Butterflies Are Free

PG

Released Jul 6, 1972

1h 49m

Comedy

Drama

List

69%

13 Reviews

Tomatometer

80%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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Variety Staff

Variety

Hawn, funny and touching, is a delight throughout and Heckart gets a film role that enables her to display versatility.

Aug 8, 2008

Full Review

Time Out

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.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Vincent Canby

New York Times

Leonard Gershe's Broadway comedy recycled as a movie with the density of Jell-o.

May 9, 2005

Full Review

Dick Lochte

Los Angeles Free Press

A perfect example of schmaltz so cunningly and attractively created that it will move even the stoniest soul.

Jan 7, 2020

Full Review

TV Guide

Although the emotional conflicts are a bit too neatly settled at the story's conclusion, Albert, Hawn, and Heckart make it all seem believable.

Rated: 2.5/5

May 9, 2017

Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

An interesting film about love, blindness and the inherent bias in both.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 15, 2011

Full Review

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Roy M

I love this film. It's very much a window into an earlier time and place, it's finny, and it's also a well acted and well directed drama. At times it's deeply moving. I wish there were more films like this. Films that make an effort to be thoughtful and that, like this one, succeed. There are critics who see this film as overly sentimental, vapid, unserious. In my view, it's none of those things. That it's cute and quirky, and that Goldie Hawn plays the penultimate ditz, are part of its charm and do not detract from the quality of the film. It is, after all, a comedy. Albeit, one with a powerful story.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/06/22

Full Review

Spencer M

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.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/19/22

Full Review

Audience Member

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

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/06/22

Full Review

delysid d

corny but nice old movie

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/15/22

Full Review

s r

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.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

steve d

I didn't buy Hawn's performance and the script is all over the place.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Milton Katselas

Director

Goldie Hawn

Jill Tanner

Edward Albert

Don Baker

Eileen Heckart

Mrs. Baker

Michael Warren

Roy Stratton

Paul Michael Glaser

Ralph

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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
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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