Sunday, October 16, 2011

YOU'RE A BIG BOY NOW 1966


Coming-of-age films have always been with us, but they really came into their own during the youth-obsessed '60s. The post-Baby Boom "youthquake" of the '60s, which impacted American culture in ways both social and economic, was the perfect breeding ground for films pertaining to social rebellion, sexual awakening, and the challenging of authority. As a genre, coming-of-age films were tailor-made for the New Hollywood. A Hollywood desperate to court the new-found economic clout of the young through "personal" films populated with anti-heroes and comprised of romanticized depictions of the struggles of the post-adolescent set (almost always male). Given that coming-of-age films have also always afforded ample opportunities for sex, drugs, and the baring of female flesh, it's not surprising that Hollywood's old-guard (usually rather reluctant to respond to change) proved so receptive to even the more way-out, avant-garde entries in the genre. After all, whether audiences be young or old, sex always sells.

Time has granted Mike Nichols’ The Graduate (1967) the uncontested title of representative coming-of-age film for a generation, but my favorite entry in cinema’s “pain of growing up” sweepstakes is this delightfully offbeat comedy from a young Francis Ford Coppola (only twenty-seven at the time). You’re a Big Boy Now was Coppola's first film for a major studio as well as his master's thesis submission to the UCLA film school, and as such, displays an engagingly youthful lack of discipline and the novice filmmaker's fondness for camera trickery...two things that don't exactly qualify as liabilities in '60s films.
Elizabeth Hartman as Barbara Darling
Peter Kastner as Bernard Chanticleer
Geraldine Page as Mrs. Chanticleer
Julie Harris as Miss Thing
Rip Torn as Mr. Chanticleer
Karen Black as Amy Partlett
You’re a Big Boy Now is about the misadventures of Bernard (scornfully nicknamed “Big Boy” by his self-centered father), a woefully under-experienced 19-year-old who, at the insistence of his father and against the protests of his obsessively over-protective mother, goes off to live on his own in Manhattan. Bernard’s naiveté and propensity to lose himself in flights of fantasy consistently get him into trouble as he attempts to navigate life and love along the bumpy path to adult independence.

Given how male writers and filmmakers never seem to tire of wistful, semi-autobiographical tomes hearkening back to the days of their sexual awakening; there’s never been a shortage of these “rites of passage” films to choose from. Indeed, one could probably fill an airplane hangar with them. Inherently similar in tone, most suffer from a kind of willful masculine myopia and gender fear which finds endless charm in the sexual fumblings of doltish, socially awkward, physically unattractive, emotionally superficial young men who nonetheless feel they rate the designated "dream girl" figure. Being the wish-fulfillment fantasies they are, our callow hero usually does get the longed-for beauty, but it’s a certainty that before the end credits roll, said dream girl will reveal herself to be somehow undeserving of his noble affections (take THAT pretty girls who snubbed the director in high-school!).
Message  Received: Women Are Terrifying
You’re a Big Boy Now doesn’t deviate far from this well-trod narrative path, but Coppola invests the proceedings with such creative exuberance (every scene holds at least one element of surprise - whether visually, verbally, or in the goofily straight/comic performances he elicits from his game cast), that the film feels more like a surreal satire of the genre rather than a representative of the genuine article.
Tony Bill as the exotically named Raef del Grado, Bernard's more sexually-assured friend


WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS FILM
Providing, as it does, a subjective view of the overwhelming and perilous adult world as it's perceived by the sheltered Bernard, there is much to enjoy in the film's many eccentric visual flourishes, absurdist characters, and anarchic editing style. With its blaring (and rather good) score of pop songs by The Lovin' Spoonful, You’re a Big Boy Now is a '60s film to its core, complete with an overarching air of reproach directed at middle-class repression and sexual guilt.
"Don't eat too much, don't stay out late, don't go to suspicious places or play cards, and stay away from girls! But most of all Bernard, try to be happy."
I'd always thought of Peter Kastner (right) as looking like a cross between Robert Morse & Michael J Pollard, but a friend nailed it when he said Peter reminded him of Ernie (Barry Livingston) from My Three Sons.
The late Peter Kastner starred in his own TV series in 1968, The Ugliest Girl in Town; about a man who poses as a female model and becomes a boyish fashion sensation, a la Twiggy

