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Two for the Seesaw

Play trailer Poster for Two for the Seesaw Released Nov 21, 1962 2h 0m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
33% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 56% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
After leaving his wife, lawyer Jerry Ryan (Robert Mitchum) moves from Omaha, Neb., to New York City to start a new life. While studying for the New York Bar Examination and working to finalize his divorce, Ryan meets dancer Gittel Mosca (Shirley MacLaine), and the two begin a cautious courtship. However, Ryan feels that he must come to terms with his failed marriage and overcome his lingering attachment to his ex-wife before he can redefine himself and embrace his budding romance.
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Two for the Seesaw

Critics Reviews

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Brenda Davies Sight & Sound Robert Wise^s rather heavy direction... is at its most laboured in a badly caricatured beatnik party sequence opening the film. Mar 17, 2020 Full Review Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine The screen edition has sensibly expanded the locale and augmented the roster of characters, but neither Robert Mitchum nor Shirley MacLainc can be wholly accepted in the central roles. Oct 7, 2019 Full Review Bill Chambers Film Freak Central Two for the Seesaw is, quite frankly, one for the cinematic dustbin. Rated: 1.5/4 Dec 26, 2009 Full Review Steve Crum Video-Reviewmaster.com OK drama featuring Mitchum and MacLaine, who work somewhat oddly well together. Rated: 3/5 Mar 14, 2009 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Stage-bound and too talky. Rated: C Jan 16, 2007 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jun 27, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Blu B It's just a whole lot of nothing. It feels like nothing happens. These two meet at a party by chance, he calls her, they go on a date, and stuff just happens. It's a melodrama romance that is very serious, cynical, and well directed. The direction by Wise is great here and the best thing about it. He keeps it humming along the entire way even when they story just never goes anywhere. There is some really nice shots here that look straight out of a Noir and honestly this feels like it lots of times. This also gives off The Apartment kind of vibes the entire way too. which no doubt had a influence on this. So it's like mixing the two together in a way. Problem is...it's just so meandering, talkative, melodramatic, and just mediocre all around. I really can't point to anything broken as everyone is trying and doing well but nothing is coming together to form any kind of narrative and the vibes this gives off is just serious and boring. The music my god is ripped straight out of a Noir it feels like and so downbeat. There is plenty of complex character interaction and growth here. But it just feels like it just happens with no clear structure or flow or underlying message. It feels like two people who are feeling sorry for themselves at times being overly dramatic without much clear reasons that's pretty to look at most of the time. I just sat there just waiting for it to do something, make me feel something besides depressed and bored, or go somewhere with it's characters it builds and it just doesn't. The two leads have chemitry but the dialouge can be so nonstop, meandering, and gonig in circles at times it weighs them down a lot. Skip This. It's not terrible at tall but just goes nowhere. Watch The Apartment instead. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/11/25 Full Review L R Couldn't have chosen two people (actors) more mismatched as a couple. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 05/30/25 Full Review Todd B Watchable mess. Mostly because it is of an inbetween sort of era (America post Elvis and pre-Beatlemania). Probably seemed daring on stage, but gets kinda cringe so often, it is hard to see why Mitchum would submit to the role of an slouching iceberg, quipping and cracking lines that make you wonder why anyone would want this fella at the center of a movie. Shirley Maclaine, on the other hand, it magnetic from the jump. Even though the script gives her and us little reason accept that she would let the cinder block that is Mitchum's character into her life. The score is a big plus, as it the on location cinematography. Really, if you just watch the opening credits sequence and the too short scene of McLean dancing by herself just past the hour mark, you are getting most of what makes the movie worth clicking towards. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/13/25 Full Review Greg H I cannot believe this movie got such low ratings on here? I loved the movie it was a play before it was a movie, I would love to have seen the play, and it won a Tony. Did not like the ending but think this was always meant to be a play not a movie. Would like to have seen a more 5 to 7 ending. Great movie Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/10/25 Full Review Audience Member mitchum & maclaine, as always, on form. The script, although good, could have been better. Don't watch for laughs! Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Robert Mitchum is miscast as a Nebraska lawyer having a midlife crisis. He moves to Greenwich Village, where he meets dancer Shirley MacLaine, vulnerable and a harpy at the same time. Talky, dated, and so boring I quit paying attention until I looked up to see the MGM lion roaring at the end. Notable only as the picture where the leads met and had a lifelong affair. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Two for the Seesaw

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Movie Info

Synopsis After leaving his wife, lawyer Jerry Ryan (Robert Mitchum) moves from Omaha, Neb., to New York City to start a new life. While studying for the New York Bar Examination and working to finalize his divorce, Ryan meets dancer Gittel Mosca (Shirley MacLaine), and the two begin a cautious courtship. However, Ryan feels that he must come to terms with his failed marriage and overcome his lingering attachment to his ex-wife before he can redefine himself and embrace his budding romance.
Director
Robert Wise
Producer
Walter Mirisch
Screenwriter
Isobel Lennart
Production Co
Seesaw Productions, Talbot Productions, Argyle Productions
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 21, 1962, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Runtime
2h 0m
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