Product Details

• Actors: Deborah Kerr, John Kerr, Leif Erickson, Edward Andrews, Darryl Hickman
• Directors: Vincente Minnelli
• Writers: Robert Anderson
• Producers: Pandro S. Berman
• Format: Closed-captioned, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Warner)
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 1998
• Run Time: 122 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301978749
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #10,544 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

50 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lots of questions raised by this drama, November 13, 2000

By	David J. Kucharski (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

When MGM released its film version of the award-winning Broadway drama TEA AND SYMPATHY in 1956, the movie was seen as a fairly bold look at a controversial issue: how much non-conformity will society tolerate? Particularly when the expression of that non-conformity goes against acceptable standards of masculine behavior?

TEA AND SYMPATHY is the story of Tom Lee, a young student at a boys' prep school. Tom is a loner, interested in music and literature, shy around women, and not much interested in conventional "masculine" pursuits. As a result, he is cruelly taunted by his classmates and the headmaster of his dormitory. The headmaster's wife, Laura, becomes determined to help Tom, in part due to memories of her own "unmasucline" first husband. Her efforts lead to conflict in her present marriage and to a final, dramatic act intended to save Tom from despair.

TEA AND SYMPATHY's author, Robert Anderson, said that the work is not really about homosexuality but about our society's tendency to exclude and persecute those who are different for whatever reason (a pertinent topic during the hysterical, "anti-Red" McCarthy era). Still, it is Tom's lack of "conspicuous" masculinity, his presumed homosexuality, that is the reason why he is treated so cruelly, and the play's and film's use of this subject matter made it highly controversial.

Is TEA AND SYMPATHY dated today? Perhaps. The film's performances are uneven--Deborah Kerr gives a lovely, sympathetic performance as Laura; John Kerr as Tom is good although a bit stiff and somewhat too old for his role; Leif Erickson as the headmaster is bombastic and overstated. The script contains a few lines that are unintentionally funny. And the film's underlying attitude toward homosexuality (as reflective of the period in which it was made) is sad indeed. Homosexuality is a topic so shameful that it can't ever be openly discussed. And the possibility that Tom might actually BE gay can never even be considered.

However, the film's basic subject matter remains timely and, as a result, many will still find the film disturbing and thought-provoking. Yes, society has become somewhat more accepting of homosexuality. But that acceptance is far from universal. Young people who are different are still persecuted at schools every day, and "faggot" remains the most damning insult used to exclude those young men who don't fit in.

A final trivia note: Those familiar with the play know that it ends with one of the most famous lines of its era: "Years from now, when you talk about this...and you will...be kind." Yet in the film, there is an additional, final scene that takes place years later. MGM was forced to add this scene so the film would not receive a "Condemned" rating from the Catholic Board of Review. The scene makes little sense and is actually somewhat cruel, throwing a mantle of shame over Tom's past sufferings and Laura's tender act intended to "save" him.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When you talk about this..., August 10, 2002

By	Kona (Emerald City) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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Deborah Kerr plays the lonely wife of a prep school master who feels a bond with John Kerr, a likewise lonely teenager. He is bullied and tortured because he isn't into the expected he-man things like girls and sports. She offers him tea and sympathy, and, in the end, a lot more than that. John Kerr is way too old for the part, but is so ernest and pitiable that we can overlook that flaw. Deborah Kerr is, as always, gracious, lovely, and sensitive. This film was, no doubt, quite controversial in its time; now it is simply a sweet story of two lonely people who reach out to each other. I recommend it to people who have ever been on the outside looking in; it is delicate, honest, and bittersweet.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for discussion with teenagers, April 13, 2000

By A Customer

Rarely will you find a movie like this one which addresses the issue of stereotyping and making false assumptions about people in ways which can profoundly hurt them. The prep school boys in this drama, as well as some of their parents, are so concerned about their own masculinity--as is the boys' houseparent (Erickson) about his own--that they cannot comfortably face having a classmate ("Tom") who seems at all different. One or two small incidents suddenly take on special significance only because of the reactions of a few of the boys and even their fathers. It soon becomes obvious that there isn't a single boy or adult male who could not have had the same challenge made about his own "masculinity," if others had taken up the cause. From the start of the play, we can tell that Tom has special feelings for houseparent Laura (Deborah Kerr), who has been instructed by her husband (Erickson) to give the boys in their house "tea and sympathy." She is happy to do this, although already her new marriage is showing strain as she tries to understand why her husband seems to prefer spending every spare hour at school sporting events or taking groups of the prep school boys on rugged, outdoor excursions. His intolerance of Tom's preference for music and less muddy pursuits leads him to drop hints which serve to encourage the jibes of Tom's classmates,--and even Tom's father. As Laura sees this happening, she befriends Tom and tries to give him courage to face the hazing he experiences. Even so, Tom begins to crack under the pressure, and he tries a rash solution which backfires and only makes his self-doubts worse. This sets the stage for one of the most sensitive scenes ever filmed. For everyone who has ever felt the sting of unjust labeling, this is a masterpiece with tremendous potential for opening dialogues with teens--or adults.