PERFORMANCES
The desirable, yet dangerous, female is as much a staple of the coming-of-age film as the virginal hero having a more sexually sophisticated best friend/adviser (in this instance, the appropriately unctuous Tony Bill). When it comes to scary women, You’re a Big Boy Now has probably the most disturbing, dick-withering example of that gynophobic archetype ever to come out of the free-love era: the man-hating, aspiring actress/go-go dancer, Barbara Darling.
The character of Barbara Darling in less capable hands would be just another bitch-goddess cliché, but someone had the inspired genius to cast against type, and the late Elizabeth Hartman manages to be downright chilling, yet terribly funny, in the role. What makes her performance here so amazing is that I saw You're a Big Boy Now only after I had already seen Hartman in A Patch of Blue (1965), The Group (1966), and The Beguiled (1971); all roles emphasizing the gentle, almost fragile vulnerability of this immensely likable actress. Though obviously talented (she was Academy Award® nominated and won the Golden Globe for A Patch of Blue), there is nothing about her performances in any of those films that would lead you to believe she could be so aggressively carnal and convincingly, psychotically, mercurial. In a transformation the likes of which I've rarely seen, the Elizabeth Hartman of her earlier films is nowhere to be seen in You're a Big Boy Now. She gives my favorite performance in the film.
Displaying a surprising range and a flair for comedy, the man-eater of You're a Big Boy Now is light years away from the Elizabeth Hartman in A Patch of Blue.

















THE STUFF OF FANTASY
You're a Big Boy Now has some great shots of Manhattan and New York's seedy Times Square area that predate the gritty images in Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Klute (1971). It's fun seeing theater marquees advertising films like Born Free and The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming.


THE STUFF OF DREAMS
What's fun about watching the early works of accomplished directors is trying to catch a glimpse of some kind of nascent artistry or budding style that would later emerge as a defining trait or characteristic of their work. To look at the early films of Roman Polanski or Woody Allen is to see the beginnings of a style and preoccupation with themes they continue to bring to their work even to this day.
Watching You're a Big Boy Now, I was left with two thoughts: 1) with this film's pre-MTV kinetic rhythms, how is it that all of Coppola's subsequent musical outings (Finian's Rainbow, One From the Heart, and The Cotton Club) all turned out so flat?; 2) Coppola shows such a flair for comedy here, I'm surprised he hasn't had many more comedies on his resume.
Although You're a Big Boy Now is not a particularly well-known or talked about title today, Elizabeth Hartman and Geraldine Page were both nominated for Golden Globes for their performances, with Miss Page (married to co-star Rip Torn at the time) garnering an Oscar® nod as well. Best of all (for me, anyway, because I'm such a big fan) the film gave Karen Black her film debut. Pretty classy pedigree for a director's first major film.

Copyright © Ken Anderson  2009 - 2011

22 comments:

  1. I've been meaning to order this through the Warner Archives Collection MOD program. I've heard and read so much about it ans it sounds like it's right up my alley.

    The cast alone is impressive and whoever's idea it was to cast Elizabeth Hartman as "Barbara Darling" needed to be given an award (if an award exists for such things). Totally ingenious, totally against type and from everything I've heard and read about the film she truly almost walks away with the film.

    I will pay you another visit and post my observations once I actually see it.

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    1. Hi PTF, It's awfully cool that you are reading and commenting on so many of my posts. Beyond the patience it takes to read so many (talk about an award being deserved), it it's just interesting to hear from someone who likes so many of the same films.
      The cast for this comedy is truly impressive, and while silly, it's a pretty nice little film. But you're right... Hartman walks away with it and it's nothing short of brilliant how she transforms herself. It's what I imagine Ann-Margret intended to do in "kitten with a Whip"

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  2. Just watched this tonight (picked up today from the library on a lark) and I had a hunch this was something you'd have reviewed here (if not, I intended to recommend it to you).

    A very entertaining film, though I won't lie: it seemed to turn into a chaotic mess toward the end with a chase scene right out of a 60's-era Disney (or Doris Day) movie. (And the weird sitcom-y scoring of that extremely silly scene between Harris and the cop in Harris's bedroom that feels like a prelude to "Love American Style.")

    That said, I also found the movie bursting with energy and Coppola obviously had a real love of his actors. As a native New Yorker, I enjoyed seeing the city as it was at that time and recognizing so many of the locations (including forgotten cheapie department store, Mays, and yes, even an automat).

    Julie Harris, Geraldine Page are tremendous, and OMG, that chicken -- hilarious; I loved Elizabeth Hartman though she's unfamiliar to me. Also Karen Black is extremely winning and perfect for the role. All in all, the film really captures an era (arguably mid-60's to early 80's?) when movies about young people were filled with innocence and optimism.

