The Trouble with Angels
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Actor: Binnie Barnes, Camilla Sparv, Marge Redmond, Mary Wickes, Rosalind RussellBrand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 112 minutes
Published: 2003-11-01
DVD Release Date: 2003-11-11
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Reviews of The Trouble with Angels
DVD Review: To bend but not to break... to yield but not capitulate... to have pride but also humility.
Summary: 5 Stars
Back when The Trouble with Angels was released (back in the olden days of the sixties), I recall one reviewer writing it was a run of the mill cutesy poo movie with cutesy poo nuns or words to that effect. Can't remember who the critic was, but they not only missed the boat on this one, they weren't even at the dock. Sister Act had cutesy poo nuns, this movie had nuns that had personality, character, and a story to tell. Perhaps this critic saw the cartoonish titles and decided not to give it a chance. Could be that's all they actually watched of this terrific film, that can be viewed by young and old alike.
Hayley Mills plays orphaned teenage girl, Mary Clancy, who is sent by her Uncle George to the St. Francis Academy For Girls, because he believes it will straighten her out. On the train to the school, she strikes up a conversation with Rachel Devery (June Harding)), whom is also being sent to the school by her parents. They quickly become friends and co-conspirators, who at the very outset seem to have one thing in mind-give the nuns one big giant size headache. So much so that as soon as they arrive the school they find theirselves in Mother Superior's (Rosalind Russell)office and bad graces.
If this movie had been made today, I have no doubt that the whole film would taken place during one school year, and be only about Mary and Rachel playing one prank after another (of course in this day and age the pranks would probably just be gross out gags), and tidy things up with some silly ending. Ida Lupino, who skillfully directed this film from a script by Blanche Hanalis, gives us so very much more. We follow these young ladies through three different years at St. Francis. With each year we see their characters grow and mature. The majority of the pranks they pull occur in the first year, tapering off until in their final year, the only two pranks we get are one that is a leftover from something they had been doing for three years (won't give it away)and the other trouble they get into in their last year is because they were actually trying to help the St. Francis. Seems, they were indeed maturing.
Rosalind Russell gives a very underrated, and more often then not overlooked performance. She has a tough exterior, but there is so much more to her than meets the eye as Mary and Rachael find out over the course of the movie. There are some very telling scenes in this story about her character, when she is ready to expel Mary but thinks better of it after meeting Uncle George, after Mary mimics Sister Ursula's German accent and Rev. Mother begins to tell Mary about what happened to the Sister during the war, when Rev. Mother helps Rachel with a sewing project and tells Mary about her own past after Rachel has fallen asleep, and a terrific scene that takes place in an old folks home. There is one more scene with Rosalind Russell that will bring tears to any but the most cold-hearted viewer, that shows more emotional depth than you could get in all the current summer blockbusters stacked on top of one another.
In the early part of this movie, one might mistakenly believe they are getting Hayley Mills in a run-of-the-mill kids movie with no substance. As the movie progresses, we find we are getting so much more than that. Her character doesn't suddenly change from one scene to another. We see her mature and grow gradually, from the prankster, to the young woman who matures and finds not only what life has to offer, but also what she can give in return. When people talk about Hayley Mills, most of the time they think of Parent Trap or Pollyanna, and while she gave excellent performances in both of those films, she was not required to bring the depth of character she brings to Mary Clancy. If she hadn't been able to do that, then the ending of this movie wouldn't have been at all believable. It is Hayley's performance that brings the whole thing together.
June Harding is excellent also. As Rachael, we believe in her friendship with Mary, we know how much the two of them really care about each other. She also lets us see that Mary is not just her friend but also her idol, which helps us understand why she believes Mary is committing an act of betrayal.
I could go on and on about this movie. All the nuns have their own distinct personalities, but they are never made to be caricatures. Marge Redmond as Sister Liquori stands out in her role as Rev. Mother's closest friend and confidant. Mary Wickes as the gym teacher and bus driver, may seem a little daffy, yet we know she loves doing what she's doing. (Mary Wickes also played the nun who drove the bus in Sister Act II, coincidence or paying homage to this character?) Camilla Sparv as the beautiful Sister Constance has a great scene with Mary, explaining why she is leaving St. Francis.
Checking Ida Lupino's biography, I find that while she directed many episodes of television series, this is the only feature film that I can find with her as director. I don't know the reasons, it could have been a prejudice against women directing feature films at the time, or maybe something else. I wish she had been given the chance to do more feature films. It would have been interesting to see the result. Unfortunately, as so often happens in the movie world we will never know. I just wish I could thank her for having us brought this truly remarkable film.
On the other hand, I have not bought this disc. There's really no excuse to release just a pan and scan version of any film these days. Until Sony can see the light, I'll settle for my widescreen copy of the film burned onto a DVD from Turner Classsic Movies. Wise up, Sony.
Description of The Trouble with Angels
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