When you watch a 1950's movie, you might expect the social clich?s that often cast a dark shadow on our memories of the era. All That Heaven Allows not only leaves room for those stereotypes, but centers around them for the main structure of the plot. What happens when a widow, past the "prime" of her life is left alone with an empty nest and a longing for her (gasp!) gardener? Well, neighbors will scoff and children will buy her a television set to ease her lonliness. But it would seem that nobody in her life thinks it appropriate that she find love, in a younger man, the second time around.

Cary, a rich widow with overly opinionated collegiate children, is left alone in a large house, with more yardword than she could manage. It's only natural that she maintain the gardener her husband had hired for their lawn care, but she is a little unsettled when romantic feelings begin to develop. When rumors begin to circulate about her relationship with the handsome young gardener, her children cry out against it and claim that she is ruining their lives. So who will she choose? Her children, or the new love that offers her a happy future without lonliness?

It's pretty entertaining to watch the story unfold, and to be unnerved by the snobby community, entitled children, and social environment the widow endures. The story is well paced, with subtle character development and climactic plot points. You might cringe at the heavy-handedness of some of the symbolism, but it's a nice touch for the sappier audience.

If you're a romantic, with interest in 1950's suburban culture and fashion, I think you will be a big fan of this film. And the handsome young gardener, played by none other than Rock Hudson, isn't hard on the eyes either.

Smile is a movie I chose on a whim, still in the mood for ’70s movies, after having watched Harold and Maude. Netflix didn’t have high hopes in my liking the movie, as it only gave it a 3 star rating based upon other movies I have rated. But I watched it anyway, bracing myself for an airy, maybe even slapstick style comedy. I was a little surprised, and even more slightly amused by what the movie actually had to offer.

I was a little confused by the directorial style of the film, as part of it seemed to be done in a documentary style (though everything was staged, nothing was reality), and the other parts seemed more like a typical drama. The mood of the film was also a bit tricky. You know it’s a comedy, but everything is done rather straight. The characters are believable, and not charicatures as you might expect in a comedic film. While the characters are mostly believable, none of them are really likeable, despite moments when they might make the viewer feel sympathetic.

The comedic value of Smile stems from the fact that the plotline is actually real life to some people- Grown men who act like chauvinist middleschoolers, girls on the cusp of adulthood who have learned to play to expectations rather than reality, and adult women who have separated themselves so far from reality that reality holds no pleasure.

While the movie is pretty light, I walked away thinking that I might personally categorize this film as a dark comedy. Its characters and plot are so pathetic, that you laugh out loud at times, when other times you just cringe and want to watch something else. So, if you can’t tell, I’m a little conflicted as to how I felt about the movie. But hey, at least the screen caps are pretty. :)

Harold is a rich kid who revels in darkness and death, much to his bored mother’s disdain. His perplexing countenance is often wan and always pale. Until the day he meets Maude. She’s 79, much closer to death than he, but so full of life and vigor. The two are quite opposites, but are drawn to each other in a bizarre way.

I didn’t really know what to expect from Harold and Maude before watching it. I heard it was good. A must see, in fact. But I thought it was just an artsy film about a weird kid who becomes friends with a weird old woman. Little did I know it was a love story- A dark romantic comedy with unsettling, inspiring, and perfectly executed details. Really, I’m just looking for an excuse to watch it again.

I guess I should give a disclaimer that if you are sensitive about death, weirded out by the prospect of a love affair between a young man and old woman, then this film might not be for you. But if you are interested in a movie that surprises and inspires, in a beautifully restrained way, then I highly recommend Harold and Maude. There’s really nothing more to say, I suppose. I just loved it.