    Such fun to read your review right after watching it!

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    1. Hi Peter
      What a fun film to pick up on a lark! I discovered it when I was very young and Elizabeth Hartman's character fairly terrified me, but I've always liked the film's absurdist comedy which seems rather sweet-natured to me now.
      In your commenting on how you felt the film kind of fell to pieces towards the end, I think you're kind of right. It doesn't bother me, but I think it is the rare comedy that ever knows how to wind itself up in some kind of satisfactory way. There always seems to be the need to end with a "big finish" (Like the pie fight in "The Great Race" or car chase in "With Six you get Eggroll"...a fave Doris Day).
      Directors, especially young ones like Coppola, don't seem to trust that the character-based comedy the film is structured on is enough to send audiences home smiling.
      I love that you enjoyed the views the film provides of New York in the 60s, and it was nice seeing Karen Black in one of her few non-slutty roles.
      If you're unfamiliar with Elizabeth Hartman, I urge you to try to get your hands on "The Group" (She's great in "A Patch of Blue" but the movie is a bit syrupy). "The Group" is available for instant viewing on Netflix, and it's a great all-female soap opera with terrific performances and Jessica Walter in outrageous clothes.
      As I've said before Peter, I think you are such a witty writer. In every comment there is at least one thing you write that cracks me up because of your ability to describe an emotional response by giving it a perfect pop-cultural correlative. In this instance, the "Love, American Style" reference to the Julie Harris/Dolph Sweet scene. Just perfect!

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  3. [ Before embarking upon my comment, did anyone else notice that, in the Mays' chase scene, when Kastner leaps from the escalator, an innocent member of the public, thinking a real robbery & pursuit is in progress, body-tackles Kastner to the floor ? Don't blink, for this occurs within 2 seconds but is quite obvious & visible. ]

    I love this film ( it's gear! ) & wish it had been able to have been afforded a fair shot, but some of the subject matter, eg the N word scribbled on the subway's walls & Bernard Chanticleer's responding flight of fantasy plus the extended Times Square topless-girl magazine sequence probably rendered it not only ineligible for Hayes-Code approval for general cinemas but also for US commercial telly under FCC censorship rules ( unless they were to have butchered it by excising about a half-hour, which would almost certainly have been too dear & costly & complicated to bother with ) . This film is a wonderful time machine. I have to confess that whenever the action is outside, on the streets, I'm paying no attention to the players themselves. I'm hopelessly mesmerised, hypnotised, by the street views of NY AD 1965/1966. Like you, I'm checking out the cinema marquees & seeing the titles of films I watched on the big screen in the 60s : Hawaii, Born Free, The Russians Are Coming, Leslie Caron in Father Goose ... films whose plots I've forgotten but once viewed in NY & nearby. I'm looking at the 5th Ave bus which conveniently ran up the spine of the city from Riverside to the 20s. I'm noting that the kiss before the Accutron display runs from 9.43 pm till 10.58 pm ( quite a kiss ! ) .I'm looking at the Allied Chemical Tower & the long-gone Kress on 5th Ave ( building's gone, too )the Manufacturers' Hanover trust building, the Union Carbide building, & c. During the chase, I'm attempting to figure out the location : I'm thinking, ' if that was Kress, then they must be in the upper 30s or lower 40s currently ' . I miss the Horn & Hardarts : by this point, inflation had brought us to quarters, but the milk you might have noted was 3 nickels. ( loved their lemon squares )

    I can't for the life of me figure out where I viewed this film. I only vaguely recall that it was an art-house cinema, & there was a strange scent wafting through the air, if you catch the drift. I did recall the scene of Barbara Darling ( Elizabeth Hartman ) eating the ' Old London ' brand of popcorn at the cinema & thinking that that was neat, for I had eaten that very brand of popcorn, too. Elizabeth Hartman does steal the show, perfect counter-casting. She always reduces me to tears in A Patch Of Blue ( she, or Samantha Eggar, should have netted that Oscar(R) ). After seeing the film in 1967 or 1968, I never had a chance to view it again till about 5 years ago, upon the release of the DVD. It was practically unknown.

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    1. forgive me, forgot to sign, Pearl
      PS: I have the distinct impression that I viewed this film after having viewed the goldenest turkey ever, one The Cool Ones, in 1967 ( have just checked IMDb &, yes, you have a review linked there, so that will be my next homework assignment when time becomes available). Elizabeth Hartman's losing battle with her mental daemons makes these few precious films of hers all the more poignant. I have the distinct impression that her performance in A Patch Of Blue was a spiritual & mental catharsis for her. Apologies for length of my comment ; had I the time, I should have made it shorter. ciao !

