Breezy (1973) User Reviews (103)

Love can be found anywhere......

[foursticks-ypers · 8/10 · 8 April 2006]

I saw "Breezy" last night on the Universal HD channel. I hadn't seen it since the '70s when I saw the TV version. One would expect to enjoy a film such as "Star Wars" in HD-you wouldn't immediately think that a film like "Breezy" would benefit from this treatment. However, the crystal-clarity of the presentation brings back the look of Southern California of the early Seventies in all of its glory that can only really be appreciated by those who lived here back then. Seeing the locations in Topanga Canyon, Malibu, and the Valley; the hippies, the straights in their suits and ties, and the way the Generation Gap (back in the day when there REALLY was one) is treated is definitely a trip down memory lane.

Anyone who has ever had a love that has dissolved into sadness with the passing of time (most of us) can fully relate to this film. This is a story about a young woman who has so much to share: her exuberance, her unique way of looking at the world, her evolving femininity, her inner and outer beauty. It's also about a powerful and successful man who is at the crossroads in his life. It is a film is about two people that, for a brief moment, are able to look beyond the constraints of societal disapproval and just simply appreciate what the other has to give.

When I first saw this film, I was the same age as Breezy. Now thirty three years later, I'm getting close to Frank's age. Nobody prepares you for the passing of time. They don't teach you how to handle it in school, there's no handbook that you can refer to as the years slip away. No, the greatest challenge in life is something you can't prepare for, you can only live through it, and each person's journey is different from the rest. In that aspect, this film is a wise and knowing look at real life. Sure, there's some stilted dialogue, and some of the scenes are a bit too predictable. but if you scratch the surface, you'll find a diamond underneath.

I am fortunate to be able to say that I see Kay Lenz frequently. I'd like everyone to know that she still has a unique beauty that is greatly unaffected by the passing of the years. Sure, she's not twenty anymore, but who is? She has an easy, graceful way about her that is a pleasure to experience, and just hearing her angelic voice, which has changed only slightly through the years, brings me back to that world of beach walks, undeveloped L.A. canyons, and six bedroom houses in the Valley that cost $88,000 (!!). For you non-actors out there, remember, Kay was playing a role. Breezy was a character, not a real person. However, if you were smitten with that character, you would not be disappointed to see the real Kay today. If anything, she is even more endearing in 2006 than she was in 1973.

Let's face it folks, growing old stinks. Falling out of love is even worse. This film handles both of these issues with a grace and acceptance that is missing from most of the films made about these themes. I truly believe that there is something in this film for all who care to look for it.

A Timeless Spirit

[atlasmb · 8/10 · 25 May 2020]

I don't think many people saw this film on its first release, but I did. I was about the same age as Kay Lenz (Breezy) and it was long before I considered William Holden (frank) my favorite actor. I enjoyed the film for its joyful spirit as personified by Breezy.

This is a great love story. It deals with the nature of love, unbounded by conventions or expectations. As such, it also embodies the generally understood essence of the (California) flower child movement. Free love. If you love something, set it free...

This film has a lot to say about aging and the maintenance of dreams, the preservation of youthfulness. As such, it is inspirational. Another film that deals with this subject is "Harold and Maude".

Watching this film again took me back to the early seventies. Kay and I are now in our late sixties, but the message still resonates. Like the wonderful "Breezy's Song" by Marilyn and Alan Bergman, and Michel Legrand. I bet many people would never guess the film was directed by Clint Eastwood, if they didn't know.

Soured on the Female of the Species, until...........

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 10 April 2011]

When William Holden took the part of Frank Harmon in Breezy it was a dress rehearsal for the same kind of role in Network where he was the older man who had fallen out of love with his wife and looking for something new and different. Of course his taste in women is a whole lot different. In Network Holden falls for the chic Network news executive Faye Dunaway and in Breezy he's entranced by the free spirited young hippie chick in the title role which Kay Lenz got her breakout role. These two women are about as different as they come.

One thing that the story and director Clint Eastwood failed to do is give us all that much information about Breezy and how her character developed as it did. She's a type that was quite common in 1973 and it's assumed by the audience that the Vietnam War and the counterculture of free love makes her typical of young people. So when she drops into Holden's life by kind of forcing him to give her a lift in his car after a night of sex with Dennis Olivieri who picked her up.

Holden's gone through a bitter and nasty divorce and we also are not quite sure about the whys and wherefores there. But Eastwood kind of takes care of it from his end when Holden and Lenz at a fancy restaurant encounter his ex-wife Joan Hotchkiss who's there with a date. Her one scene with Holden and Lenz is Breezy's most unforgettable point. This is one bitter and drunken women and while we don't really know what went wrong, it's clear why Holden wanted out of the marriage and why he's soured on the female of the species.

There was a 33 year age difference between Holden and Lenz and most wouldn't give odds for this lasting, but you never know.

