During pre-WWII McCarthyism, a diametrically opposed couple come together only to find out that genuine friendship and physical attraction is not enough to overcome fundamental societal beli... Read allDuring pre-WWII McCarthyism, a diametrically opposed couple come together only to find out that genuine friendship and physical attraction is not enough to overcome fundamental societal beliefs.During pre-WWII McCarthyism, a diametrically opposed couple come together only to find out that genuine friendship and physical attraction is not enough to overcome fundamental societal beliefs.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
25K
YOUR RATING
- Director
- Writers
- Arthur Laurents
- Francis Ford Coppola(uncredited)
- Paddy Chayefsky(uncredited)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Arthur Laurents
- Francis Ford Coppola(uncredited)
- Paddy Chayefsky(uncredited)
- Stars
- Won 2 Oscars
- 6 wins & 8 nominations total
Videos5
- Director
- Writers
- Arthur Laurents
- Francis Ford Coppola(uncredited)
- Paddy Chayefsky(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
The often unlikely joint lives of Katie Morosky and Hubbell Gardiner from the late 1930s to the late 1950s is presented, over which time, they are, in no particular order, strangers, acquaintances, friends, best friends, lovers and adversaries. The unlikely nature of their relationship is due to their fundamental differences, where she is Jewish and passionate about her political activism both in political freedoms and Marxism to an extreme where she takes life a little too seriously, while he is the golden boy WASP, being afforded the privileges in life because of his background but who on the most part is able to capitalize on those privileges. Their lives are shown in four general time periods, in chronological order when they attend the same college, their time in New York City during WWII, his life as a Hollywood screenwriter post-war, and his life as a writer for a New York based live television show. It is during college that Hubbell finds his voice in life as a writer, and that Katie sees beyond his good looks to find a person with substance who realizes his position in a life as something that does not give him an inherent right to those opportunities. External world events, such as the Spanish Civil War, WWII and the House Un-American Activities investigation, do affect their lives directly, but it is how they deal with these effects personally, largely in relation to personal relationships - such as with Hubbell's long term friends J.J. and Carol Ann, the latter his college girlfriend - that may dictate if Katie and Hubbell are able to make it in the long term as a couple. —Huggo
- Taglines
- Everything seemed so important then .. even love!
- Genres
- Certificate
- PG
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaRobert Redford was unhappy with cuts made to the film following a preview. He said, "I think we'd both have preferred a more political Dalton Trumbo -type script, but finally Sydney came down on the side of the love story. He said, 'This is first and foremost a love affair,' and we conceded that. We trusted his instincts, and he was right."
- GoofsIn California, Katie is holding a "hot" pot and offers it to Hubbell. He takes a spoonful and notes that it is, indeed, hot. However, moments later, Katie is holding the bottom of the pot with her bare hands.
- Quotes
Hubbell Gardner: People are more important than their principles.
Katie Morosky Gardner: People ARE their principles.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Film Extra: Sydney Pollock (1973)
- SoundtracksThe Way We Were
Composed by Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics by Marilyn Bergman and Alan Bergman
Sung by Barbra Streisand before the opening credits and during the end credits.
Music played often in the score
Top review
the never-changing look of a God
It's WWII. Katie Morosky (Barbra Streisand) is a Jewish girl working in New York radio pumping out patriotic programming among her many activist jobs. In a nightclub, she runs into former crush and Naval officer Hubbell Gardiner (Robert Redford). In college, she was a communist student leader struggling to rally against Franco with Frankie McVeigh (James Woods). He was the WASP star athlete, the man around campus, and outwardly lived a carefree life. He's taken with her tenacity and she admires his writing. In the post war years, they are married in Hollywood where he writes for the studio and she fights against Mcarthyism.
She has the better part. He's playing the trophy wife. His hemming and hawing with his writing is a bit infuriating. He's too cool for school except for a few emotional outbursts. Those are great for showing some depth in his character although the couple seems to have only two polar opposite gears. As for her, Streisand gives it her all. There is a grating edge to her character which is not that appealing. I do like that these two flawed characters struggle with their undeniable connection until I can't take their unending fight about politics. Another issue is the unchanging Grecian God beauty of Redford's look. This movie takes place over decades. He needs to change. Maybe give him a buzz cut during the war years. There is the famous song which I wouldn't diss or praise. Pollack delivers a solid melodrama although the relationship gets too melodramatic at times.
She has the better part. He's playing the trophy wife. His hemming and hawing with his writing is a bit infuriating. He's too cool for school except for a few emotional outbursts. Those are great for showing some depth in his character although the couple seems to have only two polar opposite gears. As for her, Streisand gives it her all. There is a grating edge to her character which is not that appealing. I do like that these two flawed characters struggle with their undeniable connection until I can't take their unending fight about politics. Another issue is the unchanging Grecian God beauty of Redford's look. This movie takes place over decades. He needs to change. Maybe give him a buzz cut during the war years. There is the famous song which I wouldn't diss or praise. Pollack delivers a solid melodrama although the relationship gets too melodramatic at times.
helpful•52
- SnoopyStyle
- Feb 18, 2019
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $15,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $45,000,000
- Gross worldwide
- $45,000,000
- Runtime1 hour 58 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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