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Actors: Debbie Reynolds, Shelley Winters, Dennis Weaver, Agnes Moorehead, Yvette Vickers
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about What's the Matter With Helen? |
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WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HELEN? is a movie directed by Curtis Harrington in 1971. The picture earned a nomination for the Academy Award in the "Best Costume Design" category.
Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters are the unfortunate mothers of two boys who have just been been convicted of murder and sent to jail. Both decide to begin a new life in the Los Angeles of the early thirties. Debbie opens a dance school for children and Shelley plays the piano. While Debbie is falling in love with the rich Texan father of one of her pupils, Shelley is suffering more and more often from harrowing hallucinations. Overwhelmed by guilt, she's believing to be the only person responsible for the bad actions of her son. She cannot also bear that Debbie prefers to spend the evenings with her lover rather than with her. So when Debbie announces to her that she's getting married, Shelley will take the only decision that her sick mind can figure.
--Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of What's the Matter With Helen? |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about
books by breaking them down into many different literary
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1930's-1950's
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Kind of romance:
- matchbreaker interference
Inner struggle or disability
Yes
Crime & Scandal
Yes
Story of
- stalker with romantic feelings for victim
Brain/Body not working?
- mental illness
Lover is...
- of a different social class
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- teacher/professor
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- blonde
Hair type
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn wavey
Events of movie makes character more...
- happy
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) average build
How much in movie?
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- musician
Eccentric:
Yes
- mentally ill
- obsessed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 90%-100%
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn wavey
Body type
- (woman) fat
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- soggy whimpering jelly muffin
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Midwest
- California
City?
Yes
City:
- Los Angeles
Misc setting
- school
- theater
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- explicit references to deaths
Movie makes you feel...
- all mixed up
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- kissing
If lots of song/dance...
- lot of dancing
If soundtrack VERY NOTICEABLE...
- Broadway musical
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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