everything you have heard about this movie is true.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

As Billy Crystal quipped during his Oscar presentation song, "Did this film direct itself?" Barbra Streisand, producer, director, and leading lady in The Prince of Tides was almost completely snubbed at the Academy Awards in 1992. The film was up for Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress for Kate Nelligan, Music, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, and Art Direction, but she wasn't honored for her beautiful directing. From the opening scene, it's clear a professional with a vision is at the helm. Nick Nolte narrates through a scene of his childhood: he and his siblings run from home while their parents are fighting, jump off the dock into the water, and hold hands in a circle. "We found a silent soothing world where there was no pain. A world without mothers or fathers. We would make a circle bound by flesh and blood and water and only when we felt our lungs betray us would we rise towards the light." Three little heads pop up from the water's surface, and the opening titles start. It's truly beautiful. There are so many scenes in The Prince of Tides that are moving and memorable, and they greatly outshine the less-than-stellar elements of the film. While Barbra Streisand isn't given very good lines to say-she plays a therapist, and she says things no therapist would ever say-Nick Nolte's performance in her office makes everyone forget her side of the conversation. He plays a family man whose family life isn't particularly stable. He's spent a lifetime burying the secrets of the past, but when his twin sister tries to commit suicide, he travels from South Carolina to New York City and meets his sister's therapist. He and Barbra frequently clash, and while he is given very good lines to say, the way he says them is even better than they were written. He's quick to raise his voice, and when he does, it's clear he's releasing decades of pent-up emotion through his throat. Even when he's being a loving father to his three children, you can see the unresolved tension on his face. You'd think it would be impossible to play against Nick's powerful performance and not give a very good one, but Blythe Danner proves my supposition wrong. She looks very pretty and has an absolutely adorable hairdo, but her acting leaves much to be desired. Then again, when you're watching Nick Nolte-who lost the gold to Anthony Hopkins for sixteen minutes of The Silence of the Lambs-you don't really care about Blythe Danner. Kate Nelligan, who plays Nick's mother, does do a very good job, so if you're a fan, you might want to see her only Oscar-nominated performance.Normally, I don't really like movies that flash back and forth between the present and the past, but it's only because most directors don't handle the transitions very well. Barbra masters the difficult task, and every time the film flashes back to Nick's childhood, it's in an inventive, intriguing style. The "dual timeline" narrative is extremely popular nowadays, so if you like that style, you'll be in a great position to appreciate this marvelously crafted film. Before you rent it, though, just know that it's very heavy. You'll probably need to bring your Kleenexes, and you'll feel unsettled more than once. You might not want to watch this with your parents, and you should definitely put the kids to bed before movie night starts. It's extremely heavy.Kiddy warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to upsetting situations involving children and adult material, I wouldn't let my kids watch this movie. Also, there may or may not be a rape scene.

Tom Wingo (Nick Nolte)'s marriage to Sally (Blythe Danner) is in trouble despite outward appearances. They have 3 daughters. His brother Luke is dead. His poet twin sister Savannah in NYC has attempted suicide once again and is under the care of therapist Susan Lowenstein (Barbara Streisand). He agrees to go see Lowenstein to help Savannah. She hires him to coach football to her angry son Bernard. Her husband Herbert (Jeroen Krabbé) is a philandering concert violinist. Tom's problem stems from his dysfunctional family with his abusive shrimper father Henry, mother Lila (Kate Nelligan), twin Savannah, older brother Luke and one terrible incident.Nick Nolte is a powerful presence and Barbra Streisand is well-matched. I wouldn't call her directing great. It's solid. This is mostly about the acting. Krabbé is terrific in the dinner party. Jason Gould is limited. It's another instance where nepotism takes away from the cinematic experience. Kate Nelligan is a great actress but I can really sense her southern acting in this one. It's an effective romance melodrama and Nolte gives it his all.

Superb 1991 under Barbra Streisand's direction depicts Nick Nolte, a southern guy who comes up to New York following the attempted suicide of his sister. There he meets her therapist played by Streisand. It turns up that each of the characters have their own hangups and inter- relate so as to improve the very existence of their lives.Nolte's outbursts and emotion as he recounts his very dysfunctional family and one tragedy after another is memorable. Streisand does an admirable job in the role of the therapist.Kate Nelligan was perfect as the mother with her own agenda. It is amazing that the family survived at all given all the problems in their daily lives. They really didn't miss anything.The backdrops of Charleston, South Carolina and our New York City serve to promote the cultural differences and yet the human relations that ultimately endure.

This is one of the best movies ever made. Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand give legendary performances that should not be missed. The acting was so good it looked like a documentary movie that was happening in real life. This is an amazing emotional roller coaster that all movie goers need to see.All families have ghosts or skeletons in their closets that they must face at some point in their lives. In fact many families are dysfunctional. This movie portrays them perfectly in a realistic story and screenplay that is unforgettable. The emotional impact is immortal. You will find yourself watching it again and again shedding some tears every time.Take my word for it and see this movie now. You won't be disappointed.