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    2. And great Loving Spoonful music !

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    3. Hi Pearl!
      I've never noticed that two-second tackle you noted, but I'm going to be on the lookout for it next time I rewatch this film.
      I agree that New York circa 1966 is pretty mesmerizing. Coppola's camera captures it through a documentary-like eye. This and films like "Who Killed Teddy bear" are indeed great time capsules.
      I'm also glad you like Hartman so much in this. She makes me feel so melancholy in so many of her other roles, I get a kick out of seeing her on the winning side of things and calling the shots here.
      The music is a delight, and even if mdern viewers may feel the film is dated, I think it's dated in the right way...not old-fashion or out of date, but capturing the feel and look of the era in which it was made. I never had the pleasure of seeing this on the big screen though, I envy you that. Always great to hear from you Pearl, even if it takes me a while to find you!

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    4. Look, I like Hartman's & Eggar's 1965 performances, too . . . . but Julie Christie was 100% deserving of the lead actress for Darling. One of the rare times the Academy gets it right.

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  4. "You're a Big Boy" has one of the most delightful openings ever...after that long, tracking shot at the NYC Library and Barbara Darling comes bursting through the doors to the Lovin' Spoonful's "Girl, Beautiful Girl," it sets up the whole movie...I was charmed!

    The movie's a bit of a time capsule, but that's part of it's charm...it makes me want to jump into the way back machine to the Big Apple circa 1966...but only if Coppola's in charge ; )

    I've been on a Geraldine Page tear, after watching her neurotically chew the overdone scenery in "Summer and Smoke." Then "Sweet Bird of Youth." Then Gerry's whacky Night Gallery appearances. Which led me to "Big Boy." After watching clips of many of her 60s and 70s flicks, I ask, "Did Page ever meet an over-the-top wig or fall that she didn't like?" She's right up there with Liz Taylor and Joan Crawford! "The Beguiled" is in my Netflix queue...a childhood favorite of Page twitching and blinking so much it would make Sandy Dennis green with envy!

    PS, love The Lovin' Spoonful soundtrack..."Darling Be Home Soon" is utterly lovely...

    Cheers, Rick

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    1. Hi Rick
      You're right about that opening. I think I have a soft spot for films that introduce "dream girl" characters in ways that capture the the perspective of the love-struck hero (like that unforgettable swim Ali MacGraw takes to the strains of The Association in "Goodbye Columbus").
      I love all the Geraldine Page films you mentioned, and indeed, by the time she came to be associated with playing eccentric old ladies on TV, one might well wonder if she accepted roles based on what outlandish wig she'd get to wear.
      Makes me wonder if I've ever not liked her in a role...I don't think so. She can be heart wrenching or over the top....but always entertaining.
      Glad to hear you liked this film. And what a great soundtrack!
      Thanks, Rick!

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    2. The beginning is an original. Coppola had the good sense to have Hartman walk in like a supermodel on the runway. Again, she's "not of this world" and owns it..knowing that she's the main focus. Fun, fun stuff!!!

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  5. Come on and take a bow...You're a big boy now....

    The movie is on YouTube now...but the transfer is horrible. I saw the first part, loved loved it so I bought the dvd off amazon. Very very glad I did.

    They say "it's all in the casting", and this is so true for the movie. the two exceptions might be Elizabeth Hartman and Julie Harris. Peter Kasdner (sp?) is just phenomenal. I now have a movie crush on him. Just perfect. And that character came from his true spirit, his true soul. If all these character actors could make it in this business (dustin Hoffman) then he should have been first in line. He has to carry the movie..and he damn well does it. I love this guy. Great performer.! the best is when he prepares in the bathroom for his date and when Tony Cox give him the aspirin and he gets all giddy. I always fell for the nerds.

    I have to see if you get this. I sent some responses to you but they didn't get through. I did something wrong in the "comment as" section.

    My mom told me that A Patch of Blue was heartbreaking and depressing. I've avoided it. But I saw Elizabeth Hartman in the Beguiled and her range was amazing. I saw her in something else, can't remember. Watching her in anything...I can never compartmentalize her tragic life. I know she suffered horribly from manic depression and when her career began to dwindle, she fell apart. 2 weeks after she died, Geraldine Page died from a heart attack. They were friends.

