I knew nothing about this movie when I began watching it, just that it was a biography of the actress Ruth Gordon, who I had seen in a couple of movies. Therefore, I was expecting a full biography, from childhood to middle-age, and was puzzled and bored after a while when things just didn't progress. It turns out that the time frame of the movie takes place during a couple of months, when Ruth finishes high school and goes off to New York to become an actress. So we see scene after scene of Ruth, her friends and her mother talking about her ambitions and how they need to hide them from her father, who wants Ruth to have a steady job as a phys-ed teacher.
The fact that this movie was adapted from a play becomes evident as key scenes (which would require additional actors and sets) are never shown, such as Ruth meeting the actress who inspired her backstage, and her audition with a famous director. Including these scenes would have livened up the movie considerably.
Also, Jean Simmons was just too beautiful to play Ruth Gordon. And she kept going on about how short she was, which although true for the real Ruth is not the case with Jean! However, I enjoyed Spencer Tracy's performance immensely, though, as Ruth's grumpy father. As others have said, his description of his childhood at the dinner table is riveting.
The fact that this movie was adapted from a play becomes evident as key scenes (which would require additional actors and sets) are never shown, such as Ruth meeting the actress who inspired her backstage, and her audition with a famous director. Including these scenes would have livened up the movie considerably.
Also, Jean Simmons was just too beautiful to play Ruth Gordon. And she kept going on about how short she was, which although true for the real Ruth is not the case with Jean! However, I enjoyed Spencer Tracy's performance immensely, though, as Ruth's grumpy father. As others have said, his description of his childhood at the dinner table is riveting.