Both Holden and Lenz give a good account of themselves making up for some plot deficiencies in Breezy.

Does becoming older mean feeling foolish?

[stephen-357 · 24 January 2005]

Clint Eastwood's 2nd directorial effort is a gentle, pleasant surprise that probably will evoke a completely different reaction if one were to observe a strict adherence to societal norms. A 50 plus well-to-do business guy with a 19-year-old hippie drifter? Not necessarily uncommon but in this film the girl's not in it for the money and the guy's not in it for the sex. They genuinely love and cherish each other, and strangely, this is the element of controversy.

William Holden plays Frank, a cynical divorced real estate broker who lives by himself with only a series of uncommitted relationships for companionship and a mental rulebook that precludes serious involvement. He is likewise surrounded by like-minded cynics that all want for something they have long since given up on . . . youth. Not so much in chronological terms, but more in attitude and that sense of wonder about life. Breezy is the very embodiment of that sense of wonder, and despite her 19 years, possesses a wisdom that cuts through the cynical disillusionment of Frank, who unlike what you'd expect, never makes a sexual advance toward the younger girl, even though she's very attractive and probably willing. For her part, Breezy recognized the sensitive soul that Frank has taken pains to suppress and confounds his suspicions by giving of herself to him without asking for anything in return. When he eventually gives in to his feelings, the age difference becomes irrelevant, but Breezy and Frank do not exist in a vacuum and the outside world eventually fills his head with doubt. His best friend, while being envious of the "zing " Breezy has put into Frank's life, laments thus: "Why should a young girl like that love an old fart like me? I'd be a meal ticket for her and nothing more." And even if it could be more, "where could I go with her without feeling like a child molester?" And so Frank smolders in a crisis of perception that already had been countered by Breezy in an earlier scene. "Is that how it is Frankie? Do you start believing what you see in the mirror and forget about what you feel inside? Do you stop feeling because the outside of you makes it seem foolish? Does becoming older mean feeling foolish? What's there to look forward to if you can't go on loving and being loved?" Surely this bit of wisdom transcends any distance of years between two people.

The Innocent Era of the 70's

[caspian1978 · 6/10 · 16 June 2004]

Even though William Holden is the star of the film, it is Kay Lenz that holds the film together. Her beauty and innocence is what makes the movie enjoyable. With a sexy over bite like Jessica Simpson's, Lenz represents the ignorant bliss that made up the 70's. Holden, on the other hand, represents the tired and unhappy generation that made up the quiet and conservative solitude of the 60's. With moments much like Weekend with the Babysitter, Breezy has its moments of eye candy and sex. An early Clint Eastwood film, Clint didn't use direction to interest his audience but the story of 2 completely different people who somehow fall in love when nothing else makes sense.

Holden was only 54 at the time?

[bregund · 7/10 · 27 December 2021]

Holy cow, he looks twenty years older than that, which makes the premise of the film even creepier. Kay is pretty, certainly, but she's no great actress at this time in her career. Eastwood's directed films certainly have a sense of realism to them, an earnest attempt at portraying an authentic story, and this viewer appreciates the effort, so much so that I think that more actors should direct films. Even so, it's sort of an awkward film, and Holden looks uncomfortable throughout, whether it's because of the implications of the May-December romance or because the vocation of acting required that he not constantly be drinking is difficult to tell. I swear to god he looks like he's in his seventies.

The best is terrific, making a troubled movie worth it

[secondtake · 7/10 · 11 July 2014]

Breezy (1973)

Never mind the Clint Eastwood penchant for having old men sleep with young women. This is a fairly nuanced story about exactly that problem—and it's a problem on one level or another when two people fall in love who are very different in age.

It also helps that veteran, 54 year old actor William Holden pulls off a delicate, charming, perfectly grumpy performance as the older guy—someone with a beautiful house in the hills near Hollywood, but where he won't be found floating dead in the pool at the end, or the beginning. Yes, this is the Holden of "Sunset Blvd." It feels odd to remind people (some of you) about an actor who was once, briefly, both a screen idol and an box office success. His rocky career never quite reached its intended peak, but there are some really fine roles he took on with surprising ease and sincerity. This is one of them.

The young woman in this case is Kay Lenz, a little known actress (19 at the time) with some television and a tiny part in "American Graffiti" under her belt before the director pulled her in for this role, which fits her like a glove. The very naive purity of the character is exactly what this actress seems to actually have in excess. When she meets Holden early in the film, they are exactly opposites—except that they are both deep down very kind. And so the differences become ways to learn and grow— especially for the old man, who doesn't quite get the hippie mentality for its better sides.

The plot actually fits into a few clichés a little too easily, and overall it's a bit simple. The details around the couple—her friends and his—are tossed in like peanuts on the ice cream, and the movie is worse for it. Holden is meant to struggle with being, on the surface, a kind of child molester, but it is carried only in his face, not in the external conversations. (Luckily this is enough.) The utter naiveté of Lenz's girl, named Breezy, leaves us with less to do inside her head, which is too bad because she seems smart and street smart, both. There was more here by far than gets plumbed.

