Let's be realistic.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

This film is definitely a classic. I had never noticed before how Redford is able to convey his story through silence. His silences, looks and acting carry forth his storyline. There is much icing to this cake. with Ms Streisand's singing, the outgoing character of Katie but what truly brings it home is Redford's ability to convey the character's truth through silence. I love them both, (actors and characters.) and it all comes together in a magical way. How very lucky we are to have them both in our lifetimes such great artists! Their chemistry is the cake and foundation to this lovely and unique film.

In my experience of watching movies, THE WAY WE WERE is a rare bird: a romantic drama that isn't corny, has complex characters, and weaves in sociopolitical commentary without being overbearing about it. Given the title (and absolutely beautiful title song), nostalgia is one of the film's major themes. Yet nostalgia isn't approached from a purely idealistic standpoint either, as a third-act line from Hubbell (Robert Redford) indicates ("Katie, it was never uncomplicated"). The film, to a degree, is about how politics can be divisive, particularly in personal relationships, but also in one's professional life, as part of the story takes place against the backdrop of McCarthyism and the Blacklist in Hollywood. I found the whole thing to be extremely well-written and balanced, with Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford's characters each making valid points about devotion to causes, perception vs reality, and relationships. I haven't seen a lot of movies with either person, but both of them were in very good form here. And, the film had a very strong three-act structure that brought out the central relationship's development that much more. On technical matters, I thought period detail was attended to very well, with each segment/act being distinct in terms of light, color, etc. Then, there's the title song. Barbra Streisand has a beautiful voice that fit Marvin Hamlisch's music to a tee; and, the music itself did an excellent job of evoking a sense of nostalgia throughout the entire running time, appearing in various forms and instrumentation over the course of the film. It is without hesitation or reservation that I put this among one of my favorite films of all time. Everything about it just works, from the story, the acting, the music, etc. It's the kind of movie that will have you longing for the "good old days," even if you never grew up during that time period.

The ultimate chick flick, 1974's The Way We Were follows Katie Morofsky, a serious-minded college student and radical who works overtime at very liberal political causes that have developed through the turmoil of WWII and though she is the hardest working gal on campus, things don't always go as effortlessly for her as she would like.Enter into Katie's life a guy named Hubbell Gardner (Robert Redford),a golden boy to whom everything comes easy and who takes life as it comes. Katie and Hubbell meet in college and she is immediately smitten with him, though she tries to fight it. Hubbell admires Katie's spirit, though he doesn't really love her, and from this springs one of the most moving and beautiful love stories ever put on celluloid, ending during the early 1960's.This movie draws you in immediately because Katie and Hubbell are both people that we can relate to and we understand their feelings for each other from the beginning and even though these people are polar opposites, we want to see them make this relationship work, which is further complicated by their conflicting political convictions. Katie is all about making a difference in the world and Hubbell wants to take things as they come and not quite as seriously as Katie does.The on screen chemistry between Streisand and Redford is off the charts and Streisand had to fight hard to get Redford to do the film. He rejected the role after reading the original script and Streisand had re-writes done immediately in order to beef up Hubbell's role.Pollack's sensitive direction and effective support from Bradford Dillman, Patrick O'Neal, and Viveca Lindfors also deserve mention here, but it is the magic chemistry generated by Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford that made this movie the instant classic it became. Needless to say, the classic Oscar winning theme song, flawlessly performed by Streisand, didn't hurt.

I was relatively young when this film first came out. I, like many others, thought it was great, and loved Streisand and Redford and the theme song. I recently saw TWWW again, nearly 40 years later, and my opinion has changed dramatically. I cannot deny that Redford and Streisand definitely seem to have some kind of chemistry. And, as I felt the first time, Barbra represented every ugly duckling, gay or straight, who somehow manages to capture the prize. Via Barbra's performance, we can easily imagine what it must have been like to lie down with a prince. This, I think, may be one reason why the film had a certain level of success. Barbra also had moments where she "spoke the truth" with passion and intensity. I think people related to this outspokenness, this gutsiness, this willingness to take chances and not apologize for one's opinions. Barbra was also the "outsider" -- she was the smart Jewish girl who knew she had to work harder, study more, and fight for what she wanted, because nothing would come to her easily. It is for these reasons why I think the movie resonated. But the reality is: The movie is not about anything, not really. What, exactly, is the plot? They meet in school, they meet years later, they fall in love, they get married, he has an affair, they divorce, they meet again... okay, so what? Barbra, who does have tons of talent, but in this film looked like she was performing her graduate project for Acting 101, spends a lot of time arguing and getting upset about things. But whatever those things are seem to be only tangentially connected/related to the rest of the story (if you can call it that). Bob, yes, stunning to look at, coasts through the film with little to do or say. He didn't want to do the film, and I can see why. Yeah, he looks great, but what is the emotional arc of his character? A lot was cut from this film and as a result, it seems disjointed. There is an inordinate amount of time spent on Bob's career as a screenwriter in Hollywood while a pregnant Barbra tends to their little beach house. And yet everyone seems miserable and unhappy. Voices were raised, but nothing really happens. Near the end when Barbra has apparently given birth to their child (after it's clear that their relationship is over), Bob shows up at the hospital. Barbra is perfectly coiffed and made-up as if she's just come back from a spa. He stands there, emotionless, ready to abandon her and their newborn child. We're supposed to like him? I couldn't stand him. In fact, James Wood, who we meet early on in the film, who seems to be Barbra's quasi-boyfriend in college and who seems to support everything she was trying to do, is clearly a better man for her--but he wasn't as handsome. Life is cruel, isn't it? Finally, the theme song: Yes, it is a beautiful song for what it is and Barbra sings it beautifully. Who knew that it would become an iconic song and help define her career? She didn't even want to sing the song--she felt it was too simple. She had to be talked into it. So, finally, in the end, what are we left with? A unique opportunity to see Barbra and Bob dressing in period costumes, lots of bad, bad lighting, a plot-less rambling "story" that does not stay any one place long enough for us to care about much of anything, lots of intense arguing and challenging others from Barbra, and lots of stoic looks from Bob. And yet, it was a big hit. Like I said at the beginning, it was Barbra's "ugly duckling" status and "landing the prince" that I think resonated with a large part of the audience. At least it did with me... back then. At this point in time, I just kind of stared at it in amazement and said, "What exactly is this all about?"