IMDb RATING
7.0/10
2.5K
YOUR RATING
College volunteer Alan is working alone at the crisis center one evening when he receives a telephone call from suicidal caller Inga Dyson.College volunteer Alan is working alone at the crisis center one evening when he receives a telephone call from suicidal caller Inga Dyson.College volunteer Alan is working alone at the crisis center one evening when he receives a telephone call from suicidal caller Inga Dyson.
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 2 wins & 4 nominations total
H.M. Wynant
- Doctor Morris
- (as H.N. Wynant)
Bob Hoy
- Patrolman Steve Peters
- (as Robert Hoy)
- Director
- Writers
- Shana Alexander
- Stirling Silliphant
- David Rayfiel(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis film shows the tedious process in 1965 of what was required in tracing a telephone call on actual central office equipment that was state of the art such as number 5 cross bar and step-by-step electro/mechanical equipment. It was filmed in central offices of the old Northwest Bell Telephone company which as of 2010 is now Century Link. Modern telephone switching equipment can trace a call in less than a minute or even 30 seconds.
- GoofsAfter Inga attempts suicide by drowning herself in the bay, she arrives at hospital with perfectly styled hair.
- Quotes
Mark Dyson: [to Inga] Do you think that not getting caught in a lie is the same as telling the truth?
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Directors: The Films of Sydney Pollack (2000)
Featured review
Bancroft is excellent...
This film tackles subject matter which we still do not see addressed as often as it could be, with Sidney Poitier as a young suicide hot-line worker/college student who works helping out a Seattle psychiatrist Dr. Coburn (well-portrayed by Telly Savalas).
At the time this was even more of a taboo subject. A housewife feeling despair, Bancroft portrays her alienation and desperation sympathetically and in an understated manner. She has a child from her first boyfriend, concealed this from her husband (well-portrayed by Steven Hill) Her husband becomes angry and she begins to feel as if her life is a sham. Her office job no longer satisfying, she takes to wandering the city of Seattle, there are several intriguing scenes of the coastline.
There is one moving scene where she is on the beach and comes across a small group of children who are trying to rescue an injured bird. She rushes to a liquor store to buy some brandy (not sure how this can quite help the bird, but anyway...) she returns to the beach to find the children have abandoned the bird. It is an effective and disturbing scene.
Poitier is outstanding as usual, in that he is trying to locate Bancroft when she calls threatening suicide. She has checked into the Hyatt Hotel somewhere in the city. He becomes alternately frustrated, caring, sympathetic, angry and joyous in various aspects of the film.
Overall this is an excellent film with some very good performances. Highly recommended. 9/10.
At the time this was even more of a taboo subject. A housewife feeling despair, Bancroft portrays her alienation and desperation sympathetically and in an understated manner. She has a child from her first boyfriend, concealed this from her husband (well-portrayed by Steven Hill) Her husband becomes angry and she begins to feel as if her life is a sham. Her office job no longer satisfying, she takes to wandering the city of Seattle, there are several intriguing scenes of the coastline.
There is one moving scene where she is on the beach and comes across a small group of children who are trying to rescue an injured bird. She rushes to a liquor store to buy some brandy (not sure how this can quite help the bird, but anyway...) she returns to the beach to find the children have abandoned the bird. It is an effective and disturbing scene.
Poitier is outstanding as usual, in that he is trying to locate Bancroft when she calls threatening suicide. She has checked into the Hyatt Hotel somewhere in the city. He becomes alternately frustrated, caring, sympathetic, angry and joyous in various aspects of the film.
Overall this is an excellent film with some very good performances. Highly recommended. 9/10.
helpful•140
- MarieGabrielle
- Jul 26, 2007
- How long is The Slender Thread?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 38 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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