Another aspect that makes this worth watching is the feeling of 1970 or so in the overall scenario. (The movie was filmed in 1972 but the hippies, and the clash of cultures, feels a couple years earlier.) Unlike some movies where the mis-en-scene feels timeless from this New Hollywood period ("Five Easy Pieces" perhaps), this movie is particularly dated, and that might be a good thing. It's so much about the era, and a product of it, that is drips with symbols from the time.

It also drips with sappy folk-rock music for a soundtrack, which is a product of the time and of Eastwood's lifelong attempt to make music in his movies pull from "real music" including his own compositions. It's a distraction here.

Despite all the gaffes and shortcomings, "Breezy" is really worth watching for all that works, especially the shimmering, contrasting main characters.

Sticks in my mind

[beachneth · 9/10 · 1 April 2008]

William Holden is always a good reason to watch a film. I thought he was wonderful in this. And even though his face looked much older, his body certainly did not!!Nice!! He gave a terrific performance and was very cute in the cotton candy scene and when he was rolling up her sleeves(love that scene and dialogue). Kay Lenz was so natural and I thought their relationship was very believable. It's always nice to see a heart open up and let the happiness take over. No matter what your age, or differences. This is such a nice quiet movie and it really stays with me for days after watching it. Can't wait to buy it and watch it anytime.

Fresh Air

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 22 March 2010]

Love oftentimes comes when it is least expected. That is exactly what happens to Frank Harmon, a man of a certain age, when a young hippie type girl, Breezy, asks him for a ride. Never in his wildest dreams could he probably envisioned the big chance he was taking by agreeing to give the girl a lift. Little did he know she would be turning up like a bad penny.

Breezy is a free soul. When we first meet her, she is sharing a bed with Bruno, her boyfriend. Not having a car in L.A. is the worst punishment for anyone. Breezy doesn't hesitate to ask anyone to take her places. That is, until she meets the first creep that had a different idea. She is able to run out, but she is in the middle of nowhere. She decides to hit on someone that will be passing by. She gets lucky in finding Frank, a kind man on his way to work.

The relation between Frank and Breezy seems almost impossible. He is a responsible real estate man, and she has nothing to show for herself. Frank's resolve is worn out when Breezy comes on to him. In spite of being a sensible person, Frank ends up in love with the careless young woman that has won him over.

This was Clint Eastwood's third directorial effort. Written with sensitivity by Joe Heims, the film is a romantic comedy, quite a departure from Mr. Eastwood, who has been involved with other themes in his previous films. The idea of casting William Holden, who was in his middle fifties at the time, pays off well. Mr. Holden had a great film career and was comfortable playing romantic leads, as he does here. Kay Lenz, who appears as Breezy, had great presence as a young emerging talent. She appears not to have being intimidated playing opposite an actor like Mr. Holden.

What an underrated movie !

[Topher-26 · 8/10 · 3 February 2002]

I can't believe this movie was only graded 5.6/10 (as of today) !! Even though this will obviously remind you of Kubrick's "Lolita" (1962), Clint Eastwood makes an incredibly promising debut as a director. His style is already intact. The development is simple and yet subtle, the acting is great and the lead cast is absolutely adequate. I was really pleasantly surprised and I deeply regret not taping it given its unavailability for sale. Unfortunately, this is yet another gem lost in a sea of mediocrity.

nice period piece

[poisonivy1962 · 7/10 · 16 August 2006]

I usually judge movies by how long I remember them, and here I am the next day after seeing "Breezy" writing a comment. I thought the movie really evoked a mood of the early '70's that I remember. That kind of "anything goes" sort of ambiance that got a lot of people into trouble. I thought LA was beautifully shot, and after seeing a lot of Eastwoods' movies the film showed a lot of his style, which has stayed with him. I watched the movie really to see William Holden, who has always been kind of a mystery to me, but who commanded the screen in every shot. Kay Lenz had a kind of experienced innocence I had not seen in a while. Again, a trusting nature that usually leads to big trouble. A great nostalgia piece, but with subtlety and intelligence. Kind of rare to see a "subtle" film nowadays.

Wisdom & Happiness

[AdamKey · 8/10 · 9 August 2004]

One of Clint Eastwood's early yet still obscure directorial efforts, `Breezy' gently and charmingly explores the nature of wisdom, which can be present in the most unusual of people and the real meaning of happiness, which is usually found in the oddest and least-expected of places, usually when one is not looking for it.

