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Butterflies Are Free

Play trailer Poster for Butterflies Are Free PG 1972 1h 49m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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69% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
In early 1970s San Francisco, blind aspiring singer-songwriter Don Baker (Edward Albert) is living away from his overprotective mother (Eileen Heckart) for the first time. Free-spirited actress Jill Tanner (Goldie Hawn) moves into the apartment next door, and they bond over music and literature, but when Don's mother makes an unexpected visit, she clashes with the headstrong Jill, assuming that she'll get bored and leave Don, just as his last girlfriend did.
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Butterflies Are Free

Critics Reviews

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Variety Staff Variety 08/08/2008
Hawn, funny and touching, is a delight throughout and Heckart gets a film role that enables her to display versatility. Go to Full Review
Time Out 06/24/2006
A piece of (barely) stage-adapted nonsense, scripted by Leonard Gershe from his own play, about blind-boy-meets-emotionally-immature girl and how his mum brings them together. With some funny lines from Goldie Hawn and little else. Go to Full Review
Vincent Canby New York Times 05/09/2005
Leonard Gershe's Broadway comedy recycled as a movie with the density of Jell-o. Go to Full Review
Dick Lochte Los Angeles Free Press 01/07/2020
A perfect example of schmaltz so cunningly and attractively created that it will move even the stoniest soul. Go to Full Review
TV Guide 05/09/2017
2.5/5
Although the emotional conflicts are a bit too neatly settled at the story's conclusion, Albert, Hawn, and Heckart make it all seem believable. Go to Full Review
Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight 08/15/2011
3/4
An interesting film about love, blindness and the inherent bias in both. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Christopher F. @Christopher1958 Nov 22 The sweetest little movie I ever did see. “Once in awhile you should do something you don’t want to do.” See more Spencer M 09/19/2022 One of my favorite movies of all-time. Great performances and hilarious dialogue. Eileen Heckart is amazing. She rightfully deserved an Academy Award. Great street scenes of late '60s and early '70s San Francisco, too. See more 07/06/2022 The popular play makes its way to the big screen starring Goldee Hawn, Eileen Heckart, and Edward Albert Taking place in 1970s San Francisco, blind aspiring singer-songwriter Don Baker lives away from his overprotective mother for the first time Free-spirited actress Jill Tanner moves into the apartment next door, and they bond over music and literature, but when Don's mother makes an unexpected visit, she clashes with the headstrong Jill, assuming that she'll get bored and leave Don, just as his last girlfriend did Another film based on a stage play so expect a lot of dialogue exchange between the two leads in just one environment the whole way through Poor direction aside the two leads are a dime a dozen learning to get on the same page in the big city An interesting film about love, blindness and the inherent bias in both Heckart also shines as an overbearing mother not accepting her son's hopes and dreams and worrying he won't make it on his own Everyone here though grows to be better like butterflies; going through their own metamorphosis to truly become who they are and want to be See more delysid d 02/15/2022 corny but nice old movie See more s r @ScottR 09/02/2020 Saw it on TCM. It was a feel good romance about two neighbor youngsters in NYC where one is blind and the other and aspiring actress. See more steve d 07/17/2020 I didn't buy Hawn's performance and the script is all over the place. See more Read all reviews
Butterflies Are Free

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Movie Info

Synopsis In early 1970s San Francisco, blind aspiring singer-songwriter Don Baker (Edward Albert) is living away from his overprotective mother (Eileen Heckart) for the first time. Free-spirited actress Jill Tanner (Goldie Hawn) moves into the apartment next door, and they bond over music and literature, but when Don's mother makes an unexpected visit, she clashes with the headstrong Jill, assuming that she'll get bored and leave Don, just as his last girlfriend did.
Director
Milton Katselas
Producer
M.J. Frankovich
Screenwriter
Leonard Gershe
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Frankovich Productions
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 6, 1972, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 27, 2010
Runtime
1h 49m
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