Lovin' Molly

Plot synopsis:
Over a span of nearly 40 years, Gid and Johnny, a pair of Texas farm boys, compete for the affections of Molly Taylor, a free spirit who cares for both of them. The story is told by three consecutive segments which is narrated by one of the three lead roles.
The first segment is set in 1925 and narrated by Gid, who introduces himself as well as his best friend Johnny and Johnny's girlfriend Molly Taylor with whom Gid becomes smitten with. Gid works part-time as a ranch hand at Molly's farm and often competes against Johnny for Molly's affections. Despite their frequent feud and arguments, Gid and Johnny's friendship never ends during their excursions and errands for Molly's father to sell and buy cattle for the family farm. Molly eventually sleeps with Gid, as well as Johnny, but she eventually chooses neither one of them and instead marries school friend Eddie after the death of her father. Gid eventually marries Sarah, a local widow with several children, and Johnny leaves town for places unknown.
The second segment is set in 1945 and is narrated by Molly. It was revealed that Molly had three sons from her three different suitors, and each one of them died in combat during World War II which is currently waging. Molly's husband Eddie also died from an illness several years before. Gid had divorced Sarah and began spending most of his free time with Molly, who withheld the news of their son's death in battle. When he finally did learn the news, Gid took it badly and became more depressed. Johnny re-entered their lives after living away and, having had married and divorced his own wife, took a more active part in helping Molly run her late father's farm.
The third and final segment is set in 1964 and is narrated by Johnny. He reveals that Gid is in a local hospital dying from cancer and Johnny has been keeping a bedside vigil over him. Wanting out of the place, Johnny takes Gid away from the hospital for a few days to visit Molly who is still living at her father's farm and is contemplating selling it. After working with Johnny around the farm to relive their "good old days" long gone by, Gid passes away as Johnny is taking him back to the hospital. After Gid's funeral, Johnny meets with Molly where they agree and despite they never got married or had a life in operating her family farm, they will always be soul mates before Johnny leaves Molly for the last time.

Tags: romantic, flashback

Review:
Lovin' MollyLeaving Cheyenne.
It's seems clear that Sidney Lumet was unfamiliar with the setting, the characters, the story...I mean, Gid is a cowboy wearing OVERALLS--Gid's NOT a farmer!
He was afraid of Texas, and moved back east to New Jersey to shoot the remainder of the film--no wonder the film looks like a TV movie.
It should have been directed by someone else, someone who understood the place, and written by a screenwriter who understood the characters and story, like McMurtry himself, perhaps???
Maybe someday it will be re-done, and done justly.
It's a moving and complex story, one that deserves to be told in the affecting way it's written.
Eastwood as director?
It spans a 45-year period, and though challenging, with the appropriate writer and director and actors would make for a timeless, memorable film..
Two friends vie for the same woman through the years..
Coming on the heels of The Last Picture Show, this Larry McMurtry adaptation must've sounded like a sure thing with the likes of Beau Bridges, Anthony Perkins, and Blythe Danner before the cameras and the great Sidney Lumet behind but ultimately this film is a case of too much too soon.
This story, which resembles last year's The Hi-Lo Country, could've been much more interesting in the hands of others.
Bridges and Danner give their acting chops a good exercise but it's a case of bringing on newcomers before their time while Perkins is just miscast period.
Even Lumet shows he's in unfamiliar territory by shooting the outdoor sequences in a flat, TV movie fashion while keeping the performances more in tune with the melodramatic films of yesteryear instead of being true to the times in which the film was made.
Imagine what Sam Peckinpah or Martin Ritt could've done with the material.
Neither being completely horrible or forgivably worthwhile, Lovin' Molly will remain an interesting footnote in the careers of all involved..
Don't read the book first.
Maybe it's not such a bad movie if you haven't read the book.
But after reading the book which has something muggy, something atmospheric around watching the movie is a boring and tedious business.
Even the characters are miscast.
How can you believe Anthony Perkins is Gid?
Besides they should have made ONE story for the movie out of the three perspectives in the book.
Following the book this closely for the movie was a mistake.
Another thing is that the characters don't change age.
They don't get visibly older.
If you think that a movie like Chinatown was made around the same time you see what I mean with lack of quality.
Lovin' Molly is too much a book filming in which they tried to stay faithful to the book.
Anyway, maybe somebody who never read the book can enjoy it..
zzzzzzzzz.
Molly was probably a likable character, and I got the impression Blythe Danner was giving a good performance.
But somehow this movie never registered with me.
I did like the old-time music (Ralph Stanley wouldn't want me to call it bluegrass) and the big-band music used in one scene in the 1940s.My biggest problem was that I could never remember which of the male characters were which (and apparently Molly had the same problem seeing as how she couldn't make up her mind which one to like), and even though I like Beau Bridges, I never saw any of the men as resembling him until the 1960s.This was probably a good movie to those who like novels such as 'Wuthering Heights'..
Texas in Their Rear View Mirror.
In 1925 Texas, lanky farmer Anthony Perkins (as Gid Fry) and chubby chum Beau Bridges (as Johnny McCloud) both want to marry beautiful free-spirited Blythe Danner (as Molly Taylor).
The trio crawl in and out of each other's beds for nearly forty years.
If you don't believe this can get unexciting, just watch them from beginning to end.
The three leads often seem intentionally made-up to look unattractive; however, Ms. Danner has a memorable nude scene in the early running...You wouldn't know to look at it, but "Lovin' Molly" stemmed from a story by "The Last Picture Show" (1971) writer Larry McMurtry and was helmed by "Network" (1976) director Sidney Lumet.
Dramatic television veteran Edward Binns plays Perkins' crotchety father.
Watch for a couple of (then) daytime television stars in small, featured roles...Future big-league actress and "Rocky Horror" participant Susan Sarandon plays Mr. Perkins' neglected other woman, and Conard Fowkes (as Eddie) is a third man involved with Danner.
A "flashback" scene with Mr. Fowkes reveals he has more "chemistry" with Danner than either of her leading men.
Those familiar with his "Dark Shadows" role as the New England lawyer who helped Victoria Winters find Laura Collins' coffin will realize Fowkes' is the film's outstanding performance.**** Lovin' Molly (4/14/74) Sidney Lumet ~ Anthony Perkins, Beau Bridges, Blythe Danner, Conard Fowkes.
I liked this movie.
This movie doesn't have the action and gun-toting violence (thank goodness) of modern-day movies, and I found the story compelling and the actors believable.
It introduces us to an early and charming Blythe Danner; Anthony Perkins is stilted and unapproachable - as the character called for, and Beau Bridges is someone you just want to hug.
It was interesting to see how the producer/director made the movie span about 30 years - both in the actors, and in the setting.
The scenery was beautiful to me - but then I'm from Texas, so I know how beautiful Central Texas is.
Produced before ratings, I would give this a GP because it deals with a beautiful lady and her love of two different men.