Amid the smoldering cultural wreckage of the recently-ended 1960s with its nagging remnants of the shrill `don't trust anyone over 30' crowd and the seemingly still-unbridgeable `generation gap,' the odd and quirky relationship between the youthful, Ophelia-like Edith Alice `Breezy' Breezerman (Lenz) and the middle-aged Frank Harmon (Holden) successfully and simultaneously reveals several very simple but still frequently-ignored truths; that shrewdness and insight are not necessarily the sole province of the `aged' and that a carefree, happy spontaneity isn't and shouldn't be automatically restricted to the `young.' And, more subtly, we also are quietly reminded that neither wisdom nor happiness can realistically exist isolated from one another and that the bitter memories of our own respective pasts can often tragically prevent us from getting what we truly need the most.

Like the Italian neo-realist director Sergio Leone under which Eastwood successfully toiled in the 1960s, the personalities of the film's characters are deliberately and slowly intensified but not over-presented or stereotyped, which adds to the power, insight and poignancy of this understated and well-produced film.

Kay Lenz enchanting

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 11 October 2016]

Edith 'Breezy' Breezerman (Kay Lenz) is a free-loving hippie. She's an orphan from Intercourse, Pennsylvania. After finishing high school, she wanted to see the world and ended up in L.A. She sleeps with random strangers for a warm bed. She's hitchhiking and escapes from a creep. Divorced real-estate agent Frank Harmon (William Holden) reluctantly helps her. She sees a Black Cloud hanging over him. She insinuates herself into his life and they begin a relationship.

Romance is not really a Clint Eastwood forte. This is one of his earlier directing efforts. Kay Lenz is the classic Manic Pixie Dream Girl and the May to December romance is awkward at first. It all relies on Kay Lenz and she delivers a confident performance. She makes this simple story work. William Holden is able to be a not-dirty old man. The relationship is actually compelling although Eastwood should lose the montage of the romantic strode on the beach.

The Generation Gap Goes to Bed

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 16 December 2013]

After avoiding rape, teenage hitchhiker Kay Lenz (as Edith Alice "Breezy" Breezerman) bums a ride to Hollywood from wealthy middle-aged William Holden (a Frank Harmon). Her attempt to get coffee money doesn't appear to arouse Mr. Holden, so Ms. Lenz runs away. Later, she returns for her guitar and asks to take a shower. That, readers, is an invitation. Eventually, Holden wakes up and smells the coffee. They take romantic walks on the beach. However, their age difference is a problem. Lenz mentions she's from "Intercourse, Pennsylvania," recently graduated from high school and fears being taken to juvenile hall. A one point, Lenz is mistaken for Holden's daughter – she could also be his granddaughter. This kind of arrangement is not uncommon in Hollywood. In this film, the pairing seems to be substituting the exchange of sex and security for counterculture and the establishment...

"Breezy" was directed by popular actor Clint Eastwood, who must have considered playing the leading man. He did, however, extend his youthful looks and may not have conveyed the same dramatic age difference as did Holden, in the role. While the two main characters are a bore, they perform well. More interesting supporting parts are played by Marj Dusay (as Betty Tobin) and Roger C. Carmel (as Bob Henderson). With only limited time on screen, druggie blonde Jamie Smith Jackson (as Marcy) makes you want to learn more about her story. Lenz make an especially memorable impression, and Mr. Eastwood lovingly presents the young actress. There are generous topless scenes. Eastwood appears distractingly on a "High Plains Drifter" poster (his latest film) and as an extra. Michel Legrand contributes mellow soundtrack music and Frank Stanley's photography looks good for Eastwood.

***** Breezy (11/18/73) Clint Eastwood ~ William Holden, Kay Lenz, Roger C. Carmel, Marj Dusay

Great 70's movie from the Eastwood library of films...

[big_bellied_geezer · 13 February 2004]

I have to echo some of the other comments here and say that this great film SHOULD BE RE-RELEASED ON VHS AND DVD!! ARE you listening Mr Eastwood??! A wonderful cross generational love story that doesn't ring a false note, I'm glad I was able to find a copy of the unedited for TV version since I've only seen a TV edited version some years ago and it stuck in my head....it's that good a film and I recommend it to all!

Sweet and tender May-December romance

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 3 November 2018]

Those of you who find May-December romances creepy and wrong will want to stay away from Breezy. I happen to adore those types of love stories, so I really liked the movie. It's not particularly unique, since most actors play leading men against women half their age at some point in their career, but for those of us that like to see it, the plot never gets old.

William Holden, a businessman, gets involved with Kay Lenz, a flower child. Since this movie was made in the 1970s, her character can come across as rather silly to modern audiences, but you'll just have to remind yourself that most people her age at that time were hippies. Of course, as these movies tend to go, Bill gets his horizons broadened by the free spirit, but his friends try to shame him for associating with someone like her.

Usually, I don't even finish movies that were made in the 1970s, so the fact that I liked this one says a lot. The first time I saw it I did tear up at the ending, so those of you who are young and idealistic might want to bring a Kleenex.

