The Prince of Tides
by Barbra Streisand
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Actor: Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner, Jeroen Krabbé, Kate Nelligan, Nick NolteDirector: Barbra Streisand
Brand: Sony
Producer: Barbra Streisand
Producer: Andrew S. Karsch
Producer: Cis Corman
Producer: James T. Roe III
Producer: Sheldon Schrager
Writer: Becky Johnston
Writer: Pat Conroy
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); Georgian (Subtitled); Chinese (Subtitled); Thai (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Spanish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; French (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Portuguese (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 132 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-11-06
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Reviews of The Prince of Tides
DVD Review: Queen of Tides Masterfully Guides a Man's Catharsis
Summary: 4 Stars
In only her second directorial effort (after "Yentl"), Barbra Streisand proves to be a masterful storyteller with an almost exaggerated romantic sensibility and an unfettered preoccupation with psychoanalysis. She obviously found the perfect vehicle in Pat Conroy's epic novel about Tom Wingo, a Southerner whose failing marriage and career reflect a deep suppression of an abusive childhood, the memories of which are triggered by his twin sister's suicide attempt. That the story revolves around a man's personal crisis versus a woman's may strike some as odd given Streisand's particularly female perspective, but she actually makes Tom's complex personal journey resonate with greater sensitivity as a result. In fact, the emotionalism Streisand invests in her musical performances is very much in evidence here, and her lush, almost Baroque style fits the contours of this soap opera very well.
The 1991 movie is helped immeasurably by a galvanizing performance from Nick Nolte, who captures all the layers of pride, regret, anger, sadness and humiliation in his character. He propels the storyline with the unbridled passion of an actor sinking his teeth into a juicy part as only a female director could define it. In fact, Streisand steps back to play the subordinate role of Dr. Susan Lowenstein, the pricey New York psychiatrist treating Tom's sister, Savannah. Granted, she does make herself rather beatific even in her high skirts and flimsy blouses, but such expectations come with Streisand as she basically plays Tom's savior. At the same time, it is probably her most subtle work onscreen even with the touches of excess that often detract from her performances. She also hands out plum parts to both the wonderful Kate Nelligan, who gets to age convincingly as Tom's upwardly driven mother with a dark secret, and Blythe Danner, dependably effective as Tom's conflicted wife. Both especially excel in their revelatory conversations with Tom, the dialogue insightful without delving too much into psychobabble. Credit should be given to Conroy and Betsy Johnston, who wrote the superb screenplay. Melinda Dillon has little to do as Savannah except look traumatized, which she does well. And in a not too subtle display of nepotism, Streisand's son, Jason Gould, sullenly plays the doctor's son, a musician-in-training who is coached on the finer points of football by Tom.
The movie is not without flaws. First, there is a critical scene where Tom confesses to Lowenstein (as Tom calls her) what exactly happened in his childhood that none of the Wingos have been willing or able to share with anyone else. Because of Streisand's effective juxtaposition of the long-ago violent crime with the present-day therapy session and Nolte's superb work, this is an especially powerful sequence. It feels climactic in nature given the depth of the catharsis we have been presented at that point, but the problem is that it comes about 45 minutes before the end of the movie. It is around this point that the story shifts to an inevitable affair between Tom and Lowenstein following a tense, pretentious dinner party with Jeroen Krabbe holding court as her psychologically abusive husband, a world renowned violinist out to humiliate Tom. Consequently, we are given a flagrant detour into Lowenstein's own catharsis, which brings up valid questions about her character's professionalism in even having an intimate relationship with a patient. This part of the story is Streisand at her most self-indulgent as both director and actor, as we follow these two smitten people on gauzy romantic walks and sweaty lovemaking by candlelight. Luckily the film recovers toward the end before any serious damage is done. Special mention should be made of the beautiful cinematography by Stephen Goldblatt, who perfectly captures the burnished aura of the lowlands of South Carolina, and the symphonic, often swooning score by James Newton-Howard. It's an impressive accomplishment to translate Conroy's lengthy, often florid narrative into a cohesive movie that retains the major themes of its source material, and Streisand has done a splendid job in pulling it all together.
Description of The Prince of Tides
PRINCE OF TIDES - DVD MovieBarbra Streisand's best film as a director is helped enormously by one of Nick Nolte's finest performances. Nolte plays a football coach who is estranged from his wife (Blythe Danner) and who enters into an affair with the psychiatrist (Streisand) of his suicidal sister (Melinda Dillon). Streisand is acceptable in her star turn, but behind the camera she paces the story very well and provides lots of room for Nolte to inhabit his burdened but likable character. George Carlin is a bit token as a gay New Yorker, although Jason Gould (Streisand's son) is good as a struggling teen in desperate need of a father figure. The whole film is worth watching just to see a great moment near the end where Nolte stands on a street, a bit slump-shouldered and wearing a look of sad resolve. It's great acting at its most minimal. --Tom Keogh
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