Touches You

Absolutely Fantastic

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

"It's Not Your Mother's Love Story," the ads for "John and Mary" proclaimed, and I suppose that back in 1969, such indeed was the case. Telling the story of a one-night stand and the rainy day after, as the couple in question gets to know one another in the guy's spacious apartment at 52 Riverside Drive (in actuality, a 15-floor, redbrick building at 78th St. whose asking price today must be astronomical!), the film certainly must have engendered some controversy, back when. Fortunately, this sweet, realistic, adult slice of life, though certainly a product of its time, is not as dated as one might expect, and the tentative, uncertain steps that John and Mary (whose names we never know until the picture's final moments) take when learning about each other should seem familiar to even Gen Y'ers. This process of discovery is accomplished mainly through talk, but the viewer gets to know the two characters even better, via flashbacks, fantasy sequences and their voiced-over thoughts. In the leads, Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow are quite fine, and director Peter Yates brings his picture in with great sensitivity. The trio had recently participated in three enormously successful films--"The Graduate," "Rosemary's Baby" and "Bullitt," respectively--and while "John and Mary" is certainly a smaller film than those others, it is still of great interest. Hoffman and Farrow were immensely ingratiating screen presences at this early stage of their careers, and their unique pairing here makes this film something special. And speaking of early-career performances, "John and Mary" also features Tyne Daly, Cleavon Little and Olympia Dukakis, all in small but amusing parts. Anyway, it is my feeling that viewers of this film will gradually come to really like John and Mary, and root for them as a couple, and wish them many more nights together....

I saw this movie in the theater when first released. It so accurately captured that time, when the Sexual Revolution was in full swing, and couples woke up together knowing virtually nothing about each other. That's how this movie opens; they don't even know each other's first name. Through flashbacks to the night before, you see Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow trying so hard to be cool yet successful in the frenzied meat market of the Friday night Manhattan bar scene. The morning has the two of them waking together and trying to navigate conversation, while we also hear their thoughts as they agonize over how their last statement must have sounded. The awkwardness of getting acquainted, what to ask, what not to ask, how to say it, is so genuine and palpable. At that time, the West Side was not gentrified the way it is now, so Mia describes where she lives as "a very respectable neighborhood...it only has one or two stabbings a week". The ending is asking each other's name. Sex first, names last, it's 1969.

I saw it when it came out, when I was getting out of architecture school and have wanted to see it again but cannot find it. For some strange reason, it left a strong impression on me and I want to see why?! I recall Dustin Hoffmann was a furniture designer and made horribly uncomfortable furniture, but did not know it, which seem implausible because he looked uncomfortable in it. I was also intrigued by the design of his apartment as I am always interested in seeing how Hollywood seems to do things that look great architecturally, but which the codes do not allow (such as stairs with no railings). The relationship between the two also intrigued me as they obviously were interested in one another but were conditioned to be aloof, making it impossible to simply admit they liked one another. I assume both stars are too embarrassed to see it released, which is odd because it would probably be a big hit today as a romantic comedy.

This is a simple, charming movie about two people with "baggage" from past relationships who happen to find each other (and in the process, the possibility of true love and contentment) amid the insanity of NY and a frenetic existence. Both lead actors are charming - particularly Mia Farrow - who has a waifish, far-away look in her eyes. My favorite part of the movie was when "Mary" left "John's" apartment and he realized she didn't leave a number, so frantically searched the city for her.