Wednesday, July 17, 2013
now, voyager
I think I just might have just found my
favorite Bette Davis film. Now, Voyager
is a story of a completely repressed woman, born into a very wealthy Boston
family, struggling under the weight of her mother’s domination. Every aspect of
this young woman’s life is controlled by the watchful eye and heavy
manipulation of a mother whose main goal is to keep her daughter tied to her in
order to keep her in the role of dutiful daughter. Watching Bette transform
into a secure, independent, strong woman is remarkable, not only for the storyline
but because Bette’s acting is so amazing. Her expressive eyes and physical
transformation completely draw you into her struggle and subsequent personal
growth. You see her fight through emotional boundaries, some really tough
decisions, deal with the doubts she has about whether she’s doing the right
thing and eventually, bloom into her own individuality and womanhood. I really
like that the story doesn’t resolve into a perfectly pretty package, but ends
with the Charlotte character creating a great, albeit unconventional (for the
times) life for herself. Released in 1942 and also starring Claude Reins and
Paul Heinreid, both of whom also starred together in Casablanca. My favorite quote from the movie? “Don’t ask for the
moon when we have the stars.” Now,
Voyager needs to be on your radar, so put this in your Netflix queue or
keep your eyes on TCM and catch it during the next showing. You’ll be glad you
did. (As a personal aside, my in-laws once stayed at their favorite B&B in
New Hampshire during a week when a much older Bette Davis was also staying
there. Turns out it was her favorite get-a-way as well….but that’s a story for
another time.)
photo via allmovie.com
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3 comments:
love bette, love these old movies!!
It has been many years since I have watched this flick. I think that I need to revisit it!
I don't think I've seen this one. We have been watching older movies on the computer as there is absolutely nothing on tv in the summer. It was very funny to watch Gidget Goes Hawaiian with my teenage daughter last night (prone in the heat) and see her reaction. The fashions, so good and so bad! The story, well, time didn't make the heart grow fonder! It was as hokey as I remembered. A real eye-opener for an 18 year old.
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