Mr & Mrs Bridge (1990)

Masters in depicting the superficial machinations of England's repressed upper classes, director James Ivory and his partners, screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and producer Ismail Merchant, take on the American middle class in Mr. and Mrs. Bridge. Paul Newman and wife Joanne Woodward play the eponymous main characters: a patriarch and wife of a well-to-do family, whose members are struggling to define themselves under their father's undefiable command and the changing times.

With one daughter who wants to become an actress in New York, another who chooses the "wrong" kind of man to marry, and a son who quits school to join the Air Force during World War II, Mr. Bridge finds that his control over his family is slipping. Spanning the 1930s and '40s, the film presents nuances in how both the dramatic and the smaller moments are woven together. Weddings and arguments are no more important to capturing the essence of the Bridge family then are their moments of daily reverie.

A quiet film that succeeds in establishing its characters' intimacy, with themselves and each other, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge owes much of that success to Woodward. While Newman doesn't always seem comfortable as the stern ruler of the Bridge household, Woodward steals the film as the long-suffering woman whose identity is precariously built on her ascribed roles as mother and wife, taken for granted and often overlooked by the family she truly loves. --Natasha Senjanovic Amazon.com

Mr.&Mrs. Bridge

It is just a wonderful movie that did not get any play in the theatre or anywhere else. I rented it for the first time because of the cast and loved it, that is why I have added it to my collection. If we all live long enough we will go through the same thing, it's also a different period of time, but I could relate since I was on the fringe of that generation and as I look at things now maybe it was not all that bad. We have lost such an icon in Paul Newman,but I am glad that his wife is still with us. That is another thing that makes this movie so wonderfu is that Joann Woodward stars in it as his wife. They are always great and wonderful together. I'm so glad to have been able to follow Mr. Newman's career, as I'm 70y/o and saw it from the beginning.It seems that we are so caught up in special effects that we have forgotten what it's like to see a movie that is just a GOOD story and this one meets all those requirements and more. The special effects are Good acting and Great actors. ENJOY!!! November 1, 2008

It's a little to soft, but there is much to be said about the brilliant acting going on here...

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward are brilliantly composed and controlled in this very quiet, very sincere film by James Ivory. The film for the most part is very well done, and it can be very emotionally stirring in scenes, but the film rests solely on the shoulders of the very fine cast which elevate what could have been a dull film into a film that one should make a point to see.

In other words; the film as a whole is not as strong as its stars.

`Mr. & Mrs. Bridge' tells the story of the Bridge family as they try and keep themselves together through the 30's and 40's. The father, Walter, is a controlling and almost domineering man. The mother, India, is lost within herself, not quite sure where her place is within her own home. The children all seem to rebel in their own ways; Ruth desiring to become an actress in New York, Carolyn desiring to marry a man beneath her socially and Douglas desiring to quit school and join the Air Force. These five individuals make up a very interesting yet ultimately average household during the World War II era.

James Ivory has a very crisp and elegant way of painting a film, and he executes this film beautifully as well. The only issue I have with `Mr. & Mrs. Bridge' is that it is so quiet and so smooth that it almost falls into the category of uninteresting at times. It can come off rather bland (it took me three sittings to watch it all the way through because I kept falling asleep). It's not that the film isn't interesting or that the characters aren't fleshed out wonderfully (and by god, the film is beautifully acted), it's just that the fluidity of the film is almost too relaxing. There is nothing sharp and jolting that shakes us in our boots. Even when drama is unfolding, as it does when family friend Grace Barron begins to lose her mind, it unfolds in such a serene manor that it feels less urgent than it probably should.

If one watches the film early enough in the day (I have a problem with starting films far too late in the evening) then one should be able to make it through in one setting.

While the overall construction of the film may cause our attention to wane a tad, it is important to note that the performances by the entire cast work extra hard to reel us back in. The two main stars are glorious, but even the supporting players all pull out all the stops here. Blythe Danner is such a brilliant actress, and her portrayal of Grace is really the most stirring in the entire film. She pops up at just the right moment to keep our attention firmly planted in the film. Kyra Sedgwick is darling as Ruth, but she is upstaged by Margaret Welsh who slinks into Carolyn with effortless grace. Robert Sean Leonard was one of those young actors who was always outshone by his co-stars (by Hawke in `Dead Poets Society' and by Bale in `Swing Kids') yet he always was consistently putting in a very good performance. This is no exception.

But yes, this movie belongs to Newman and Woodward. It is very understandable by Woodward was nominated for the Oscar this year, but it's astounding to me that Newman was not. If Woodward sets the emotional tone for the film, it is Newman who helps develop it. His nuanced portrayal of the very conservative Walter is so naturally commanding. Joanne is heartbreaking as India, and her emotional struggle throughout the film is wonderfully developed for us. They make such a splendid pair.

I will say that I was very unimpressed with the end of the film. It builds itself up as if it is going to have this harrowing climax (which really would have been welcome) and instead ends on a rather quite and reserved note. I can't really complain too much, for the film is wonderfully done and is really technically impeccable, it just lacks any real oomph. This is not a film one can watch over and over again, but the performances make it well worth at least one ride. I just wish that the approach to some of the material had been a little edgier maybe, a little more drastic so that it would have made a bigger impact. It could have been an A+ film, really, but will have to settle with a B from me. September 26, 2008

Mediocre

Having recently read the masterful separate books Mrs. Bridge and Mr. Bridge, by Evan S. Connell, I was anxious to see the 1990 Merchant/Ivory film that combined the two books into one, Mr. & Mrs. Bridge. While not a bad film, it falls far short of the books. Yes, it's a trite thing to state, but it's also true, and there are a number of reasons why the film ultimately fails, especially so if you've read the books before seeing the film. Yet, the film is lushly filmed, impeccably acted, and a very solid production, a cut above typical Hollywood tripe. Paul Newman, as small-minded, stodgy attorney Walter Bridge, far outshines his real life wife Joanne Woodward, who plays his onscreen wife India Bridge. It's not that Woodward's Oscar nominated performance is bad, but the adaptation from the books really short shrifts the character. In both of the books India Bridge is seen as a dull, small-minded, repressed, and petty Depression era hausfrau, with intangible longings to `do something' with her life. The film one dimensionalizes her into a frustrated bohemian eccentric- a slightly loony mom who cannot control her three kids.

Overall, the film is far too anomic to retain much viewer interest- even for those fans of slower British PBS fare, and I'd love to see a director skilled at character films, like Steven Soderbergh, who's fond of remakes anyway, take a stab at this material. His 1998 film The Limey, is one of the great character portraits on film, and if he stayed true to the masterful books it would be something to see him do a pair of films based upon the books, that stayed true to what made them so great. Imagine, films based upon books so based on filmic techniques- conundra galore! September 14, 2008

Mr and Mrs Bridge

The story is slow paced. What really attracts me to this movie besides the actors is the story itself. Were women really this meek and never expressed openions other than their husbands. Thank goodness for Women's Lib. March 31, 2008

Mr. and Mrs. Newman as Mr. and Mrs. Bridge

I don't think it's possible not to enjoy this movie. It's not all rainbows and roses, but an honest look at WWII era life in mid-America. All of the characters are superb, not a weak link in the bunch.
You see the evolution of a marriage that always has commitment, and a bond of love, yet lacks the emotional component. As the story unfolds, the couple learn how important one is to the other despite years of taking one another for granted.
The couple is central to the tale but they aren't alone, children grow through many changes learning about life as do close friends. This is a fly on the wall look at an American family.
Don't miss it! Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward are simply wonderful when working together. May 1, 2007

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