Breezy: Entirely Believable and Endearing

[imagiking · 7/10 · 23 May 2011]

Ever the Eastwood fan, I came to Breezy as a lover of the director's modern work, not very familiar with his earliest efforts. With his career as a major star still in relatively early days, it was interesting that he should opt not to cross in front of the camera as with his first two helmed films.

A free spirited counter-cultural youth, Breezy is a girl who cruises through life with whatever resources she can manage to encounter. Fleeing the car of a man attempting to take sexual advantage of her, she finds herself at the home of middle-aged real-estate agent Frank Harmon, and each gradually comes to be attracted to the other.

A man becoming ever more known for his roles as tough western heroes, Eastwood's decision to direct a film that he not only would not star in, but would be a romance, must have come as a surprise to many. His debut, Play Misty for Me, was of course a romance film of a sort in itself, and one which Eastwood safely captained, cementing his position as a top emerging director as well as a star capable of taking on more than just one set type of role. Nevertheless, the concept of something like Breezy coming from someone like Clint can't help but encourage one to raise an eyebrow. First things first: the leads. A well-known star in the autumn of his career, William Holden was at this time no stranger to roles as romantic lead, though his age had seen few of these roles come his way in recent years. Her first significant role, Kay Lenz was almost entirely unknown, a young girl faced with the monumental task of sharing the stage with one of Old Hollywood's biggest stars. Both rise to the task expertly, the respective cynicism of age and vibrancy of youth combining to create a wonderful chemistry wherein you completely buy the slow romance of these wholly different people. Frank is a functional member of society—albeit a divorced, lonely, and embittered one—while Breezy seems to stand entirely against it. Her clothing is colourful and lively, his gray and drab. She is a sociable, friendly, and cheery character, he a loner who seems content to recede into his hilltop home (incidentally, Eastwood places Holden with the sea in the background and Lenz with crowds behind her to emphasise this, a wonderfully subtle touch). It is the differences between these characters which draw them to each other, and indeed to us. Their relationship, despite its unlikeliness, is entirely believable and endearing, encouraging us to root for them and will them together. Naturally difficulties are encountered, the film teases us and never quite allows the characters to connect as completely as we'd like, and the emotions we invest are played with.

An unconventional love story which examines other issues such as counter-culturalism and becoming old, Breezy is a surprising film from a surprising director. Demonstrating himself to be as skilled behind the camera as he is before, Eastwood gives us an engaging and interesting romance that draws us in with the charisma of its leads.

Breezy

[jboothmillard · 6/10 · 27 May 2020]

Following his directorial debut with Play Misty for Me, and High Plains Drifter, the third film directed by actor Clint Eastwood (The Outlaw Josey Wales, Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, American Sniper, The Mule) was his first in which he did not star, and completely different to other films throughout his career. Basically, Edith Alice Breezerman, who calls herself "Breezy" (introducing Golden Globe nominated Kay Lenz) is a beautiful young homeless free-spirited hippy in California. Frank Harmon (William Holden) is an emotionally detached middle-aged, divorced, and wealthy man, he works in real estate and has a beautiful secluded post-modern home. Breezy hitchhikes and is picked up by a perverted stranger (Norman Bartold) who makes it clear he wants her sex, but she escapes him. She lingers aimlessly near Frank's home, running into him as he leaves for work. She invites herself into his car and happily insists that he give her a ride. The never-smiling Frank is annoyed by her being talkative, her naivety and sincerity. On the way they pull over seeing a stray dog looking lifeless against the road, Breezy runs away when he refuses to help it, but noticing the dog is still living he takes it in his car. Breezy returns to Frank's home, after leaving hr guitar in his car, he allows to come in to use the shower. Later, she returns, and he decides to give her a room. As they spend more time together, a friendship slowly develops between them, and Frank's jaded personality becomes more loving towards Breezy. He is enlightened by Breezy finding positivity in almost everything, even when mentioning the death of her parents in a car accident. In a subplot, Frank is conflicted with his feelings for Betty Tobin (Marj Dusay). They have a history romantically, and talk a few times, but he "lost" his opportunity with her, and they later part as friends. The platonic relationship between Frank and Breezy continues to strengthen, and he protects her from trouble. He introduces her to the finer things in life, while Breezy stays true to her humility and charm. Breezy is especially happy when Frank takes her to the veterinary hospital to find the stray dog from earlier has been nursed back to health, they adopt it and she names it Sir Love-A-Lot. Although he has resisted any sexual opportunities, but he never expected to fall in love with her. Frank eventually gives into romantic feelings for Breezy and they consummate their relationship one night. He is happy to express his feelings for her inside the home, now their protective fortress, but the same cannot be said when they appear in public. Frank is conflicted with his feelings, as Breezy maintains friendships with fellow hippies, while he and his friends are accepted in society, being established and successful. Frank is never questioned by others about his relationship with Breezy, but he is racked with guilt, because of the age gap, being in a relationship with a teenager. In another subplot, Frank's friend, and workout buddy Bob Henderson (Roger C. Carmel) is going through a mid-life crisis. Frank's conflicts eventually break during a sobering discussion with Bob in a sauna. Bob says that he could not embark on a relationship with a younger person, as he would feel like a "child molester". Frank's mentality changes towards Breezy, he simply cannot cop with the age issue, she is upset by this and they part ways. Some time passes, Frank regrets his decision to break off their love affair. Then he is devastated when his friend is involved in a near-fatal accident. This causes Frank to an epiphany: life is too short, and his personal insecurities are the enemy. Frank finds Breezy in a park with a group of hippies, with the help of the dog, he and Breezy reconcile, reunite, and begin their new life together. Also starring Joan Hotchkis as Paula Harmon, Jamie Smith-Jackson as Marcy, Shelley Morrison as Nancy Henderson, and Clint Eastwood makes a cameo appearance as a man at the pier in a white jacket. Newcomer Lenz gives a really sweet performance as the innocent hippy lacking in self-awareness, Holden is also great as the cynical businessman who becomes infatuated with her, they make a believable couple. I agree that it is soppy, much gentler compared to other works by Eastwood, and perhaps of its time, but I cannot help but be charmed by the relationship and the interesting conversations, a surprisingly enjoyable romantic drama. It was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Original Score for Michel Legrand, and Best Original Song for "Breezy's Song". Good!

