Customer Reviews

Way We Were [VHS]

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

As stated many times before, THE WAY WE WERE is one of only a handful of romantic blockbusters to actually feature an intelligent script and complex characters. Writer Arthur Luarents' based his screenplay (and subsequent novel) on girl he knew in college, who fought for liberal (and sometimes communist) causes. Three decades after it's release, THE WAY WE WERE remains one of the few cinematic depictions of the Red Scare that swept America in the forties and fifties; the backdrop of which lends the surrounding love story greater potency and depth. The film was a surprise box office smash when originally released, and became the fifth-highest grossing film of 1973 and was instantly embraced as a classic.

Katie Morosky is a character that Barbra Streisand born play, and she delivers on all accounts. Fierce and determined, yet vulnerable and self-conscious, Katie is a tricky character and Streisand inhabits her so deeply that she seems nothing less than completely believable. Justifiably nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, she inexplicably lost to Glenda Jackson's shrill performance in the barely remembered A TOUCH OF CLASS. This was clearly a major blunder on the side of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Robert Redford, who had actually turned down the role twice before director and friend Sydney Pollack talked him into taking the part, displays some of the best reflective acting ever seen on the big screen and effectively brings forth the dark side of being stereotyped as the All-American golden boy (although Redford did not receive an Oscar nod for playing Hubbell in this film, he was nominated for Best Actor that same year for his light comedic performance in THE STING).

THE WAY WE WERE is different from most romances in that it is not death, feuding families, or any other societal phenomena that directly tear the couple apart. Katie and Hubbell are simply passionate individuals with highly volatile, and contrasting, ideologies; the conflict of which is expressed in several brilliantly written and acted scenes that shimmer with the type of intelligence and honesty that is rarely seen in cinema today. The film's enduring popular success with the mass audience may very well be due to the magnetic chemistry between Streisand and Redford, the gorgeous cinematography, and the strong directorial hand supplied by Pollack. However, it is the complexity of the romance with politics and the strong characterizations by both leads that continues to make THE WAY WE WERE the best love story for adults.

About the DVD: The picture quality is very good, quite possibly the best the film has ever looked. You must remember that movie has always had a stylistically hazy look. The sound quality is also vastly improved. Pollack's commentary track is interesting, but the 60-minute documentary is the best extra on the disc. Featuring insightful interviews from Pollack, Streisand, and Laurents (as well as composer Marvin Hamlisch and lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman) the documentary is well-produced and entertaining, and it was great to finally see those much-debated deleted scenes.

I want to strangle Hubbell when he says this final line at the end! But my rage is just an indication of how much I adore this movie!

I think people who giving a low rating to the film because of the incorrect portrayal of the communist movement, and whatever, are missing the mark of this movie entirely. The Way We Were is a love story, first and foremost. Communism is just a circumstance that complicates the love story. It is NOT in my opinion, the central theme of the movie.

That being said, TWWW is a classic story of "love isn't enough." I think Katie and Hubbell love each other deeply, but they are such different people. She wants him to be everything that she believes he is. (Whether he is or isn't those things is debatable.) But he is content living a safe, yuppy life. He needs a girl who can just roll with that lifestyle, hence, he ends up with the nameless girl at the end of the film. She represents the safe type of girl that is pretty enough to keep Hubbell interested and safe enough to allow him to live his yuppy life.

It's clear in the scene at the end that the love between them is still strong. You can feel the heat of that final embrace through the screen! I could go on and on about why this movie is one of the greatest, but I can't. See this film.

Finally! THE WAY WE WERE in widescreen! I think it really makes a difference. I've only seen pan and scan versions on video. It is especially noticeable in the opening credits where names/credits appear on one side of the screen and action takes place on the other side. For the first time we get to see Katie at her typewriter and Katie talking to her teacher.

The rest of the dvd is done just as well. The picture and sound are pristine. The menu screens are classy and easy to use. The bonus trailers from FOR PETE'S SAKE and Streisand's later films are fun to see.

The hour-long documentary featuring interviews with Sydney Pollack and Streisand is very revealing. Pollack seems humble and grateful about the film. Streisand is relaxed and beautiful - again, reflective and humble about the experience as Pollack is. There is even a segment with Marvin Hamlisch on piano playing the different versions of THE WAY WE WERE theme. And Alan & Marilyn Bergman are a hilarious couple!

Sydney Pollack's comments on the extra audio channel are interesting as well. I haven't gotten through the whole movie yet, but so far so good!

The dvd is definitely a must-have for Streisand fans. But even fans of this classic romance will find much to like about the dvd as well.

The Way We Were still makes me cry nearly 30 years after seeing it for the first time. The movie basically explores the cliche "opposites attract" as Golden Boy Hubble (Redford) and Communist Sympathizer Katie (Streisand) fall deeply in love and marry. But can their passion survive their differences? Ah, that's the story... The movie takes place in the 40's and 50's with beautiful sets and wonderful costumes.
If you have never seen The Way We Were and you enjoy romance, melodrama, and/or historical drama, then you should buy or rent it. (The weepiness may make this a tough sell for some men and women who dislike this genre.) If you have seen The Way We Were, then you should still rent or buy the DVD. The extra features are outstanding. Sydney Pollack's (the director) commentary is insightful and informative. He talks about everything from camera angles to Redford's hesitance about doing the part. The documentary is also beautiful and a "must see" for The Way We Were groupies.

The packaging on this DVD is exquisite -- there's a nice gold-toned fold-out chapter index on the inside cover. Columbia has really packaged it like a keepsake.

