Butterflies Are Free (1972)

Butterflies Are Free makes an entertaining watch that is as light and fleeting as a butterfly itself. It's funny, has an appropriate amount of pathos and doesn't seem all too dated. Yes it's a bit of a contrivance, the plot and dialogue have some predictable twists and flips and the resolution is fairly obvious and in particular Mrs. Baker's volte-face, while comfortingly motherly is a stretch out of character, but the performances are all good regardless. Don't think too hard about this one just groove to the tie-dyed vibe and a precious Goldie Hawn.

Blinded since birth, Don Baker (Edward Albert) has a place in San Francisco. It's the first time he's living away from his overprotective mother (Eileen Heckart). His free-spirit neighbor Jill Tanner (Goldie Hawn) visits and is surprised by his blindness. She's a 19 year old aspiring actress divorcée. They get together and then his mother visits.Goldie Hawn is the definition of free-spirit IT girl. It's a fine pairing that heightens when they are joined by Heckart. Her entry just elevates the humor to another level but it becomes more than a comedy. Goldie takes a turn that takes the story into good emotional drama. Heckart rides this roller-coaster role. This has a bit of characters-stuck-in-a-room feel from its source material as a play. Nevertheless, these are compelling characters.

I just finished watching this movie. I woke up this morning believing I saw this movie years ago, and decided to give it a chance to see if it jogged any memories. Turns out I did see it years ago but now with me being much older, it held much greater significance for me. This film was not dated at all and it would be relative to almost any period in time. The issues dealt with in the movie are the same issues that people deal with all the time, except of course for the role brilliantly played by Edward Albert in which he plays a blind man. One of the beautiful aspects of this film is that the script tries, and succeeds at eliminating the stereotypes and limitations of the handicap to instead focus on the real emotional ups and downs of the human soul. Absolutetly brilliant film.

I randomly put this movie on today, and I was pleasantly surprised. So much that I took the time to register and write the only review of a movie I've ever written. The movie feels more like a play, with a majority of the movie occurring in one space. The bulk of the movie is dialog, the main character Donny is blind. The movie is about his struggle for independence from his enabling mother and his interaction with his newfound roommate, Jill. I found all the actors delivery to be exceptional, and the interactions dynamic and entertaining. Most of the movie is conversations between the characters with quick replies and wit worthy of note. There's not much going on in the film outside of a simple plot, but the movie touches on some very serious, emotional moments as well as humorous. I think Donny's character is played excellently, and the other roles very convincing as well. Overall I found the movie to be really well done, entertaining and not at all bland, although it is definitely more like a play than a movie, so it might take a little more creativity and thought to make it as appealing, but that's what I enjoy anyway. Very impressed, haven't enjoyed a movie that much in a while. And it's 34 years old.