It's a reunion for two of the stars of the big 1958 saga "The Long Hot Summer", Paul Newman and Lee Remick, and while this is a saga of a family in big business (their own logging company), it's smaller in spirit and thus more personal. Henry Fonda is the patriarch of the Stamper family with two sons (Newman and Michael Sarrazin) and loyal nephew Richard Jaeckel. Fonda is reunited with the youngest after Sarrazin returns home. He's not exactly the apple of his daddy's eye, being called every derogatory name in the book simply by how he looks.
As Hank's loyal wife, the lovely Remick is determined to bring everyone together, but the fact that Newman had an affair with his stepmother (Sarrazin's mom) doesn't bode well for a close brotherly relationship. The family is dealing with issues of union loggers which Fonda wants no part of, creating the bulk of the conflict in this beautiful Oregon wilderness. Jaeckel out of this cast stands out the most, and got an Oscar nomination for his work.
In many ways, this is a very old fashioned film with some modern elements, reminding me of those big Cinemascope films of the late 50's, all dealing with troubled families, dying businesses and stubborn patriarchs. Fonda steps into the shoes of Edward G. Robinson, Spencer Tracy, Orson Welles, Ed Begley, and especially "Big Daddy" himself, Burl Ives, while Newman's playing the same type of part he had already opposite these larger than life men. It's glorious to look at, but oh so familiar. In spite of that, I enjoyed it, although it's hardly a 70's classic.
As Hank's loyal wife, the lovely Remick is determined to bring everyone together, but the fact that Newman had an affair with his stepmother (Sarrazin's mom) doesn't bode well for a close brotherly relationship. The family is dealing with issues of union loggers which Fonda wants no part of, creating the bulk of the conflict in this beautiful Oregon wilderness. Jaeckel out of this cast stands out the most, and got an Oscar nomination for his work.
In many ways, this is a very old fashioned film with some modern elements, reminding me of those big Cinemascope films of the late 50's, all dealing with troubled families, dying businesses and stubborn patriarchs. Fonda steps into the shoes of Edward G. Robinson, Spencer Tracy, Orson Welles, Ed Begley, and especially "Big Daddy" himself, Burl Ives, while Newman's playing the same type of part he had already opposite these larger than life men. It's glorious to look at, but oh so familiar. In spite of that, I enjoyed it, although it's hardly a 70's classic.