It takes a lot of patience to get into this third version of the William Faulkner novel, previously filmed by 20th Century Fox in 1958 in a colorful cinemascope production with an all-star cast and later a 1965 to 1966 TV series that should have used a serial format a lot of "Peyton Place" but did not. This version is much more detailed, running in at 3 hours and 20 minutes over its two night airing, and the first part is mainly character development rather than a really strong plot. All the first part does is indicate how patriarchy Will Varner (Jason Robards) utilizes the presence of sexy drifter Ben Quick (Don Johnson) to keep his son Jody (William Russ) in line, indicating that he'd rather leave his estate to Ben rather than his pathetic son. Jody's wife, Eula (Cybill Shepherd), is unhappy, and along with Will's daughter Noel (Judith Ivey), lives a privilege but boring existence. Will wants to pair Ben with Noel, but she obviously knows that and tries to resist the alluring Ben through her natural coldness, but seems primed to eventually fall or her father and Ben's machinations. Now if that isn't good soap opera material, nothing is.
Then there's Wilson Mahood (Wings Hauser) whom Shepherd turns to for comfort, and when he turns violent on her, the stage is set for a series of violent occurrences that brings scandal to this hamlet that threatens to bring down its variation of Big Daddy and his legacy. The presence of Ava Gardner as Robards obvious longtime mistress (who runs the local bed and breakfast) adds on some curiosity, but she is far from the glamorous superstar of years gone by, made up to be dowdy if still as earthy as before. If you close ups give an indication of her past glamour, but she doesn't look nearly as beautiful as she would a few years later when she had a short stint on The Primetime soap "Knot's Landing". James Gammon, as Ben's troublemaking father, adds more drama as he sets his son up for failure simply out of resentment for Ben's potential to rise above his station.
If you can get through the first three quarters of part one and not feel the need to fast forward, you'll find the exciting drama that starts up when twists turning violent and bring out a resentment between Ben and Jody. Faulkner, along with William Inge and Tennessee Williams during this time, and Horton Foote a generation later, exposed the passions rising from the heat of the South and the conflicts between the rich and the poor, the white and the black, and the passions of the earth versus the desires of the flesh. There are subplots that subtly deal with the racism of the surrounding area which Jody uses to his advantage when Ben takes over the running of the country store that Jody felt by right should be his to run.
The performances in general are very good with Robards of course commanding every moment that he is on screen, and Gardner providing the wisdom that the other characters seem to lack. They are perfect follow-ups to Orson Welles and Angela Lansbury from the original movie, parts played by Edmond O'Brien and Dan O'Herlihy, and Ruth Roman (a Gardner look alike, who ironically also appeared later on "Knots Landing" as Gardner's sister after her departure) in the TV series. While "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" has many things in common with the structure of "The Long Hot Summer", "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" was a psychologically sophisticated drama while "The Long Hot Summer" is a tawdry example of romantic tragic trash at its finest. That being said, trash is indeed an art form of its own, and can be very enjoyable when all the pieces fit together. This TV version has its flaws, but like the best of 80's soap opera Primetime TV trash, it becomes a lot of fun when the puzzle appears to be completed.
Then there's Wilson Mahood (Wings Hauser) whom Shepherd turns to for comfort, and when he turns violent on her, the stage is set for a series of violent occurrences that brings scandal to this hamlet that threatens to bring down its variation of Big Daddy and his legacy. The presence of Ava Gardner as Robards obvious longtime mistress (who runs the local bed and breakfast) adds on some curiosity, but she is far from the glamorous superstar of years gone by, made up to be dowdy if still as earthy as before. If you close ups give an indication of her past glamour, but she doesn't look nearly as beautiful as she would a few years later when she had a short stint on The Primetime soap "Knot's Landing". James Gammon, as Ben's troublemaking father, adds more drama as he sets his son up for failure simply out of resentment for Ben's potential to rise above his station.
If you can get through the first three quarters of part one and not feel the need to fast forward, you'll find the exciting drama that starts up when twists turning violent and bring out a resentment between Ben and Jody. Faulkner, along with William Inge and Tennessee Williams during this time, and Horton Foote a generation later, exposed the passions rising from the heat of the South and the conflicts between the rich and the poor, the white and the black, and the passions of the earth versus the desires of the flesh. There are subplots that subtly deal with the racism of the surrounding area which Jody uses to his advantage when Ben takes over the running of the country store that Jody felt by right should be his to run.
The performances in general are very good with Robards of course commanding every moment that he is on screen, and Gardner providing the wisdom that the other characters seem to lack. They are perfect follow-ups to Orson Welles and Angela Lansbury from the original movie, parts played by Edmond O'Brien and Dan O'Herlihy, and Ruth Roman (a Gardner look alike, who ironically also appeared later on "Knots Landing" as Gardner's sister after her departure) in the TV series. While "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" has many things in common with the structure of "The Long Hot Summer", "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" was a psychologically sophisticated drama while "The Long Hot Summer" is a tawdry example of romantic tragic trash at its finest. That being said, trash is indeed an art form of its own, and can be very enjoyable when all the pieces fit together. This TV version has its flaws, but like the best of 80's soap opera Primetime TV trash, it becomes a lot of fun when the puzzle appears to be completed.