I think we're up to the first of the movies that ran in TCM's 2024 Christmas marathon that I'm doing a post on this year. That's because the movie is getting another airing on TCM less than a month after its previous showing: Period of Adjustment, which you can see tomorrow, Jan. 15, at 9:15 AM.
Over the opening credits, we see George Haverstick (Jim Hutton). He served in the Korean War, and wound up with some sort of condition that put him in a hospital for it. There, among the nurses treating him, is Isabel (Jane Fonda). The two fall in love during his treatment, and get married when George finally gets out of the hospital. And they live happily ever after, ending the movie. Yeah right. This is based on a Tennessee Williams play, so you know it's not going to be happy ever after, especially considering all of the above finsishes with the end of the opening credits.
George has also been somewhat dishonest with Isabel about his personal life. He'd decided to quit his old job in search of better pastures, and when they get in the "just married" car to head out into their new life, Isabel finds that it's not a regular sedan, but a hearse! Worse, George is only able to take the couple to a cheap roadside motel on their first night to try to consummate their marriage, which he doesn't seem to be able to do.
The couple continue to drive on until they reach the home of George's old army buddy Ralph Bates (Tony Franciosa). Ralph has been married rather longer, to Dorothea (Lois Nettleton), and has a son by her. She comes from money, with Ralph working for her father's (John McGiver) business. Perhaps George may be able to make a fresh start there. But then again, George and Isabel aren't the only unhappy couple, as there's a good bit of strife in the Bates marriage too. Dorothea's father is beginning to think that perhaps Ralph only married Dorothea for the family money. And when George and Isabel show up, it's not hard to give her the impression that perhaps Ralph and Isabel are beginning to develop some sort of feelings for each other.
It's all enough to give everybody in the piece good reason to get overheated and start bickering with each other through the use of overheated dialog, much as in most of Tennessee Williams' other work that I've seen. Now, I'm not the biggest fan of Williams' work, in no small part because it's consistently too overheated and loud for its own good, leading to none of the characters being particularly likeable. And because it's a Tennessee Williams work, Isabel is written as a southern belle, leading to Jane Fonda essaying an obnoxious accent.
People who like Tennessee Williams may enjoy Period of Adjustment. I didn't.
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