The Family Way

1966

1h 55m

Comedy

Drama

List

75%

Tomatometer

8 Reviews

82%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

Young newlyweds Arthur (Hywel Bennett) and Jenny Fitton (Hayley Mills) want nothing more than to get their marriage started on the right foot. But before they can depart for their honeymoon in Spain, they have to spend their first night together at the home of Arthur's parents, Ezra (John Mills) and Lucy (Marjorie Rhodes). The couple are prevented from having any intimacy, but it only gets worse. They find out that their trip to Spain is canceled, which sets the tone for a rocky few weeks.

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Stewart Allen

Arizona Republic

In The Family Way, the adults act like children and the children try to act like adults.

Mar 30, 2022

Full Review

Bosley Crowther

New York Times

The possibilities of serious complications are studiously forgone in favor of folksiness and pathos, which are pleasingly presented but awfully thin.

Apr 30, 2020

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

This British movie from the Boulting brothers flares like a struck match with broad comedy, fierce sentimentality and a strange dark sense of life's painfulness...

Rated: 4/5

Apr 30, 2020

Full Review

David Parkinson

Radio Times

Hywel Bennett is bang on form as the husband so wound up by cohabitation that he is unable to consummate his marriage to the equally impressive Hayley Mills.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 30, 2020

Full Review

Richard Schickel

LIFE

It takes intelligence to find genuine drama within the common lot, and real sensitivity to make of it something as consistently touching and funny as The Family Way.

Aug 30, 2019

Full Review

Tony Mastroianni

Cleveland Press

Warm, perceptive and ingratiatingly human.

Jan 17, 2019

Full Review

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Steve D

Not enough to it to entertain.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/27/23

Full Review

Bertharius

Poignant, funny, characterful. Such an impressive performance from John Mills as Ezra Fitton with Marjorie Rhodes as his wife Lucy. This film, to me, is as fresh today as it was when it appeared in 1966. A moving drama of family life that will grab you within minutes through masterful direction including the subplot of secrets that slowly emerge. A wonderful film.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Autumn M

The Family Way is the story of newlyweds who are having trouble consummating their relationship. It was hard for me to imagine a young couple living with the groom's parents, but I suppose it was common at the time the movie is set and also in British culture? Suspension aside, it was a funny and very human movie. Hayley Mills was okay, but it was really the supporting cast that kept the story moving. Recommended.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/08/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Wonderful film about impotence. A young husband has a problem consummating his marriage.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/26/21

Full Review

john k

The movie is a part of family history in the old days with people's ways and attitude that is long forgotten unfortunately

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Excellent cast and charaterisations. Authenic North of England locations and ambience.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

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Roy Boulting

Director

Hayley Mills

Jenny Fitton

Hywel Bennett

Arthur Fitton

John Mills

Ezra Fitton

Marjorie Rhodes

Lucy Fitton

Avril Angers

Liz Piper

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Synopsis

Young newlyweds Arthur (Hywel Bennett) and Jenny Fitton (Hayley Mills) want nothing more than to get their marriage started on the right foot. But before they can depart for their honeymoon in Spain, they have to spend their first night together at the home of Arthur's parents, Ezra (John Mills) and Lucy (Marjorie Rhodes). The couple are prevented from having any intimacy, but it only gets worse. They find out that their trip to Spain is canceled, which sets the tone for a rocky few weeks.

Director: Roy Boulting
Producer: John Boulting
Screenwriter: Bill Naughton
Production Co: Boulting Brothers
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: British English
Release Date (DVD): Jan 27, 2009
Runtime: 1h 55m