The Member of the Wedding

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steve d It has not aged well. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member serious and obvious flaw in miscasting a mature Harris as the edge-of-puberty protagonist, which over-eggs the stereotype of how young girls can be fond of melodramatics. perhaps the producer and director (big names kramer and zinnemann) didn't care to push two child actors in the same production, though dewilde's work is remarkable for his very first film (granted, his initiation in the role had come in the stage production). his work redeems the film, with of course the remarkable ms. waters. zinnemann redeems the film with irony, and making ms.waters the focus of the ending, a subversive touch. 'john henry' starts the hymn 'his eye is on the sparrow', waters makes it magical, yet henry's prolonged, painful, and fatal illness (off camera in the manner of classic tragedy) makes him the sparrow no one watched. the ending's focus on bernice exposes how the love and care she devoted to john henry and frankie made her no less marginalized to the families she worked for. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member The actors make the most of a rather plodding story. It is surprising that this film received all the honours that it did. It was behind its time. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member Some good acting by Ethel Waters in this slice of life and coming of age drama. The usually superior Julie Harris is shrill and annoying trying to be convincing as a 12 year old. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member harris' shreaking hysterics give me a headache Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member When you move a Broadway production to the screen, most people would like to see the same actors reprise their roles. But when you have a 25-year old actress playing a 12-year old, you really have to 'suspend your disbelief' on this one... And Broadway actors must know that huge exaggerated body-language overacting just doesn't apply in front of a camera. It's just makes it really less believable. But if you're looking for an accurate adaptation of the book and the play, this Stanley Kramer production is for you. But I gotta say, Julie Harris playing Frankie is one of the most insanely exaggerated performances I've ever seen. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Member of the Wedding

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