Two for the Road (film)

Two for the Road is a 1967 British comedy-drama romance film directed and produced by Stanley Donen, starring Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney. The film tells the story of a married couple who reflect on their twelve-year relationship while on a road trip from England to the French Riviera. As they survey their foundering marriage in the present, the evolution of their relationship reveals itself through vignettes from four previous trips they took along the same route. The film was made from an original screenplay by Frederic Raphael. Supporting cast members include Eleanor Bron, William Daniels, Claude Dauphin, and Nadia Gray. Two for the Road was Hepburn's penultimate film before her semi-retirement in early 1967.
Raphael conceived the idea for the film while driving with his wife to the south of France. He suggested the project initially to producer Joseph Janni, who declined it, and then wrote the script for Donen. Originally the film was to be made by Universal, but after the studio backed out, Donen took the project to Twentieth Century-Fox. Two for the Road is notable for combining the styles of a traditional Hollywood romance with elements of the French New Wave. Cars figure prominently in the film and, when the narrative jumps in time, help to establish the current year. Two for the Road was a rare Hepburn picture where she did not wear a wardrobe designed by Hubert de Givenchy, as Donen wanted her to have a more conventional appearance. The film's soundtrack was composed by Henry Mancini, who called the theme song his favourite piece of music he wrote. Principal photography began on 3 May 1966 and concluded on 1 September. The film was released on 27 April 1967 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
Upon its release the film received mostly positive reviews but failed to make a profit. Its mixed response was in large part due to its experimental, non-linear structure, and coalescence of commercial and artistic filmmaking. Additionally, Hepburn's role as a wife and mother in a collapsing marriage was a radical departure from the ingénues she typically had played hitherto. In subsequent years, the film's reputation has grown substantially, with numerous authors citing it as Donen's greatest film, and Hepburn's performance as the best of her career.
Category:Films