The menus are classy as well. The behind-the-scenes featurette is very interesting. Barbra Streisand is very humble and exact about her memories of making the movie. She is also very generous in her praise of Redford. Sydney Pollack gives some good insights into the film. And author Arthur Laurents is especially revealing. I think all involved with the film knew they were creating something special. And yet the featurette proves that even a classic romance needs snipping. The cut scenes are interesting but prove that some scenes are superfluous to the arc of the story. However, the big scene in which Katie is told that an old schoolmate has informed on her is VERY interesting: Do the WASP and the Jew split up because of politics or stay together and be blacklisted ? It would have been a very different story if this scene were used.

Otherwise, the DVD looks gorgeous. It is so good to see this film in widescreen. I have only seen pan-and-scan versions for years. It is great to see the opening credits (underscored with Barbra's beautiful voice) framed the way they're supposed to be. I had an old VHS version that flip-flopped back and forth in order to get it all on the screen -- very annoying.

Finally, the Marvin Hamlisch section of the documentary is very interesting as well. He tells all about how the song "The Way We Were" came to be written. And Marilyn and Alan Bergman share their "mem'ries" as well!

The Columbia people did a GREAT job with this DVD. It is a welcome addition to my or your collection. Thanks, guys!

The Way We Were on DVD is a must for any Streisand fan. The quality is excellent, allowing the viewer to watch the film over and over, without worry about tape damage. The colors and the images are sharp, and the widescreen format let's fans see everything in the frame. But the real prize is hearing the "hmmm-hmmmm...", opening to the title song, that's remastered digitally, so it sounds like Barbra is in the room singing it! The inclusion of the documentary is another plus! Including interviews with Barbra, Sydney Pollack, Arthur Laurents,the Bergmens and Hamlish. The documentary also includes deleted scenes from the movie, so one can finally figure out the real reason Katie and Hubbell break-up! You won't be sorry with this investment!

"The Way We Were" is about two people who cannot surrender their respective way of looking at the world and is about America in the mid-20th century. Either story is captivating and makes for fine viewing. Seeing "The Way We Were" for the theme song alone is worth it.

Streisand plays a Jewish woman with deep convictions, who is ridiculed by many for these convictions. Whatever she believes in, she believes in it deeply and fights for it. She will not hold back in speaking her mind. Redford plays the All-American boy. He believes in having fun and is a bit of a cynic in his beliefs about the individual being able to change the big picture. Regardless of their differences, the two fall in love in New York, but will fight for their particular ideologies.

The love story between the two is well done. The audience sees that they care for each other, but that their differences will never let them find true happiness.

The view of Americana starts from their college days before WWII and carries until well after the war. The most in depth view comes from the McCarthy hearings, and more specifically, we see the fight for the Hollywood Ten. This is an interesting piece of history.

I would recommend seeing this movie.

This DVD demonstrates why this medium is so fantastic.

I watched the film in its entirety, then watched the documentary, then watched the film all over again listening to Sydney Pollack's insightful commentary. It was a completely different experience to do so.

What his commentary highlighted was the subtlety of Redford's performance - he was brilliant. I never rated him as an actor until I heard Sydney and Barbara's views on him. The documentary, showing the missing scenes (and why they were deleted), provides an interesting persepective on the film and the characters.

If you love the movie, you will need to have this DVD.

I've seen this movie many, many times. I can be brought to tears by watching JUST the last scene. This movie is a true visceral experience.

Characters that could have been stereotyped are incredibly complex and true. And that's a big part of the story. We go through life and label people, yet we just don't know what might truly lie beneath.

Katie and Hubble see what lies beneath. How we don't know. Two soul mates who come into each other's lives but cannot stay. I know all of this sounds sentimental but this is a truly sentimental favorite.

Watch this movie!!

Katie Morosky (Barbra Streisand) and Hubbell Gardner are students at Cornell. And there their similarities end. Hubbell was a golden boy to which everything came easy and he always took the easy road. Katie had to work at everything and therefore, she took the hard road looking for every cause to fight for. Katie and Hubbell had one class together creative writing. Katie wanted to be a journalist and she prized this class but is devastated when it's Hubbell's story that the professor praises. What is worse is the story is good.

Both graduate and go their separate ways. Katie becomes a writer for a radio show and Hubbell enlists in the Navy. One night Katie is at a nightclub with her boss and who is there (asleep on a barstool), Hubbell. Katie takes him home and thus begins their relationship. But as they had different backgrounds neither is quite sure what that relationship is. Despite their differences they get married. Hubbell's book is optioned by a studio and they are off to Hollywood.

Everything is going fine. They know what lines not to cross and stay away from them. That is until communism hearing become a little too real. Katie comes to the rally of the Hollywood victims of the hearing but Hubbell wants to stay clear. This starts the end of their marriage. They know that they love each other but cannot be with each other and end it amicably.

Years later they meet. Both have remarried but their reunion tells you that each is the other's true love.

This is considered to be one of the great romances of all time. I definitely agree with this! Streisand is the perfect choice for Katie (the character in the book was inspired by her) and Redford is the perfect choice for Hubbell. They exuded a chemistry that neither has equaled in future films.

This film is well made from every aspect. The cinematography adds feeling to the scenes. The art direction and costumes evoke the eras involved. And Marvin Hamlisch's Oscar winning score is perfection.

If you ever had someone that you loved but lost, this is the perfect film. Plus according to every TV show. This is the movie you must watch after a breakup!

DVD EXTRAS: Making of Documentary - Looking Back: A one hour documentary on the making of the film with Streisand, writer Arthur Laurents, director Sydney Pollack