    It's a bit chilling to see her in this part....in a good way. It's like she's totally channeling another person. Hartman and her character both seemed to be "not of this world". And sometimes those people take advantage of that and she obviously did that. But Hartman knew that comedy comes from playing the drama in a scene, I thought. Not once does she go for laughsll. I thought she really must have done her homework. It would be a tough part to play. Maybe way too easy to play in one dimension and not see the contradictions, the "borderline" behavior, her need to "mother" Big Boy. It's striking to watch that character. Hartman deserved so much more. Show business is never safe.

    I'll try to write more, after I see if this made it to you. I hope it does...I would have to start over!! LOL....no no!!! LOL....but a thousand thank you's for this analysis since I had never heart of this film before you included it on your site. the restoration on the dvd is really great, could be better. and it deserves to be part of the Criterion Collection series..with an interview from Coppola and the surviving actors. I think it's that great. Never play for the laughs!!! the comedy will come through in the drama!!! They did that and more. Bravo!!!

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    1. Hi
      Excellent point you make about Elizabeth Hartman never playing for the laugh and being chillingly funny and real in doing so. I hadn't thought of that, but contrasted with the earnest, more comedic style of Kasner, and the Theater of the Absurd performances of the rest; it makes Barbara Darling seem more "not of this world" than ever.
      I'm happy you discovered the film and enjoyed it so much. Best of all, that your viewing it spawn so many wonderful observations.
      Oh, and apologies for any past difficulties in "getting through" to make a comment. To cut down on spam, my blog settings are such that any post older than 3 months has to be "approved"- but sometimes this means I don't see them right away or they go to a spam folder.
      The signing in/registration process I never fully understand (some have more success as Anonymous, others under a name). Glad you kept trying, and hope to hear from you again! Thanks!

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    2. If there's any contemporary actress I can compare to Elizabeth Hartman, it'd probably be Kaley Cuoco. She tends to get easily broken up over the death of John Ritter and the ending of "The Big Bang Theory," and she was extremely delighted when Jim Parsons won a Golden Globe back in 2011. And yet she seems more stable than Hartman.

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    3. Though you're referencing Cuoco's off-screen behavior, if she indeed possesses an Elizabeth Hartman quality, you've made me curious to see her perform in something. Though I've heard of Kaley Cuoco, a quick look at her credits on IMDB reveals I've never seen anything she's ever appeared in.

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  6. Hi Ken,

    Just dropping you a note to say that I discovered this film only because you mentioned it in your review of "Goodbye, Columbus". I really knew nothing about it before, including the fact that Coppola was the director. I was quite impressed by the movie...fast paced, funny and quite entertaining. Like you and some others, I thought the late Elizabeth Hartman stole the show. It was an interesting casting choice, and perhaps a bit sadly prophetic that she played a beautiful woman who's a bit mentally unstable, given her eventual future of depression and suicide.

    Anyway, I really love your writing and the detailed analysis you put into dissecting these films, and I hope to explore your site more and read more of your reviews in the future. It's a really great website. Thanks for all your efforts.

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    1. Hello, Ralphus
      I always get such a big kick reading how someone responds to seeing a film I'm perhaps overly-familiar with for the first time.
      One never knows if new/younger viewers will respond to the same things, or even if a film holds up over time. It's heartening to know from what you've written that Hartman's performance still dominates, and that the humor and pace doesn't lag.
      And indeed, in 1966 there would have been no indication of Hartman's eventual fate, so seeing the film now most certainly must have a layer of sadness, if only in recognizing that she captures the essence of mental illness so (too?) convincingly.
      I'm pleased as all getout that you came to this film via this blog. Your complimentary words made my day. honestly.
      Thank you very much for taking the time to respond, and I do hope you visit again and maybe find something worthy of commenting on. Cheers!

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  7. Revisiting this movie, not long after watching THE VIRGIN SUICIDES, I kinda get the impression that Sofia Coppola's entire aesthetic comes from YOU'RE A BIG BOY NOW. (It certainly doesn't come from THE GODFATHER or APOCALYPSE NOW.) It was made five years before she was born, but I have to think it made a big impression on her. Can't find any interview or anything where she discusses it, however.

    My favorite line belongs to Julie Harris ("The rooster must live on the 5th floor - unmolested - in perpetuity.")

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  8. Another great review Ken, this does look like great film and good to see Karen Black in an early role.

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    1. Much appreciated, Gill! It's appeal is in being a film very much of its time, and its shots of New York are irresistible. And such a fabulous cast, too. I love seeing Karen Black and Geraldine Page together pre- THE DAY OF THE LOCUST.
      Thanks so much for reading this and commenting! You're amazing.

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