Petulia (1968)

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Petulia is Richard Lester's ode to the Swinging Sixties: a time of psychedelic instability when neither those who were square, nor those who were hip, really had it right. George C. Scott is Archie Bollen, a divorced San Francisco doctor in the midst of "discovering himself." Julie Christie is Petulia Danner, a peculiar young beauty recently married into an established family. Archie's sterile apartment and detached, bemused manner exemplify his inability to emote. Petulia's forward nature and desperate tenderness betray her fear of her sullen, abusive, pretty-boy husband (Richard Chamberlain). The physician and the newlywed embark on a schizophrenic love affair amid Pepsi references, automated motels, roller derbies, and a cameo by Big Brother and the Holding Company -- but they never achieve the daring to truly change their lives. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, Rovi

Starring:: Julie Christie, George C. Scott, (more)

Director(s):: Richard Lester

Theatrical MPAA Rating:: R

Format(s):: DVD
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Synopsis of Petulia

Theatrical Feature Running Time:: 105 mins

Complete Cast of Petulia

Julie Christie - Petulia
Richard Chamberlain - David
Shirley Knight - Polo
Kathleen Widdoes - Wilma
The ATC Company
Nate Esformes - Mr. Mendoza
Maria Val - Mrs. Mendoza
DeAnn Mears - Nurse
The Grateful Dead
Ellen Geer - Nun
Peter Albin - Band Member
Roger Bowen - Warren
Barbara Colby - Patient

Director(s):: Richard Lester

Writer(s):: Lawrence B. Marcus, Barbara Turner

Producer(s):: Raymond Wagner, Don Devlin

Theatrical MPAA Rating:: R(Profanity, Questionable for Children, Strong Sexual Content, Adult Situations, Adult Language)

Categories:: Romance

Warning: This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

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	James V.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful

An artifact of the transitional 1960s, PETULIA is as fractured as its time period, story-telling & title character--played gracefully & honestly by the great Julie Christie, who helps turn what could be just a kook into a very real & sad young woman. Director Richard Lester doesn't just fracture time frame, he splinters story and even emotions you might feel. This lends the movie a kind of distance and chilliness that offer both dividends and drawbacks. Since the film seems most about our inability to connect, perhaps Lester's choices register this in an appropriate manner. An added perk to viewing this unusual movie again, so many years after it was made, is to see--popping up all over the place--performers for whom "Petulia" was their first film work (or very close to that): What a collection is here: Rene Auberjonois, Barbara Colby (sorely missed via an untimely death), Richard A. Dysart, Ellen Geer, Howard Hesseman, Austin Pendleton, Mel Stewart & even Jerry Garcia & Janis Joplin!

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	Victor C.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

I rented this because I thought it would ben an interesting view into the past. Bad idea. If you'd like something like that, don't rent this. 'Straw Dogs' is a possible alternative. The plot almost made me barf. The characterization is hollow, Julie Cristie looks like a kind of sexy forerunner of the seventies's Jacqueline Bisset or today's Liz Hurley without the sex appeal. If you want to see that type really sexy in a film, rent 'The Deep' from 1977 with Jacqueline Bisset - that will rock you. The tee shirt she wears in the movie is almost always wet and see-through. In any case this movie was a waste of my time, I tried to get through it three times and I still haven't been able to stomach it long enough to see how it ends. George C. Scott stinks in it as well. Very forgettable. There are lots of other films you can see if you'd like a view into the 1960's.

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	Charles S.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

Okay, I wasn't ready to see George C. Scott in his whitey-tighties, and Julie Christie wasn't anywhere near as stunning as she was in Zhivago, but it was still very enjoyable to see them on screen. What I really found disappointing about this movie is that everything was done in half-measures. For instance, Richard Chamberlain is really getting a groove going as some kind of schizo sociopath, but with the exception of one long scene and one tiny flashback the whole concept is nearly lost. Maybe Lester's subtlety was appropriate for audiences of 1968, but it doesn't translate well to 2010. Modern viewers will find it slow and disjointed, and the "mod" camera angles seem jarring...gratuitously so. My favorite part? That really IS Janis Joplin singing! That really IS Jerry Garcia jamming! Holy Cow! Wish those two had gotten more screen time! "Petulia" is worth a watch, just don't expect it to fall into the same cinematic category as "Patton" or "Doctor Zhivago"...

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Petulia (1968)

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