Rachel, Rachel

R

Released Aug 26, 1968

1h 41m

Drama

List

92%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

77%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Written off as a spinster, 35-year-old schoolteacher Rachel Cameron (Joanne Woodward) lives with her widowed mother above a funeral parlor in rural Connecticut. Repressed by the community and given to despondency, Rachel spends her time daydreaming, buoyed by her lesbian best friend, Calla (Estelle Parsons). A religious experience begins a subtle awakening in Rachel, and when a childhood friend returns to town for his father's funeral, she experiences real, driving passion.

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helder f

This is a story of Rachel, a daughter to an engulfing mother and a somewhat absent and cold father. Rachel performs like an adult while being a school teacher, but her mind is full of anxiety and self doubt, and also somewhat infantilized. The movie is beautifully done, even if at times it's a bit melodramatic. Yet, it's never so melodramatic that's unbelievable or inauthentic. In fact, we all know of someone like rachel and we all might have been a bit like rachel at some point in our lives.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/10/23

Full Review

Lynne M

This movie surprised me when I first saw it mostly because Woodward is so good. Maybe her husband and the love of her life, Paul Newman, knew how to get the best out of her...sounds right. It's slow, and the critics liked it better than the general audience, but if you are looking for something Quality-a diamond in the rough-see it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Four stars? For this meandering freak show?

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

steve d

The story did nothing for me even if the acting was strong.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I wish it had dug deeper at times, however it was a decent enuff film. There had to be some reason more than what was shown, why this woman constantly puts herself last. The directing style was very intense with some unique shots. The one scene was pretty hot. The film does a nice job of showing the character transformation as she starts to take hold and be less of a nervous wreck with time. You can't help but pity the main character and rejoice when she finally takes ahold of her own life at the end.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Small intimate dramas like this only come around once in a while and rarely do they feature talent as capable as Joanne Woodward and Estelle Parsons. The film also benefits from surprisingly sensitive direction from first timer Paul Newman who no doubt helped this film to earn recognition in the form of a Best Picture nomination. I happen to enjoy this type of film and I was gripped watching the trials and tribulations that this vulnerable woman faces in her everyday life with all of the small hardships she must overcome. I felt a real affection for the main character while also being able to identify her flaws and the portrait of an ordinary woman that the film leaves you with is emotionally moving. Schoolteacher Rachel Cameron, Joanne Woodward, lives with her overbearing mother May, Kate Harrington, despite being 35 years old and frustrated with the putdowns she faces from her mother and her friends. She finds an outlet in her friendship with Calla Mackie, Estelle Parsons, who takes her to a religious meeting where she has a revelation and the two kiss shortly after revealing Mackie's lesbianism. Cameron tries to be romantically fulfilled through her relationship with the slimy and manipulative Nick Kazlik, James Olson, who has sex with her but does not desire a life with her. Kazlik rebuffs her by claiming that he has a wife and family but Cameron believes she is pregnant and has hopes of filling a void through being a mother. She plans to move to Oregon with or without her mother and has gained more confidence in herself despite learning that she is not pregnant at the end of the film. The film would not work without a stunning central performance and Woodward delivers completely as she lets us in all of the small anguishes and pains of a regular woman. While she can easily appear glamorous in a film like The Long, Hot Summer (1958) she appears pretty but overly self-conscious in this role as she should. Her transformation is complete as we feel as though we are watching a real human being experience disappointments in life and not the actress who also happens to be the wife of Newman. She adopts a soft, reedy voice in the role and the contrast between the way she expresses herself to others and her loud, obtrusive inner monologue in which she berates herself adds to our understanding of the horror of her life. We have all put ourselves down in this way and the fear we feel, of others judging us or not understanding us, is conveyed beautifully through Woodward's restrained gestures. The movie is also paced well as there is never the feeling that this film will land on some overly complex plot. We understand from the beginning of the film that this movie cares more about the smaller emotions that human beings deal with all time than the big, dramatic moments that occur in the lives of very special people. This is a credit to Newman as he gives us breathing room with scenes of Cameron and Mackie, where Cameron can actually feel comfortable, but never lets us forget all of the stresses and worries in her mind. He is careful to ensure that the ending is earned as when Cameron finally lashes out at her mother we understand how difficult it is for her and the release of all of her grievances is soothing. The inclusion of flashbacks was also an intelligent choice as they inform us of her tragic childhood without being too overbearing. The haunting music that plays while these scenes of a young Nell Potts, the daughter of Newman and Woodward, displays fear and fascination at the cruel world around her. Some may scoff but of the films nominated for Best Picture in 1968, when considering that 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) was not nominated, I would have called this film the best of the five. Woodward should have won Best Actress even against very strong competition in the form of Vanessa Redgrave in Isadora (1968). There is a lot to be taken from the film as long as you stay patient and go along with the film as it reveals it's subtle but glorious wonders to you.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

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Paul Newman

Director

Joanne Woodward

Rachel Cameron

James Olson

Nick Kazlik

Kate Harrington

Mrs. Cameron

Estelle Parsons

Calla Mackie

Donald Moffat

Niall Cameron

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Sabina Dana Plasse

Film Threat

The film’s moment in time is one of note, especially as a story that grows from the inside out.

Rated: 8/10

May 19, 2023

Full Review

Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

It’s a low-key character study tuned to Woodward’s exquisite performance, one of the decade’s finest.

Apr 26, 2023

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

This modest movie might be low of budget, but it's enormous in its emotional pull.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 11, 2022

Full Review

Barbara Grier

The Ladder

This is a small movie, despite its success, and many won't bother to see it, but it is a well-done film, using all of the potential human material in the original source, the novel, and exploiting it without distorting it much.

Apr 14, 2022

Full Review

Michael Billington

Birmingham Post

As a portrait of a character and a certain type of small-town society, the film is admirable. But, if you're not convinced already, then go and see the film for the sake of Miss Woodward's performance.

Mar 4, 2022

Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Woodward carries everything with her faultless performance.

Mar 6, 2009

Full Review

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Synopsis

Written off as a spinster, 35-year-old schoolteacher Rachel Cameron (Joanne Woodward) lives with her widowed mother above a funeral parlor in rural Connecticut. Repressed by the community and given to despondency, Rachel spends her time daydreaming, buoyed by her lesbian best friend, Calla (Estelle Parsons). A religious experience begins a subtle awakening in Rachel, and when a childhood friend returns to town for his father's funeral, she experiences real, driving passion.

Director: Paul Newman
Screenwriter: Stewart Stern
Distributor: Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Production Co: Kayos Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 26, 1968, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2009
Runtime: 1h 41m

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