David and Lisa (1962)

Keir Dullea plays David, a new resident at a psychiatric treatment center, who becomes agitated when he is touched; Janet Margolin is Lisa, a schizophrenic who alternately speaks in rhymes or not at all. Director Frank Perry's drama about mental illness and the loving friendship that develops between these two disturbed young people was a surprise hit in 1962; independently-produced and distributed, the profits allowed Perry and his screenwriter wife, Eleanor Perry, to continue making acclaimed films together until the start of the new decade. It's not a very courageous film, it isn't hard-hitting and it doesn't break new ground, but as a dramatic acting showcase it delivers. Dullea is wonderful; he and Perry do not let the hysterics inherent in the role of David to dominate Dullea's performance (he carries the movie). As David's psychiatrist, Howard Da Silva is also strong, turning what might otherwise be a thankless role--the proverbial doctor-friend--into something much more: he's wise and caring, but isn't showy about it. The film is an entertainment the way TV dramas on "Playhouse 90" were entertainments. It shows us sick behavior and makes its points about society's attitude to that behavior, but there's no current of life underneath the film. "David and Lisa" isn't grossly melodramatic, which is a plus, yet Perry is too controlled within this environment. The picture is in black-and-white, and yet you can sense a rosy hue around it. ** from ****

General Notes: David and Lisa is a very solid film. I have a soft spot for films that portray people that are different, outsiders and/or are mentally ill. The film explores the topic of mental illness in a way that does not seem exploitative. Keir Dullea, best known for playing David Bowman in 2001: A Space Odyssey, stars as David Clemens. At the start of the film, David is taken to a residential treatment center/school by his overprotective mother. David is a highly intelligent young man who has an intense fear of being touched. He is cold, distant, and concentrates on his studies, avoiding most of the other students. He has a recurring dream in which he murders people by means of a giant clock.Janet Margolin plays Lisa Brandt, a young girl with two distinct personalities. "Lisa" can only speak in rhymes, while "Muriel' cannot speak and communicates by writing. During the course of the movie, David befriends Lisa, and the two help each other with their disorders.Positives: Keir Dullea is excellent in his portrayal of David. He shows an air of superiority, and yet is very insecure. He cries when no one is looking. Dullea does a great job in showing the two sides of David's personality. Janet Margolin also does a good job at showing her two personalities. Her transformation from "Lisa" and "Muriel" is fantastic. I looked up the actress' other film credits and there is not much there. A pity. I thought she showed a lot of promise as a young actress. The other strong performance was Howard da Silva as the headmaster/psychiatrist Dr. Alan Swinford. David's intelligence makes it a bit difficult to treat his illness; he can be very condescending and prone to angry tantrums. Dr. Swinford takes the verbal abuse and does not let it affect the compassion that he has for his student/patient. Da Silva does an amazing job of non-verbal acting in this movie. You can see that David's words hurt, but he does not take them to heart.Negatives: The runaway scene at toward the end of the film does not seem to fit the rest of the movie. I think the tone was off and the photography was shaky, which was unlike the rest of the film. Other than that, there is not much to dislike about this movie.Overall: Check out this highly-overlooked film. I give a very strong recommendation and rate it an 9.

Very quiet drama about two mentally disturbed people, David (Keir Dullea) and Lisa (Janet Margolin), helping each other out to cure themselves.This was one of the art films of the early 60s---it was made independently, shot in stark black & white, has threadbare sets, poor lighting and lousy sound. Still, this was a big hit. It was a very sensitively handled movie of a then touchy subject (mental illness). And Dullea gives an excellent performance as David. Margolin is also good as Lisa. This movie was supposed to "make" both of them--sadly, it didn't.It's all well done but I can't say I liked it. There's absolutely no edge to the story or characters at all. This movie goes out of its way to make sure it won't offend anyone and, unfortunately, this makes for a very dull movie. Still, for its time, this was groundbreaking. Worth seeing for the acting alone.Hard to believe that director Frank Perry later on made the camp classics "Mommie Dearest" and "Monsignor"!

Janet Margolin as Lisa was not only beautiful, but her smile, as another commenter stated, "could light up the darkest room." It's true. She was very likable. While David wasn't "likable", he played his part very well, and became more sympathetic as the movie went on. This is one of those movies that is much better than you thought it might be. I loved it.I also think the storyline was very well done. It kept you engrossed. The doctor was very meek in the best sense of the word - not responding to provocation by David in the least.David's outbursts when touched were moving and very realistic - you believed he felt that way.Lisa, frumpy dress, messy hair and all, was astonishingly beautiful in my eyes, and acted out her part perfectly.All in all, I would watch the movie again. It's that good.