Product: That Cold Day in the Park
Rating: 2.0
Provides a few fun, campy moments.
"That Cold Day In The Park" opens up in a rather innocuous fashion. A middle aged woman, Frances, is entertaining some dinner guests when she notices that a young man is sitting outside on a park bench. It begins to rain and the man attempts to take cover under a newspaper that had been thrown in the trash. After her guests leave, Frances goes outside and invites the young man inside her apartment to dry off. It quickly becomes clear that Frances is quite lonely and she tries her best to make her new guest very welcome. She is in no hurry for him to leave.Unfortunately, the film ends up doing a 180. At first this appears to be a fascinating look into a woman's lonely existence and her desperate quest for companionship. Instead, it descends into trashiness and an attempt to shock the viewer. Perhaps back in 1969 viewers found this to be something interesting in a freakish sort of way. In this day and age, however, the shock value is gone and its entertainment value lies in its ability to make the viewer laugh at the campiness of it all. Neither character is at all sympathetic so it ultimately leaves the viewer feeling disconnected. Sandy Dennis gives a wonderful performance but it is mostly wasted here. I only recommend this movie for those who enjoy bizarre social behavior.