Customer Reviews

The Impossible Years [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

1968's "The Impossible Years" is a very stylish and chic comedy set in suburbia as the era of the innocent and carefree American lifestyle was coming to an end. David Niven plays a psychiatrist who is run ragged trying to keep his free spirited teenage daughter, played by the beautiful Cristina Ferrare, sheltered from her new found sexuality. I saw this film when I was in 8th grade and it has always held a special place in my heart. It was part of my growing up. I still remember it fondly. I remember that this film was rated "G" and there was quite a commotion made about that because of all the references to human sexuality that it contained. We have sure come a long way since this film was released. Lola Albright, Chad Everett and the beloved Ozzie Nelson were also in the cast. It was directed by Michael Gordon who directed some great 1960's era comedies such as "BOYS' NIGHT OUT," "PILLOW TALK," and "MOVE OVER, DARLING."

You must be a baby boomer, who remembers the 1960's with a sense of humor rather than a sense of despair. This is a light-hearted look at teen-raising (or rather lack of it.) Although this movie was torn to shreds by critics, it brings back memories of the less serious side of the 60's, and the wonder of growing up. It serves to remind us that, while we are now older, we are indeed wiser.

I first saw this movie as a young child, and I laughed myself silly. But unlike most movies I enjoyed as a child, this one only gets better with age. I can recite many of the lines, but each time I hear them, I laugh again. My family all agrees this movie is a classic and not to be missed. If you need a break from all the seriousness and bad news in the world, this is a great "escape" movie.

[THE IMPOSSIBLE YEARS DVD - (1968) - Widescreen Presentation - Directed by Michael Gordon] A solid, family-friendly screwball comedy that illustrates how American society went from being adult driven to teenage driven within a few short years and the results, both good and bad, of such a societal shift in the paradigm that persists today. This would soon come to be referred to as the Generation Gap. Or so would say psychiatrist Jonathan Kingsley (David Niven), whose eldest daughter, Christina Ferrare, is a beautiful chain-smoking seventeen year old who gets arrested for carrying a protest banner on the good doctor's campus that has an inappropriate word on the rear side she insists she wasn't aware of. This eruption sets off a chain of events in the Kingsley household as mom (Lola Albright in a bad wig) and dad experience firsthand the growing pains of their two young daughters' struggles for identity, independence and, of course, the opposite sex. This isn't 'the right stuff' for the good doctor's campus credibility, as he's a well-published, alleged 'expert' on adolescent behavior in the throes of a new book, and currently under review for a stuffy, snooty faculty position - ouch.

Christina Ferrare is surprisingly good in her first role, completely believable and enchanting as an articulate young lady who morphs from a partying bohemian, a bedeviled and bemoaning teenager into a worldly, stately statue of womanly beauty over the course of a summer. She looks gear and fab in an array of bikinis that epitomize this time period, as do the other lasses who attend the shindigs she throws in her parents backyard - you know, the one with the unsupervised, Olympic-sized swimming pool, the huge buffet table with catered food and the open bar overflowing with alcoholic beverages for the thirsty, lustful youths in constant need of refreshments who then have to drive themselves home afterwards, half of which are unlicensed and uninsured. (You think I'm joking? Watch this flick and find out - it's all there in the fine details). Yes, kids, these WERE the good old days, make no mistake about it... sigh.

David Niven is in fine comedic form as the shrink who has control issues and an editor whose biggest ambition currently is to ghost write the doc's new book (played by a nerdy-looking Chad Everett in big black-framed glasses), Lola Albright as the mostly mechanical, overmedicated mom of the 60's, Ozzie Nelson as the recently-divorced, neurotic next door physician with an oversexed son who plays trumpet like Louie Armstrong and looks like one of the Beach Boys, and Darleen Carr as the precocious younger thirteen year-old sister. Don't freak out when the flick opens with a hideously unhip pop tune by The Cowsills (I had a "kill-me-now" moment myself), once the opening credits roll, the horrors end and the good-natured fun begins. Make no bones about it - the teenage years are tough, especially on the parents...

Warner Bros. Archive Collection audio and video are superb, as usual, even with the accompanying hefty pricetag, and this one makes a great double-bill with 'Don't Make Waves', also from WB Archives. It's almost 'Impossible' not to enjoy.

