| Butterflies Are Free | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Milton Katselas |
| Screenplay by | Leonard Gershe |
| Based on | Butterflies Are Free by Leonard Gershe |
| Produced by | M. J. Frankovich |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Charles B. Lang |
| Edited by | David Blewitt |
| Music by | Bob Alcivar |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.2 million |
| Box office | $6.7 million (US and Canadarentals)[1] |
Butterflies Are Free is a 1972 Americanromanticcomedy-drama film directed byMilton Katselas from a screenplay byLeonard Gershe, based on Gershe's1969 play. The film starsGoldie Hawn,Eileen Heckart, andEdward Albert. It follows Jill Tanner (Hawn), a free-spirited young woman who becomes romantically involved with her new next-door neighbor, a blind man named Don Baker (Albert), who has recently moved out to live on his own. However, Don's overly protective mother (Heckart) tries to end their romance, fearing that Jill will break her son's heart.
The film was released in the United States on July 6, 1972, byColumbia Pictures. It received mostly positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for the performances of Hawn, Heckart, and Albert as well asLeonard Gershe's screenplay, and was a box office success, grossing roughly $6.7 million on a $1.2 million budget. While the original play was set inEast Village, Manhattan, the screenplay written for the film was set in the 1355, 1355A, 1357, 1359 Grant Avenue building inNorth Beach, San Francisco.[2][3].[4]
At the30th Golden Globe Awards, the film received five nominations includingBest Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy,Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Hawn,Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy andMost Promising Newcomer – Male for Albert, andBest Original Song for "Carry Me". Though Heckart was not among theGolden Globe nominees for the film, she won theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the45th Academy Awards. The film was additionally nominated forBest Cinematography (the eighteenth and final nomination for legendary cinematographerCharles Lang) andBest Sound forCharles T. Knight andArthur Piantadosi.Leonard Gershe also received a nomination forBest Comedy – Adapted from Another Medium at the25th Writers Guild of America Awards.
In thebohemian San Francisco of the early 1970s, 19-year-old Jill Tanner rents an apartment to discover her next-door neighbor, 20-year-old aspiring singer-songwriter Don Baker, peering through a window. The next day, through their paper-thin walls, she overhears him arguing with his overprotective mother Florence on the phone. Intrigued, Jill introduces herself to Don.
Don explains that he has made a pact with Florence, allowing him to live independently for two months without her interference. Jill, who had a six-day marriage at the age of 16, reveals that she has sworn off commitments to avoid hurting people. When she learns that Don is blind, he tells her that he possesses "shadow vision", which gives him the ability to sense obstacles in front of him and thus avoid potential accidents.
Jill, who has a strong desire for freedom, shares her favorite quote with Don, which she misattributes toMark Twain. Don informs her that it is actually fromCharles Dickens'Bleak House: "I only ask to be free. The butterflies are free. Mankind will surely not deny to Harold Skimpole what it concedes to the butterflies." Don incorporates the quote into a song he is writing, naming it "Butterflies Are Free".
Jill encourages Don to wear more stylish clothes, instead of the clothes his mother bought him. As they walk together to a bohemian clothing store onUnion Street, Jill tells Don about her upcoming audition with theater director Ralph Santore, who wishes to marry her. At Jill's suggestion, Don purchases a bold outfit that makes him look like a musician.
Back at his apartment, Don discusses Florence's children's books featuring the character Donnie Dark, a young blind superhero. Despite his mother's intentions to inspire him, Don felt inadequate under her high expectations. Jill proposes that they unlock the door connecting their apartments so they can become closer. She offers for Don to touch her face, allowing him to "see" her, and they eventually sleep together.
The next morning, Jill expresses her joy over their intimacy and shares her keepsake box's secrets with Don. They are interrupted when Florence arrives unexpectedly, appalled by Don's living conditions and Jill's presence in her underwear. Don and Jill arrange to have dinner together that evening, and she returns to her apartment to prepare for her audition. Florence questions Jill's suitability and persistently tries to convince Don to come home with her, but he refuses and leaves to go shopping for dinner.
