Tea and Sympathy

It is true that this film, made in 1956, two years after it appeared on the stage, is dated. And it is true, in real 1950s style, the characters may seem very contrived, and the dialogue very scripted. But Tea and Sympathy tells a very real and poignant story and if you allow yourself simply to be swept up by that, rather than looking at the film in a sceptical and critical manner, you may actually enjoy it. John Kerr does a wonderful job of playing a teenage boy, Tom Lee, who cannot seem to fit in with those around him, and Leif Erickson does just as good a job portraying the schoolmaster Bill Reynolds, who sees being 'manly' as one of the most important things there is. And lovely, refined Deborah Kerr (no relation to John Kerr), in the role she played on stage, does an impressive job of portraying Laura Reynolds, the love-starved faculty wife who still thinks about the husband she lost in the war. And she is the one who is disturbed by the treatment Tom gets from his schoolmates, and even from her husband himself, and she is the one who takes action to try and help him. The fact that there are large references to 'out of bounds' sexual activity in the film make it rather unique and daring for the decade in which it was released. Director Vincente Minnelli does a superb job of capturing the sexual tension within the Reynolds house and makes the film that much less twee. A great film, and a must see for Deborah Kerr fans.

It dismays me that so many people are enjoying this film. From a cinematic and acting perspective, it certainly has merits which have been well commented on. But as a gay person I find this movie absolutely stomach turning, homophobic to the core. The fact that it was "enlightened" for the time, and indeed it was, just increases my discomfiture. And to see the comments of people who are still seeing this thru 1950s eyes is pretty bleak. To put it briefly, just because you are sensitive and gentle does not mean you are gay. What a relief. Yet this movie manages to make being gay seem even more awful than ever. Many might challenge me by pointing out that Brokeback Mountain is also about a sad homophobic time. But Brokeback was made thru the perspective of today. It is a window in the past, and puts a message, in the end, of change and hope. Furthermore it is unabashed in its depiction of same sex love, and we identify with the two men. Tea and Sympathy is merely a homophobic product of its time - a very different thing. Tea and Sympathy, its merits notwithstanding (and it was directed by the great Vincente Minnelli, who by the way, was a closet case of major proportions), is really something to be seen only as a museum piece, and should be of interest (if you an stand it) only to those interested in the history of cinema and gay rights. That people who are all for men being "sensitive" as long as they are heterosexual this movie will appear timeless, undoubtedly. My message to those non-prejudiced people reading this who have not seen the film, be careful about letting any impressionable young person see Tea and Sympathy until you have carefully explained the context of the movie. I would hate to see anyone have to go back to the 50s.

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source: Tea and Sympathy

Trailer—Tea and Sympathy

Tea and Sympathy

I watched "Tea and Sympathy" within a day or two of also watching "The Band Wagon," and the two films together went a long way toward increasing my admiration of Vincente Minelli, a filmmaker who I haven't generally cared much for in the past. Was any actress more elegantly luminous than Deborah Kerr? In this, she plays a faculty wife at a preppy college who feels pity for a young man (John Kerr) who is ostracized by the other boys for his sissy tendencies. The film is an overt exploration of masculine insecurity at a time when gender roles weren't allowed to be fluid at all. Deborah is simply marvelous, as she always was, while John Kerr is a little less successful, his acting a bit more obvious and heavy handed. But the film overall is wonderful, and should be seen by anyone who's interested in films that explore the ugly side of the middle class American dream that was so heavily trumpeted in the 1950s, a dream that was really a prison for so many. Grade: A

"Tea and Sympathy" will offend many forward thinking people, but it is historically important. It provides good perspective for comparing the early twenty-first century to 1956--the time when this movie was made. The film is representative of people's sentiments during the 1950s. I came of age during this time as an effeminate lad who could not even talk with his parents about the stereotyping I experienced in grade or high school. Kids were cruel; so were many adults! Everyone needs a good dose of history, and this film provides it. Students of Gay and Lesbian Studies or film studies need to see this movie. No this is not a happy film, but neither is "Brokeback Mountain," which was set in the 1960s. "Tea and Sympathy" will not thrill anyone who prefers to forget unpleasant eras of history.