Cary Scott (Jane Wyman) is a widow with a son that resents her wearing a beautiful elegant red dress to go to a friend's party, and a daughter that says "when we reach a certain age, sex becomes incongrous". Poor woman, isn't she? The same night of the party two men she knows well have a proposition for her: Harvey offers marriage for companionship, Howard offers a love affair. However, she looks more interested in younger Ron Kirby (Rock Hudson), her gardener. He invites her to see his trees and then kisses her. :-) His self-confidence charms her :-) They keep going out together, and he secretly fixes his place as she told him would be nice, then he proposes to her. She loves him so much, but she's worried about all the evil gossip that would start if she decided to marry him, and about her children's response. She had every reason to worry: someone starts calling him "her nature boy", Ned (William Reynolds) the son talks to her about tradition and obligations to his father's memory, and tells her he'd be ashamed, and Kay (Gloria Talbott) the daughter asks her "you love him so much you're willing to ruin all our lives?". Poor poor woman, it would appear her children that were always so good at taking are now not so very good at giving, huh? Selfish is what they are.
Ron is not perfect either, though. She asks him for some more time, so that people and children can get used to it, which is not such an unreasonable request at all! But he denies her more time, saying she'll use it to change him and he refuses that! He says she'll have to choose, there and then, which is a terrible thing to say. He proposed to change all her life, but refuses her a little time afraid she might maybe change a little of his. He's been selfish too. She tells him "I can't ruin my children's life. I have a responsibility to them" and she breaks the engagement. They are pleased, but too occupied with their lives to come home when she expected them. She was waiting for them at the train station when she got a telegram from them. She didn't say a word, just threw the telegram on the floor, which says it all.
She meets Ron again while she's buying a Christmas tree, but she sees him with his friend the young blonde and thinks they are together, and leaves in a hurry. At Christmas Kay comes home to tell her she's engaged to get married, and Ned comes to tell her he'll have to go to Paris for work, and buys her a television! Awful, sad companion for lonely people. She realises she has done all for nothing, but one day she learns that the young blonde is getting married to a guy she has been seeing for some time now, and she undertands she had misunderstood things. She goes to see Ron, but he has an accident. He'll need time to fully recover, and she'll assist him. When he opens his eyes and sees her, he tells her "Cary, you've come home". She smiles to him, and says "yes, I've come home", and this is the end. :-)
I realise now talking about it that what I like most of this film is her, Cary, because Jane Wyman is beautiful and magnificent: I could see the emotions on her face, and that's what kept me glued to the story.
I also liked Agnes Moorehead playing her best friend Sara Warren.
Nessun commento:
Posta un commento