In Don's absence, Florence invites Jill to lunch, hoping to persuade her to leave Don. Florence discusses his previous involvement with a woman who motivated him to leave home, and with whom he fell in love, but who ultimately broke his heart. She insists that Don needs a woman who can commit to him, citing Jill's inability to sustain a long-term relationship. Despite admitting she might not be the ideal woman for Don, Jill argues that Florence is the one stunting his growth and self-confidence.
That night, while awaiting Jill's return, Don scolds Florence for secretly talking to Jill earlier. When Jill finally arrives with Ralph, she reveals that she has been given a minor role in the play, which will include a nude scene. Jill announces her decision to move in with Ralph, which hurts Don. After Jill and Ralph leave, Don tearfully implores Florence to take him back home. Florence shares that the motivation behind the Donnie Dark books was to help Don confront his fears. She admits that she struggles to accept that she is no longer needed, but leaves after embracing her son.
As Jill returns to Don's apartment to say goodbye, he deduces that she does not love Ralph. She reaffirms her freedom to leave whenever she wants, and reveals she fears hurting Don. He accuses her of being emotionally crippled because of her refusal to commit to a relationship. Jill leaves to meet Ralph, and Don has a breakdown while listening to "Butterflies Are Free". Shortly afterwards, Jill returns and tells Don that she has had a "shadow vision" of an obstacle in front of her: Ralph. They laugh and hug.
Variety wrote: "Although the setting has been changed from New York to San Francisco for no apparent reason, Leonard Gershe's screen adaptation of his successful Broadway play ... is an excellent example of how to switch from one medium to another without sacrificing any of the qualities which makes the original version such a success."[5] The review further praises the acting of Goldie Hawn, saying: "Miss Hawn, funny and touching, is a delight throughout and Miss Heckart finally gets another film role that enables her to display the versatility that has been evident for a long time in her stage roles."[5]
Vincent Canby ofThe New York Times wrote: "The film is not completely without intelligence, but its intelligence is in the service of the kind of sentimentality that shrivels the mind, like something left in water too long."[6]
Charles Champlin of theLos Angeles Times wrote that "a very well-made commercial play—funny, sentimental, positive, tight—has become a well-made commercial movie—light, bright, extremely well and personably acted, and preserving the intimacy and the unity which were the virtues of the play."[7]
Gene Siskel of theChicago Tribune gave the film three stars out of four and wrote that "one of the attractive aspects ofButterflies Are Free is that each of the three characters is incomplete and flawed. To that degree the Leonard Gershe screenplay approaches believability, and this is a rare quality for a tear-jerker to have."[8]
Gary Arnold ofThe Washington Post stated "While the material is essentially shallow and often insufferable in its sentimental opportunism, Gershe and Katselas demonstrate some theatrical talent and mechanical aptitude ... The play itself is nothing to brag about, but I doubt if one could transpose it much more adroitly and presentably. Instead of inflating or vulgarising this frail property, Katselas tries to keep it intimate and engaging."[9]
John Gillett ofThe Monthly Film Bulletin wrote "Occasionally it is all rather twee, plumping for the easy emotional response and the easy tear; yet much of the writing has sharpness and bite, notably in the initial meetings between Jill and Don, when they talk out their pasts together and improvise meals on the floor."[10]
Jay Cocks ofTime pointed out the talent of Goldie Hawn, stating: "Goldie Hawn, as the girl next door, has come a long way from her giddy role inLaugh-In; she is often genuinely touching."[11] Cocks praised the acting of both Edward Albert and Eileen Heckart: "Edward Albert, the son of actorEddie Albert, is creditable as the blind boy, and Eileen Heckart is appropriately hateful as the mother, although she is unable to be convincing in her transformation. But then nobody could be."[11]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 69% based on 13 reviews.[12]
| Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Eileen Heckart | Won | [13] [14] |
| Best Cinematography | Charles Lang | Nominated | ||
| Best Sound | Charles T. Knight andArthur Piantadosi | Nominated | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Milton Katselas andM. J. Frankovich | Nominated | [15] |
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Edward Albert | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical | Goldie Hawn | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Song – Motion Picture | "Carry Me" Music byBob Alcivar; Lyrics by Randy McNeill | Nominated | ||
| Most Promising Newcomer – Male | Edward Albert | Won | ||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Comedy – Adapted from Another Medium | Leonard Gershe | Nominated | [16] |