Can love bridge the generation gap ?

[SanFranNiceRn · 10/10 · 7 June 2004]

I watched this film again today on AMC, and I find it to be an in-depth character study set in a time of a rapidly changing society, 1973.

Breezy is a young, free spirited, outgoing hippy living on the streets of Los Angeles. Frank is a middle aged, roughened, hard drinking real estate salesman with an ex-wife and ex-girlfriend. They are total opposites. A chance meeting brings the two together. The relationship that ensues is one of turbulence, kindness, and complexities as the two attempt to merge their worlds.

This is the third film directed by Clint Eastwood; the richness of the characters resembles that of Play Misty for Me. Of particular interest to fans of Clint Eastwood's work, and for people who remember the 70's.

Well-made, well-acted film about a flawed relationship.

[barnabyrudge · 6/10 · 5 May 2010]

Clint Eastwood had already directed himself in two movies when he took on the directorial duties for "Breezy". Here, for the first time, Eastwood remains completely behind the camera, allowing William Holden to take the main role in this thoroughly watchable romantic drama. It marks a real change of pace and theme for Eastwood, usually a champion of western and action movies. However he slips into the genre very adroitly, creating a film that is interesting, well-made and well-acted in its deliberately low-key way.

Breezy (Kay Lenz) is a teenaged hippie girl living each day as it comes in 1970s California. She doesn't know where her next meal is coming from, nor where she will wake up in the morning, but relies on her innocent charm and the goodwill of others to get by. One day she hitches a ride with 50-something estate agent Frank (William Holden). Initially Frank finds her a brash and over-talkative nuisance, but the fates conspire to make them cross paths several times more… and slowly he begins to find something likable and charming in her carefree manner. Before long Breezy is in love with Frank, and Frank himself discovers a new warmth and joy that he thought lost forever after his bitter divorce and the string of meaningless relationships that followed. But of course, the huge generation gap between Frank and Breezy brings its own problems. "All we add up to is a dirty joke" groans Frank, as he realises that society will not accept that his relationship with such a young girl may be guided by true love. Will they be able to stay together, or is their romance doomed?

"Breezy" could have taken a sleazy approach to its subject matter but – other than a few flashes of female nudity – it thankfully avoids sordidness. Jo Heims' script is generally solid – perhaps a little wordy at times, with a hard-to-swallow final scene, but overall an example of effective screen writing. The lead actors are in superb form – Holden gets across a very believable characterisation, while Lenz pulls together the innocence, charm and childlike personality of the title character. The film never tells us whether to like or dislike the two leads, whether to condone or condemn their romance, whether to find their personalities agreeable or annoying. But regardless of our reaction to the characters, there can be no argument that they are well played by the two stars. On the whole, "Breezy" is a poignant and thoughtful romantic drama. The film's conclusion - that age and background should be no barrier to true love – is somewhat flawed, but there's enough sincerity in the performances, and sensitivity in the direction and writing, for this to emerge a winning little film.

Sometimes it's good to have a happy ending!

[grand_duke_bjg · 8/10 · 7 June 2006]

I first saw this movie in 1973, when it first hit theaters; I recently watched it again on DVD. The amazing thing about it is that, after thirty plus years, it still evoked the same joy that I felt when seeing it the first time. I don't know if that is a comment on it or me, but it was a nice feeling.

