Such a frustrating disappointment

How sad is this?

Absolutely Fantastic

A lot of fun.

This picture was a Huston family project. The Director is John Huston's son Danny. His glamorous, versatile half-sister Anjelica has a cameo role that adds pizazz, class and sly humor. The gorgeous Virginia Madsen (John Huston's former daughter-in-law) has a key secondary role. The part of the super-rich patriarch was to be played by John Huston, but he died before the film was made and Robert Mitchum replaced him.With a screen play based on a Thornton Wilder novel, and a stellar cast, this film should have been better than it was. Still, I enjoyed it very much as just a pleasant upbeat fantasy. It could have been a G-rated family film but for a single brief scene of unnecessary fondling that didn't even seem to fit the boy scout selflessness of Theophilus North's character.The cast includes stars of old and new Hollywood as well as some whose stardom came from other media, including Tammy Grimes (star of Broadway's "On a Clear Day") and TV's Anthony Edwards (ER's Dr. Mark Greene.) But a couple of the actors deliver some lines as if they are in a script's first read through. Robert Mitchum seems horribly miscast. The part was really tailored for John Huston. While watching the film, before I later learned that the part had been intended for Joun Huston, I commented that the part was perfect for John Huston. While Robert Mitchum was a great film noir tough guy, this was not a role for him.Lauren Bacall, on the other hand, acquitted herself admirably and Tammy Grimes performance was interesting.

I loved the choice of actors, the acting itself, the art direction, costuming and most everything about this film...BUT the screenplay. I read the book and remember it as a lively, interesting fast-paced read, but the movie stays lugged down, even despite the best efforts of the actors involved. I was pleased to watch it though, I was, but couldn't help but make the same comparison most do when watching a film adaptation of a favorite book...it couldn't help but pale in contrast. Anthony Edwards did his best, and it was charming, that was worth watching. Lauren Bacall, Mary Stuart Masterson, Virginia Madsen, Anjelica Huston...all so lovely to watch. I think even if I had not read the book I would have found the film sluggish, but it was sweet to watch.

This is hardly an epic movie, but then again, it doesn't need to be. As another reviewer said, there are no aliens, nothing horrid occurs, no crashing soundtrack nor is there some deep dark message which You Must Get to enjoy the movie being thrown at you.Instead, this is a quiet way to pass a little bit more than an hour of time. Can you really ask that much more of a film? Given, the nastiness inherent in most modern films, I'd say that it's more than you'll probably find at your local cinamaplex these days.The cast is fine to exceptional with Mitchem in one of his last and most interesting roles, Huston looking terrific and Edwards as, well, Edwards. Helped by a rather stellar supporting cast, I can recommend this film to you as a full family type of event. By all means - take the kids and by the film's end, you'll all be in a better mood.

Hello again, This story of Mr. North is so well told. I had never seen Edward Andrews in a movie. He reminds me of Richard Gere. Any movie that Robert Mitchum or Lauren Bacall star in, I automatically "like"..I had never seen this movie or heard of it until today, 110802. I wish it had been advertised more. There could have been a sequel. Thank you for listening, Florence Forrester-Stockton Reno, Nevada