David and Lisa

Play trailer

David and Lisa

Released Dec 26, 1962

1h 34m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

13 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Teenager David Clemens (Keir Dullea) develops a hysterical fear that he will die if he comes into physical contact with another person. Perturbed, David's overbearing mother places him in a home for mentally disturbed young people, but David remains withdrawn from the other patients and his psychiatrist. Over time, however, David grows interested in 15-year-old Lisa (Janet Margolin), who suffers from multiple personalities -- one who can only speak in rhyme, and the other, a mute.

TIME Staff

TIME Magazine

Deeply touching.

Oct 30, 2007

Full Review

Bosley Crowther

New York Times

[Frank Perry] has done a simple, commendable, sympathetic semi-documentary.

Rated: 4/5

May 10, 2005

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Probably not everything it was cracked up to be in 1963.

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Judith Crist

New York Herald Tribune

David and Lisa has something to say in its exploration of troubled adolescents, that it recognizes and probes the wounds of the mind and the heart and the power of love to penetrate even the most private of worlds.

Aug 15, 2022

Full Review

Clyde Gilmour

Maclean's Magazine

The result is a memorable debut for Eleanor Perry, who wrote the intelligent script, and for her husband Frank, who directed it with discretion and vitality.

Oct 7, 2019

Full Review

Dwight MacDonald

Esquire Magazine

David [and Lisa], for all its deficiencies (among which is not casting), is dramatic, it moves.

Aug 9, 2019

Full Review

Read all reviews

Steve D

A mixed bag but the acting is strong.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/19/23

Full Review

Radheshwari S

I saw this powerful and moving film when I was in school and it made a hug impression on me. I loved it's artsi style of filming with very little diologue and great sensitive acting. The director was fabulous! It's the story of the magic power of Love. Try to see it!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie was boring as heck. Couldn't finish it.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Blobbo X

This really bowled over the young Blobbo. Also, fell in love with girl and couldn't stop rhyming for a while.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The best romance movie ever made!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A touching and well balanced coming of age tale of two persons who have rather extreme needs. A shame Margolin isn't better known today, I guess she wasn't offered the right parts.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Frank Perry

Director

Keir Dullea

David Clemens

Janet Margolin

Lisa Brandt

Howard Da Silva

Dr. Swinford

Neva Patterson

Mrs. Clemens

Clifton James

John

Long Day's Journey Into Night

95%

85%

Long Day's Journey Into Night

Watchlist

A Child Is Waiting

92%

74%

A Child Is Waiting

Watchlist

A Kind of Loving

93%

86%

A Kind of Loving

Watchlist

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

73%

85%

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

Watchlist

The L-Shaped Room

67%

83%

The L-Shaped Room

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Teenager David Clemens (Keir Dullea) develops a hysterical fear that he will die if he comes into physical contact with another person. Perturbed, David's overbearing mother places him in a home for mentally disturbed young people, but David remains withdrawn from the other patients and his psychiatrist. Over time, however, David grows interested in 15-year-old Lisa (Janet Margolin), who suffers from multiple personalities -- one who can only speak in rhyme, and the other, a mute.

Director: Frank Perry
Producer: Paul M. Heller
Screenwriter: Eleanor Perry
Distributor: Continental Distributing Inc.
Production Co: Vision Associates Productions
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 26, 1962, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 16, 2018
Runtime: 1h 34m

Most Popular at Home Now