequences. Perkins made such a sensation that he was branded the new 'James Dean' and I could see why, his shy and awkward manners, his lanky demeanor and his expressive eyes made the film.

But there's so few of him the film leaves you hungry for something that never happens. It's all starters but no main course. Maybe I expected a little more from a film that won the Golden Palm, something more provocative, more thought-provoking, Wyler just plays it on the safe side and leaves it warm. Even Phyllis Love as the girl in love made me expect some twist in her romantic subplot but the camera was unnecessarily enamored with Cooper and McGuire who bored the hell out of me as the eternal killjoy.

So granted the film has its outdated charm, its postcard look of Indiana Valley, the cute rivalries between neighbors, the moments where you could see Quakers becoming outcasts from the rest of the fighting men, I wish Perkins could become a sort of outcast too, a black sheep or someone who'd confront Cooper like Dean confronted his fathers in "Rebel Without a Cause" or "East of Eden". It could have been more daring but it was too clean, too civilized, too anticlimactic. It's exactly as if the Bridge on the River Kwai didn't explode, that's how I felt.

I don't think I have ever been disappointed by a William Wyler movie, even his most conventional works carried interesting depths beneath their well-directed, well-photographed and Hollywood-correct look. But "Friendly Persuasion" suffers from an uneven pacing and no specific direction, made by a William Wyler whose pair of Best Picture winners put him in a zone of commercial comfort, this film doesn't standout as one of his best, it's not even one of his memorable lesser movies.

I'm glad Wyler could pull himself together and make his final masterpiece: "Ben-Hur" three years later, and Perkins would get a role that would fit his acting talent in "Psycho". So the best achievement of "Friendly Persuasion" is that at least it persuaded Hollywood that Perkins was a talent on which to invest.

Dated and mirthless chronicle of Quaker beliefs challenged by the threat of war

[Turfseer · 4/10 · 11 April 2022]

I've known about this film for a long time and finally took a look last night. I just cannot believe how many people gave this film high marks. Maybe because it stars Gary Cooper and I realize so many filmgoers do swear by him.

Four fifths of the film is basically a lame comedy chronicling the machinations of an Ohio Quaker family during the early part of the Civil War.

Screenwriter Michael Wilson and Director William Wyler attempt to extract laughs from the character of Eliza Birdwell (Dorothy McGuire), a puritanical stick-in-the-mud who may just be one of the most unlikable creations in cinematic history.

Everyone plays off Eliza who demands absolute compliance to strict rules found in the "Good Book." Are there people really like that in real life? I kind of doubt it but even if there are why make a whole movie about someone like that?

Cooper plays husband Jess and we're supposed to laugh when he attempts to navigate around Eliza's absurd strictures. There's a dumb bit how Eliza wants Jess to purchase a new horse because it tends to race too fast after Jess's friend and neighbor Sam Jordan (Robert Middleton) tries to show how he can outrace the couple during a friendly buggy ride.

Or what about when Jess purchases the organ without Eliza's permission? She ends up in the barn in a huff as playing music in the home in her eyes is basically the Devil's work. Eventually a compromise is worked out with Jess sending the organ to the attic after realizing that no one in the family really knows how to play it.

Then there's the dumb romance between Sam's son the recent Union soldier volunteer Gard (Mark Richman) and the daughter Mattie (Phyllis Love) with Eliza running interference at every turn, trying to put a lid on the teenager's budding sexual urges. True love of course wins out in the end with Gard asking Mattie to marry him.

Another awful role is Anthony Perkins as the grown-up son Josh. Up until the climactic battle scene he has little to do but go on a business trip with his dad where the two men are molested by a widow and her three hard-up daughters. In the most pathetic scene in the entire film (in which feminists should be horrified), the "three daughters" end up "pawing" the beleaguered Josh.

There's more cutesy stuff with 10-year-old Little Jess (Richard Eyer) continually in a battle with his mother's beloved pet goose, Samantha.

In the last half hour, the tone of Friendly Persuasion turns from comedy to serious drama. It's established early on that the Quaker community's pacifist beliefs are being serious challenged by the presence of encroaching Confederate soldiers who eventually threaten to end up on the Birdwell's doorstep.

Some of the more fanatical pacifists who belong to Jess's church agree to take up arms after their own homes are burned down by the Confederates. Even Josh agrees to fight despite Eliza's protestations. But Jess remains true to his principles after deciding not to kill a Confederate soldier who has just killed best friend Sam.

Note nothing bad happens to the Birdwell's. Josh though wounded still survives along with Mattie's beloved Gard. When the Confederates arrive at the Birdwell home, the two women folk and Little Jess face no harm. The Confederates seem benign, and all seemed satisfied when Eliza prepares them a meal.

And what of the aftermath? We never see how the Confederates are defeated or driven out of Ohio and the transition to the status quo (where the Birdwell's are now back to normal) is never explained.

Cooper is about 15 years too old for the role of Jess and is already showing signs of aging (passing away five years after the film was released). The rest of the cast is saddled with a script sanitized completely for a typical Hollywood production.

If that isn't enough, try listening to the dialogue in which all the Quakers speak the archaic language of the Bible. If there's any saving grace, it's the grand color cinematography-but still compromised by all the unrealistic horse and buggy scenes involving rear projection.