The movie centers around Frank, an uptight, lonely and often emotionally constipated real estate salesman played by William Holden, and Edith Ann Breezerman (the 'Breezy' of the title), played by Kay Lenz in one of her earliest roles. It chronicles the progress of the love affair between them, with a great deal of charm and occasional depths unexpected in this kind of film. Why unexpected? For one thing, it takes Frank more than half the length of the film to consummate the affair; the first half devotes itself to Breezy's breaking down of Frank's self-imposed barriers with the charm of youth.

The inevitable break between them occurs after the late Roger C. Carmel, in one of his finest dramatic moments, enviously defines Frank's relationship as nothing more than 'the old zing'. The very moment Breezy shows herself the most domestic becomes, ironically, the very moment Frank chooses to destroy the affair with the comment that they were simply the punch line of a very dirty joke. In an unpredictable twist of fate, Frank learns that, with love, one must Carpe the Diem and they get back together.

William Holden turns in a marvelously understated performance, foreshadowing his Oscar nominated turn four years later in 'Network'. Kay Lenz captures the essence of the earth-mother hippie chick without becoming either caricature or slapstick; her performance here may well be one of her all-time best. And the aforementioned Roger C. Carmel, as well as Marj Dusay and Joan Hotchkiss, turn in excellent, thought-provoking performances of their own.

This film was one of Clint Eastwood's earliest directing efforts. Yet already his greatest directorial trademark is in full view: a literate, well-conceived script filmed with a light touch by a director who knows how to set the stage and then stay out of the actors' way and let them shine, an Eastwood trademark still visible in his most recent works, such as 'Space Cowboys'. The script, by the late Jo Heims, captures the "two different worlds" cliché in a fresh and unpredictable manner. We see the good parts of Breezy's world in her own attitude, yet we meet the bad, almost tragic, aspects of the same world in Breezy's friend Marci, who appears stoned throughout most of the movie and says her boyfriend gets 'pissed' if she's not where she's supposed to be. That he beats her, though never admitted, becomes painfully obvious when Frank visits her and finds her terrified to leave her own house.

Frank in many respects is both the good and the bad in the world he represents. But the ultimate evil in that world, surprisingly, isn't the middle-aged would-be rapist we meet in the first sequence, but the Roger C. Carmel character, who gives a monologue on the obvious aspects of the male mid-life crisis that makes it clear the true evil of growing old is found when you no longer care whether you live or die. Carmel looks for the 'zing' but knows he'll never find it and also knows he no longer really cares if he does.

Despite this, the movie has a happy ending, in that the lovers reconnect. But even the ending is cautionary: Frank still questions its permanence, showing us, as he tries to seize the day, that he may still not entirely know how to do it. We hope Breezy shows him, but we're not sure either.

I find it interesting that I am now the age Frank is in the movie; I find it quite instructive, personally, to contrast my reaction to it now with my reaction to it when I first saw it. I understand Frank and his friends better and I find Breezy's ultra-open honesty of emotion sadder than I did in 1973. But the movie, though it might bring a tear to these old eyes, still warms the heart. Maybe there's hope for me yet.

She just needs to learn how to be loved back.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 30 January 2020]

She'd be awfully hard to resist, so why try?. The perky Kay Lenz is delightfully inquisitive as the drifter title character, not quite a stereotypical hippy yet too independent to want to settle down with responsibility. She depends on the kindness of strangers, and sometimes it works when they are kind. When she brazenly gets into Laurel Canyon resident William Holden for a ride down the hill, he finds out that he can't easily get rid of her. It's a challenge for different generations of any era to get along, and for this young boomer to get any type of compassion from the much older Holden who doesn't trust her but is somehow fascinated by her fault.

The gorgeous Marj Dusay is a complete charmer as Holden's longtime girlfriend, announcing that she's accepted another marriage proposal because of his neglect, and it is obvious that she longs for serious companionship rather than just be an ornamental arm attachment. Holden's just as needy for his complete freedom as Lenz is so somehow they begin to relate as Holden opens up to at least a friendship with her. Lenz is a bit too pushy at times and reminds me of the saying, "Don't feed a strange dog who's all alone. You'll never get rid of it." Still she's a refreshing entrance into his drab, structured life and the film shows them bonding. Whether or not it becomes romantic soon is of no consequence, and the "eew!" factor never appears. In fact, it's sort of a parallel to "Sunset Blvd." as they discover each other quite by accident and end up changing each other's lives, sans swimming pool and gunshots.

Is this an old man's fantasy or a young woman's need for a father figure as a lover? Is he quietly attracted to her young zest for life and is she really looking for a meal ticket? Those questions do come up here. Holden is no longer a golden boy, and Lenz isn't exactly "Network's" Faye Dunaway. But it's difficult to dismiss whatever they end up having especially when it is revealed what happened to the dog that Breezy saw on the road early in the film. What this comes down to irregardless of the lengthy age difference is that they bring something to each other and learn something new. I call this an early variation of "Pretty Woman" without the sleeziness of the Sunset strip, and the sweetness of it all.

