Husbands (film)
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| - | '''John Nicholas Cassavetes''' ([[December 9]], [[1929]]–[[February 3]], [[1989]]) was a [[Greek American]] [[actor]], [[screenwriter]], and [[film director|director]]. He is considered a pioneer of [[American independent film]]. | + | '''''Husbands''''' is a 1970 film [[screenplay|written]] and [[film director|directed]] by [[John Cassavetes]]. This ensemble film, which depicts three middle class men in the throes of a [[midlife crisis]] following the death of a close friend, stars [[Ben Gazzara]], [[Peter Falk]] and Cassavetes. |
| - | ==Improvisation== | + | |
| - | The role of [[improvisation]] in Cassavetes' films is frequently misunderstood. His films were — with the exception of the original version of ''[[Shadows]]'' — heavily scripted. Confusion arises in part because Cassavetes allowed actors to bring their own interpretations of characters to their performances. Performances were scripted, but delivery was not. Cassavetes was also willing to revise the script if he saw an actor taking a character in a different direction. | + | |
| - | ==Selected filmography== | + | |
| - | ====As Director==== | + | |
| - | * ''[[Shadows (film)|Shadows]]'' (1959) | + | |
| - | * ''[[Too Late Blues]]'' (1961) | + | |
| - | * ''[[A Child Is Waiting]]'' (1963) | + | |
| - | * ''[[Faces (film)|Faces]]'' (1968) | + | |
| - | * ''[[Husbands (film)|Husbands]]'' (1970) | + | |
| - | * ''[[Minnie and Moskowitz]]'' (1971) | + | |
| - | * ''[[A Woman Under the Influence]]'' (1974) | + | |
| - | * ''[[The Killing of a Chinese Bookie]]'' (1976) | + | |
| - | * ''[[Opening Night]]'' (1977) | + | |
| - | * ''[[Gloria (movie)|Gloria]]'' (1980) | + | |
| - | * ''[[Love Streams]]'' (1984) | + | |
| - | * ''[[Big Trouble (1986 film)|Big Trouble]]'' (1986) | + | |
| - | ====As Actor==== | + | The film, in [[cinéma vérité]] style, was described by [[Time (magazine)|''Time'' magazine]] as Cassavetes' finest work while condemned by other prominent critics. One recent critic described it as a "devastatingly bleak view of the emptiness of suburban life." |
| - | * ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'' (1956) Episode: "You Got to Have Luck" | + | |
| - | * ''[[Edge of the City]]'' (1957) | + | ==Plot summary== |
| - | * ''[[The Killers (1964 film)|The Killers]]'' (1964) | + | Gus, Harry, and Archie, are three nominally happy husbands with families in suburban New York. All are professional men, driven and successful. The three of them have known each other since their school years. They have grown up together and have now had enough time to discover that their youth is disappearing and that there is nothing they can do to preserve it. They are shaken into confronting this reality when their best friend Stuart, the first friend from their fast disappearing youth, dies suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack. |
| - | * ''[[The Dirty Dozen]]'' (1967) | + | |
| - | * ''[[Rosemary's Baby (film)|Rosemary's Baby]]'' (1968) | + | They have difficulty coping with the death and everywhere they turn or flee in the city they can't seem to run from it. They spend two days hanging out, playing basketball, sleeping in the subways, and drinking, including an impromptu singing contest at a bar. Harry goes home, has a vicious argument with his wife, and decides to fly to London. The other two decide to go with him. |
| - | * ''[[Husbands (film)|Husbands]]'' (1970) | + | |
| - | * ''[[Two-Minute Warning]]'' (1976) | + | They check into an expensive hotel, dress in formal clothing, and meet three young women at a gambling casino. They go back to their rooms with the women. Gus pairs off with Mary Tynan, Archie with Julie, a young Asian woman who appears not to speak English, and Harry with Pearl Billingham. However, their efforts to hook up with these women are awkward and unsuccessful. Flying, even to another continent, has not saved their youth. They discover it is gone, never to return. |
| - | * ''[[Mikey and Nicky]]'' (1976) | + | |
| - | * ''[[Brass Target]]'' (1978) | + | Gus and Archie decide to go back to New York, but Harry stays behind. Gus and Archie express concern about Harry and what he will do without them. |
| - | * ''[[The Fury (film)|The Fury]]'' (1978) | + | |
| - | * ''[[Whose Life Is It Anyway?]]'' (1981) | + | ==See also== |
| - | * ''[[The Incubus (1981 film)|The Incubus]]'' (1981) | + | * [[List of American films of 1970]] |
| - | * ''[[Tempest (1982 film)|Tempest]]'' (1982) | + | |
| - | * ''[[The Haircut]]'' (1982) | + | |
| - | * ''[[Marvin & Tige]]'' (1983) | + | |
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Husbands is a 1970 film written and directed by John Cassavetes. This ensemble film, which depicts three middle class men in the throes of a midlife crisis following the death of a close friend, stars Ben Gazzara, Peter Falk and Cassavetes.
The film, in cinéma vérité style, was described by Time magazine as Cassavetes' finest work while condemned by other prominent critics. One recent critic described it as a "devastatingly bleak view of the emptiness of suburban life."
Plot summary
Gus, Harry, and Archie, are three nominally happy husbands with families in suburban New York. All are professional men, driven and successful. The three of them have known each other since their school years. They have grown up together and have now had enough time to discover that their youth is disappearing and that there is nothing they can do to preserve it. They are shaken into confronting this reality when their best friend Stuart, the first friend from their fast disappearing youth, dies suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack.
They have difficulty coping with the death and everywhere they turn or flee in the city they can't seem to run from it. They spend two days hanging out, playing basketball, sleeping in the subways, and drinking, including an impromptu singing contest at a bar. Harry goes home, has a vicious argument with his wife, and decides to fly to London. The other two decide to go with him.
They check into an expensive hotel, dress in formal clothing, and meet three young women at a gambling casino. They go back to their rooms with the women. Gus pairs off with Mary Tynan, Archie with Julie, a young Asian woman who appears not to speak English, and Harry with Pearl Billingham. However, their efforts to hook up with these women are awkward and unsuccessful. Flying, even to another continent, has not saved their youth. They discover it is gone, never to return.
Gus and Archie decide to go back to New York, but Harry stays behind. Gus and Archie express concern about Harry and what he will do without them.
See also
