Product Details

• Actors: Joanne Woodward, John Malkovich, Karen Allen, James Naughton
• Directors: Paul Newman
• Writers: Tennessee Williams
• Producers: Burtt Harris
• Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MCA Home Video
• VHS Release Date: January 1, 1998
• Run Time: 134 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301045734
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #118,574 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Paul Newman directed this poetic, sunlight- and memory-drenched film version of Tennessee Williams's classic memory play. The casting is surprisingly adept, considering that several of the performers would seem to be too old for their roles. John Malkovich plays Williams's stand-in, Tom Wingfield, a dreamer who lives with his domineering mother Amanda (a luminous Joanne Woodward) and his fragile, limping sister Laura (Karen Allen). Mom wants nothing more than to marry off shy-flower Laura and keeps bugging Tom to bring home a guy. So he corrals coworker James Naughton for an evening--and Amanda treats it as though Naughton's signed up for the nuptial short-course. Woodward is alternately touching and harridan-like as this smothering mother who means well, while Malkovich is perfect as the would-be writer longing to break free. And Allen brings surprising strength to the role of Laura. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazingly effective film adaptation, September 11, 2002

By 

Lyanthya (Harrisburg, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Glass Menagerie (1987) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

It is incredibly rare to find a film adapted from a play that actually works and remains faithful to spirit of the original story. "The Glass Menagerie" is one of the infinitesimally few efforts that manages to do both. Casting, direction, and acting are superb, with an especially priceless performance by John Malkovich as the poetic but stifled Tom Wingfield. The entire film is worth watching for his "opium den" rant at Joanne Woodward, though the remainder is in no way lacking. This is a much underrated, gut-wrenching, true cinematic treasure.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Splendid Adaptation, December 31, 2004

By 

Pintorini (Saint Louis, Missouri United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Glass Menagerie (1987) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Of the numerous interpretations of this play that I've seen on stage and screen, this is the best--a strong statement considering the many excellent actors who've been attracted to Tennessee Williams's powerful characters (e.g. Katherine Hepburn and Sam Waterston). John Malkovich seems to have been born to play Tom, the artist torn between familial duties and wanderlust. Malkovich's intense and percussive style is an ideal match for Williams's play, in which the text and its poetry dominate. His performance in this role is the most convincing of any I've seen, and avoids the pitfall of allowing Tom to become too morose and self-absorbed. Joanne Woodward is also perfect as Amanda, who, though deluded, narrow, and even stupid, holds her family together through her unique mixture of courage and desperation. Karen Allen and James Naughton also capture what I think Williams must have intended in the characters Laura Wingfield and the gentlemen caller, and the two generate real chemistry in the pivotal scene with the glass unicorn. This is a must-see for anyone interested in American theater.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, March 25, 2000

By 

Alex (College Park, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Glass Menagerie (1987) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

A near-perfect film version of a downright gloomy play, "The Glass Menagerie" successfully captures the atmosphere of futility and hopelessness that permeated the play and made it such a success. The choice of actors is quite good, and I am thankful that the complete plot was preserved, rather than attempting to alter it in favor of a more active storyline. Eccentric, yes, depressing, yes, effective - quite so.