An extremely well written restaurant scene features a "War of the Roses" like confrontation with Holden's ex-wife, a fascinating bit by Joan Hotchkiss who essays the bitter, drunken fading glamour queen, furiously jealous over seeing her ex happy. Roger C. Carmel ("The Mothers-In-Law"), as Holden's tennis playing pal, is married to "Will & Grace's" Shelley Morrison here, complaining about a fading passion in his marriage, yet unable to completely end it. A twist involving Marj Dusay's character could have taken many directions, so the writer keeps the audience guessing.

For an in gag, director Clint Eastwood has Holden and Lenz going to see "High Plains Drifter". The question arises of who in this relationship will become wary first, and if applicable, who will initiate it ending. This is a film that in many aspects could have been eye rolling and even disgusting considering the massive difference in ages, but miraculously, it works, becoming an underdog of romantic dramas that is filled with heart for rebels of all ages.

True Love

[bucky3844 · 10/10 · 20 June 2006]

I first saw this movie in the late 70's. I was never involved with the hippie movement and did not have any particular view of them. At first I thought the movie was just a unrealistic love story. Friends of mine only saw the sex between an old man and a teenager. As years passed I realized that I may be one of the last true romantics and this story is one of the finest love stories written. It shows that, in the movies, there is nothing wrong in a woman loving a man no matter what his age. Its a pity that women can not understand this is something beautiful. I can not think of anyone better that the two stars to plays these roles. William Holden was excellent as a bitter, unfeeling Black Cloud as Breezy would say. Kay Lenz was perfect as Breezy the carefree, light hearted, and always seeing the good in anyone.

well acted, but it doesn't change some of its clichés or fabricated conflicts

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 20 April 2008]

What a interesting year for Clint Eastwood in 1973. Edged between his first directed western, High Plains Drifter, and his second Dirty Harry film, he found time to direct Jo Helms's screenplay Breezy, which posits that middle aged men can have affection and love for unpretentious hippie girls in their early 20s in 1973. It's such a soft movie you might wonder whether or not it was a pre-Lifetime. Eastwood gives the picture some soft touches (including some song selections that are about as gooey as the worst romance songs you've ever heard), but it's the casting that makes the material work.

William Holden plays Frank, a real estate salesman, who picks up hitchhiking hippie chick Breezy (aka Ethel Alice Breezerman or something), and even though she drops him off after she tries to help a stranded dog, she comes back to his place (she was just hanging around near his place since she had gotten out of a bad hitchhiking bit), and barely ever leaves afterward. Why she clings to Frank is never entirely clear, or why Frank is alright with it, but there's enough down-to-earth moments around the more cheesy scenes like walking along the beach. It's understandable why each is attracted to the other- with Breezy more-so it just seems part of her 'Breezy' nature- though with Frank it's a little trickier. He's very easily impressionable, and isn't sure the relationship will work.

So there lies basically the only conflict here in what is basically a low-key may-December romance story with tasteful bits of sex and nudity (the latter from a very beautiful Kay Lenz), and a script that kind of just ends very expectedly, with only a minor twist involving drama in a car accident (it's not spoiling anything saying that). While Eastwood's direction is simple and uncomplicated, and the script allows just enough room to make this kind of believable stuff, it's the acting that saves the show. Holden is great as the aging Frank, able to suggest his insecurities while not overdoing it in the slightest (I'm reminded a little of a less cynical take on what would occur in Network a few years later), and Lenz makes Breezy appropriately lovable and annoying in equal measure (yeah, I found her a little annoying, which might've been the point).

It's very enjoyable for what it's worth, but there's not too much depth to it. It almost feels like a kind of diversion of a movie experience for both Eastwood and Holden, and it wears its period of early 70s sexual liberation with a slight conservative air. 7.5/10

Very Disturbing Elements, Yet Credible Views of LA Americana

[southbaycare · 5/10 · 4 November 2014]

Having grown up near the settings of this film, and during its year, 1973, I always like to see LA, as it was, not the way it is today.

Many of you have commented on both the silliness of the plot,and that it did not look genuine, and that is true.

Miss.Lenz plays an uncanny and absolutely flawless portrayal of young women of LA, particularly of the Canyon. So genuine is her portrayal of this, that it does add to the film's authentic side.

Mr Holden's overall acting, is great,and the footage of LA, in the early 70s,is fantastic, and relevant.

I would not exactly call Breezy a hippie girl, due to the fact that 1973, was the absolute last shred of that culture, and the concept of Angelinos as actual hippies, is debatable.

She is sweet, yet entirely deceptive, and quick to judge people.

We were horrified at the nude scenes, not knowing this in advance, and fast forwarded them, plus it did not make for anything accurate.

I did not care for the characterization of all the middle aged women.

Disturbing, in that there is no love shown; way too much age difference, and a bizarre personality of Breezy's character.

But good acting by both, and a real period piece.