I was 7 or 8 years old the first time I saw this movie with my aunt at our local cinema! Its actually very innovative 40 years later! I can't believe this isn't replayed on AMC or TMC ... its certainly a classic. David Nivens daughters are coming of age. He isn't handling it so well. Its a beachy, California type of movie - Christina Ferrae is a teenager in it and actually plays the part very well! You know its just one of those movies from a long time ago that you remember (Like Yours Mine & Ours, Please Don't Eat the Daisys, etc)

David Niven was wonderful! Another oldie that is timeless! Some old movies just don't transition well, this one does! Would certainly recommend to all ages!

This is a great-underrated movie. Everyone does his or her part exceptionally well.

Jonathan Kingsley (David Niven) is a professor that gives out advice on how to raise a family until he has to deal with an adolescent daughter (Cristina Ferrare) himself. The next door neighbor is always trying to disrobe Kingsley's daughter, Linda Kingsley.

Bartholmew Smuts (Jeff Cooper) paints a nude picture of Linda. Linda turns up in a family way. So in a desperate attempt to discover who is the father, calls all the suspects into one room.

Just when everything is supposed to come out all right Jonathan Kingsley realizes that is other daughter is now coming of age.

THE IMPOSSIBLE YEARS is an interesting look at being a parent and a teenager in the late 1960s. On one hand you have David Niven playing a psychiatrist who is unable to understand the behavior of his oldest teenage daughter played by Cristina Ferrare. On the other hand you have Ferrare as a seemingly carefree adolescent starting out as the misunderstood teenage grub and in the final analysis emerging as the beautiful and free adult butterfly. Niven is dutifully and infinitely concerned yet remains totally perplexed by her behavior. Ferrare however has the situation completely under control. In this case less is more. This is a comedy but I wonder about the statement it makes. If you look at the decade before and a film such as REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE it makes you wonder. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE gave us a world upside down where for almost the entire film the roles of teenager and parent are reversed. Yet REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE ends with the teenager clutched by his parent who promises to be there and take each step along with his child. Both parent and teenager have learned and grown during the process of that story. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE was indicative of the fear, paranoia and confusion prevalent during the 1950s. Yet in its conclusion it reverts back to the idea that the hope for traditional values will prevail. If THE IMPOSSIBLE YEARS was made as a film in the 50s it would probably not have been a comedy. The issues confronting parents and teenagers were different but were just as hefty from a moralistic standpoint. THE IMPOSSIBLE YEARS ends on a completely different note than REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE. It ends with complacency. THE IMPOSSIBLE YEARS was made during that narrow window of time during the 60s when we enjoyed prosperity and our immutable cocktail parties. The morality of the Vietnam conflict was just becoming apparent to the American civilian population. The dark shadow of war had not descended over the country. The term activism was slowly creeping into the colloquial vocabulary of the time. THE IMPOSSIBLE YEARS could easily be taken as fluff but I think it is actually an important film. David Niven represents the old guard of cinema's representation of sound parenthood. James Dean's screen parents were definitely treading on perilous waters. Fifteen years later the parents were to see time pass them by and leave them still dedicated as they actually always were but are now worrisome impotent shadows of a era and morality long gone and never to return. James Dean's teenage screen peers were deeply perplexed and troubled youths who used violence when the teapot began to boil. Fifteen years later one wonders what all the worrying and trouble was about. Cristina Ferrare's troubles are no trouble at all. They are just a diversion until she graduates. Unfortunately she did not know that the real world still awaited her.

fantastic movie! i've seen it several times before. it is so worth watching over and over again just for the snappy banter between david niven and anyone with whom he is conversing. he is the consummate professional actor. christina ferrare is perfect as the slightly messed up teenager, and lola albright is a delight as the ditzy mom. smart alec darlene carr is cast perfectly, and the ultra hip but slight bookish chad everett is great fun to watch, too. it seems like the movie just gets started, and POOF, it's over. i highly recommend this dvd.

When I got the tape it was in perfect condition. It also came with a bag of popcorn for the entertainment! I was very happy with my purchase since this was a movie that my sisters and I saw a long time ago and from the heavens above(my dad) we were able to come up with the name of the movie. Thanks