I agree the doctor character was the most sensible person in the story.
Though I did like Miss Birdseye, played by Jessica Tandy, since she seemed to have practical knowledge about different things and a sense of history. Or should I say her-story.

I was surprised that I enjoyed it, it's an interesting period piece. I found all of the characters to have a great deal of flaws. Basil's outdated opinions on women were exhausting. Did he even listen to any of Verena's speeches?
Olive was just creepy and possessive over Verena. I get that she's in love with the girl, but that kind of love is not healthy. I also found it contradictory to her own message of a women's rights.
Verena is a pretty accurate and offensive stereotype of a young, idealistic woman that gets sucked into a cause. She's so concerned with pleasing everyone around her that she can't see the forest for the trees.
I thought Dr Prance was the most sensible character in the film. She tries to see things as they really are, as opposed to what we want them to be.

This was such an interminable and tedious film, one I struggled to get engaged with. Redgrave was typically strong, though, but I've no interest in watching it again.
I thought Reeve was sorely miscast.

It's really not such a bad movie at all. I have some issues with it, but, overall, it is a very well acted film.

I don't think anyone knows for sure whether Henry James was gay or not. But you may know better.
No, I can't guess.
Unless I mock, my heart will break
I will burn you at the stake.

I think there is a good reason this movie is languishing in obscurity and hardly anyone has bothered to discuss it here. Can you guess?

<< "you must let them go and if they come back to you then they are yours to keep." / and if they don't come back, you hide outside their house every night, slit their tires, poison their dog >>
Dye your hair, say Okay, you'll do that threesome
Ah, the list goes on

"you must let them go and if they come back to you then they are yours to keep."
and if they don't come back, you hide outside their house every night, slit their tires, poison their dog

"So, there's more than one thing going on at once. And wouldn't we say Reeve is being selfish and possessive of Verena, as well?"
True about that, yes Basil is a southern-catfish-breath-bastard but the whole point of women's libe is that we get our rights to make choices even if it is the wrong one.

Well, the other thing is, Olive wants Verena not just as her closest friend, but for The Cause (which was worthy). She knows that Verena will be miserable with whats-his-name (Reeve), and in the book, she's proven to be right.
So, there's more than one thing going on at once. And wouldn't we say Reeve is being selfish and possessive of Verena, as well?

Possessive is kinky for a moment but when you love someone, you must let them go and if they come back to you then they are yours to keep. Redgrave's character prove that in the end when she didn't go off searching for Verena.

<< Redgrave's character was selfish and possessive of her and that is not love in any kind of way. >>
If that were not any part of love, we wouldn't have most of our novels and movies. Stories usually focus on
drama,
rather than a happy little couple curled up before the fire
<< I could be mistaken but weren't Merchant and Ivory gay guys? This could affect their interpretation of the story. >>
The author Henry james was gay, so that element of the story is there to begin with. It's not explicity stated, but of course you can see that some of the attraction is sexual/"passionate".

I didn't like Verena either. Totally agree on the puppet theory.

I just finished watching this film, and while it disappointed me (as I had been expecting a closer look at the women's movement and a more genuine passion for it) I still found it worth watching.
I'm so surprised there's virtually no discussion here! Because what I liked about this film was that it was so thought-provoking.
What struck me as weird was that not one of all these characters are likeable! Olive is overly possessive and bitter towards men (surely she must have had bad experiences in the past) but still, she was the only one I found some sympathy for. Basil was to me a terrible person, an awful besserwisser. But I despised Verena most of all.
I don't think V ever felt passionately for the women's rights movement - she just needed to be worshipped and taken care of. She was so childlike (how old do you think she was supposed to be?), and always a marionette: First her father's, then Olive's and finally Basil's. I've seen that previous posters find great sympathy for Verena, but I couldn't seem to.
The final scenes with Olive going up to perform instead of Verena ultimately made this film worth watching.
-Cheerleaders are dancers who have gone retarded-

TV seems to be the only option, which is really sad. I could suggest you a torrent to download it, if you like.

Oh I won't, this movie was fine just the way it is, it is a shame that I don't get to see this on TV or even on DVD.

The movie is great. Chris, Vanessa, Jessica, Linda, all the actors, were amazing. Do not judge the movie by the so called "review" posted by an idiot on the page of the movie, just above the message board.

I think this was Chris's third best performance on screen, away from Superman, and Somewhere in Time. I miss the man so much, it is a damn shame that he didn't get to live long enough to walk at least just once.

I enjoyed this movie. For once, I liked Christopher Reeve. In fact, I hardly recognized him behind that mustache. The 'lesbian' angle was so subtle and somewhat creepy, I was surprised to find this in the movie; it makes me want to read the book to see if indeed, that was a theme. I could be mistaken but weren't Merchant and Ivory gay guys? This could affect their interpretation of the story.
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. The interiors and landscapes were beautiful, of course. Wasn't the book by Edith Wharton?
Ah, Henry James. Close enough

I agree, I feel bad for the poor girl, Redgrave's character was selfish and possessive of her and that is not love in any kind of way. I don't know about Basil's feeling for Verena, I know that he must be a chauvinistic pig and he has no feeling for women's rights but nonetheless, Verena must make her own decisions even if it is a mistake or not bottomline; it is her choice.

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I liked the film well enough. I liked the queasy chemistry between the two females. And it was really sad how the young woman throws everything away for Christopher Reeves. She falls right under his spell. Vanessa Redgrave's character was ODD.