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Actors: Walter Matthau, Goldie Hawn, Ingrid Bergman, Jack Weston
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Cactus Flower |
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This film is about a dentist (Julian), with whom his assistant (Stephanie) is in love. However, the doctor seems to love Toni, who is a young and modern girl who thinks Julian is married. Then Julian will discover that Toni isn´t a suitable woman for him and moreover he´ll notice that he actually loves Stephanie.
--Ingridi, Resident Scholar
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Young, swinging Toni Simmons (Hawn) understands that the reason her older, married lover -- a dentist named Dr. Julian Winston (Matthau) -- won't leave his wife and commit to her is because of his children. But Julian doesn't have any children . . . or a wife, for that matter! That's just his story to keep from getting permanently entangled with women. When he finally tells Toni he's ready to commit, she wants to meet his ex-wife. So Julian enlists the help of his longtime nurse/receptionist Stephanie Dickinson (Bergman), who incidentally has had a longtime crush on her boss, to pretend to be his ex. One of the legendary I.A.L. Diamond's last scripts, based on a play by Pierre Barillet, Jean-Pierre Gredy, and Abe Burrows, the plot of this very dated 1969 movie is obvious and not terribly inspired. Nor is the dialogue all that sparkling. And the leads are miscast: Matthau was twice Hawn's age, and seems too boring to attract her character; and still-gorgeous mid 50s Bergman has to strain to seem prim and proper. But the trio still turns in lovely performances, and Hawn won an Oscar for best performance by an actress in a supporting role in her first significant part.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Cactus Flower |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Comedy, primarily
Yes
Time/era of movie:
- 1960's-1970's
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Kind of romance:
- love triangle/polygon
Kind of comedy
- romantic comedy
Lover is...
- much older/younger
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- doctor
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Black)
Hair type
- (man) very short/crewcut
Body type
- (man) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- sensitive
- happy
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn straight
Body type
- (woman) ample bosom & buttocks
- (woman) average
How much in movie?
- 80%
- 90%-100%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- a teen
Profession/status:
- not employed but independently wealthy
Eccentric:
Yes
- emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 40%
Hair color
- blonde
Hair type
- (woman) short/butch/lez
Body type
- (woman) skinny
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Dumb
Physique
- average physique
Setting
United States
Yes
City?
Yes
City:
- wealthy
Misc setting
- bar
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Movie makes you feel...
- very happy
- full of laughter
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
- kissing
Any profanity?
- None
Is this movie based on a
- play
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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