Highly Overrated But Still Good

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

SPOILER ALERT:This movie is brilliant. Sure, if you're looking for action, or fast speech, or melodrama, it's not for you. This quiet, absorbing film leads you on an emotional journey through the souls of two people that ends up touching your own. Thoughtful, not preachy, it examines the human spirit at its best and worst, in a sylvan setting that echoes many people's Christmas dreams. Essentially it celebrates our ability to rise above sadness and to remain open to others in this world while still embracing our principles. A moving, year-round movie with a sad and yet ultimately softly triumphant ending.

This is a slow-moving and gently philosophical film (see Plot Synopsis) about the subject of marriage, suitable chiefly for adults. It's a bit sad, but not really a tear-jerker, in my opinion. For its day, I think it has quite a bit of depth regarding commentary on marriage and sexual temptation. In the old-fashioned style of movies, nothing overtly sexual is shown, but those scenes are very striking and tenderly suggestive. I liked it quite a bit, and it also taught me something about fidelity, too (as another poster said). Its ending is not predictable but consonant with the characters' struggles and the film's attempt to address the underlying issues.

Something I learned in this movie has helped me avoid the temptation to have an affair. Even though Lloyd Bridges' wife is ill, (I think she was mentally ill, and would never love him again) and the alluring Shirley Jones is there for the taking; Lloyd stays with his wife. As he put it "How important it is to have someone to REMEMBER WITH. Without her, I have no past." Each time I think about this movie, I realize that my spouse is irreplaceable...and I love her more and more. There are lots of pretty faces and pretty bodies "out there", but you'll be happier if you stay with what you have.

I've loved this TV movie from the first time I saw it. The reason I now think of it as a "guilty pleasure" is that, since it was made in 1969, it's now quite dated and I think I'd be embarrassed now if I were caught watching the characters in their dated clothes, language, etc. But underneath the surface, it is a very mature, compassionate and moving story. Very touching. The sex scenes are almost hard to watch, they're so intimate and real. I think it's a timeless story. Lloyd Bridges was a hunk!!