Cactus Flower (film)
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| Directed by | Gene Saks |
| Produced by | M. J. Frankovich |
| Written by | Abe Burrows (play), Pierre Barillet (Fleur de cactus), Jean-Pierre Grédy (Fleur de cactus), I. A. L. Diamond (screenwriter) |
| Starring | Walter Matthau, Ingrid Bergman, Goldie Hawn |
| Music by | Quincy Jones |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 16, 1969 |
| Running time | 103 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3,000,000 (est.) |
| Box office | $25,889,208 |
Cactus Flower is a 1969 comedic film directed by Gene Saks and starring Walter Matthau, Ingrid Bergman, and Goldie Hawn, who won an Oscar for her performance. The screenplay was adapted by I. A. L. Diamond from a Broadway stage play written by Abe Burrows, which in turn was based upon the French play Fleur de cactus. The film was the seventh highest grossing film of 1970.
The film was very loosely remade in 2011 as Just Go with It, starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston.
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[edit] Plot
The film begins with 21-year-old Toni Simmons trudging across the road at night to post a letter. Subsequently, she returns to her apartment and attempts to gas herself using a "second-hand" stove. Fortunately, her neighbor, Igor Sullivan, smells the gas and rescues her from imminent death using rescue breathing, which evolves into a French kiss after Toni regains consciousness.
The movie then moves to the cause of the suicide attempt. Toni's lover Julian, a dentist and philanderer, had previously told Toni that he has a wife and two kids, in order to avoid commitment issues. However, upon learning of the suicide attempt, he decides to rethink his bachelor status and to marry Toni, resulting in him needing a wife to divorce.
In order to resolve his dilemma, Julian decides to ask Miss Stephanie Dickinson, his spinsterish Swedish nurse of ten years, to pose as his wife. At first unwilling, she ultimately accepts the role, since she has secretly developed a crush on Julian. However, upon meeting Miss Dickinson, Toni intuitively senses Miss Dickinson's love for Julian. This causes her to ask Julian to help Miss Dickinson find another man, in order for everyone to be happy. To resolve the situation, Julian involves several other characters, including Julian's friend Harvey, Señor Arturo Sánchez, and Igor. Ultimately, Toni finds out about the lie and leaves Julian for Igor, while Julian falls in love with Miss Dickinson.
The namesake of the film is a prickly cactus that Miss Dickinson keeps on her desk at the dentist's office. Similar to Miss Dickinson, the cactus is cold and inhospitable. However, by the end, both the cactus and Miss Dickinson have bloomed.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role | Other notes |
| Walter Matthau | Dr. Julian Winston | a dentist |
| Ingrid Bergman | Stephanie Dickinson | Dr. Winston's assistant |
| Goldie Hawn | Toni Simmons | Dr. Winston's girlfriend |
| Jack Weston | Harvey Greenfield | a friend and patient of Dr. Winston |
| Rick Lenz | Igor Sullivan | a writer and Toni's neighbor |
| Vito Scotti | Señor Arturo Sánchez | a diplomat and patient of Dr. Winston |
| Irene Hervey | Mrs. Durant | a patient of Dr. Winston |
| Eve Bruce | Georgia | a date of Harvey Greenfield's |
| Irwin Charone | Record Store Manager | Toni's employer |
| Matthew Saks | nephew | one of Mrs. Dickinson's nephews |
[edit] Reception
On release, the film received considerable acclaim from both the critics and the general public, becoming one of the highest grossing films of 1969 and 1970. Howard Thompson of The New York Times stated that "both the expansive scenario of I. A. L. Diamond and the flexible direction of Gene Saks open up and even ventilate the story."[1]. Roger Ebert declared that "the chemistry works" and "the movie is better than the play."[2]
The film marked then the return of Ingrid Bergman to the movies. After the 1940s, she left for Europe and had a liaison with Roberto Rossellini, which led to fierce attacks from gossip writers and no contracts from the U.S. studios. After some time away from movies and returning in the film Anastasia, they approached her for this role, and she agreed to star in her first comedy, leading to huge praise.
In her first major film role, Goldie Hawn, who had earlier been described as the "dizzy cream puff who is constantly blowing her lines [on Laugh-In],"[3] was especially commended for being "a natural reactress; her timing is so canny that even her tears run amusingly."[4] Her performance in Cactus Flower won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, her sole Oscar to date.
[edit] Awards
Goldie Hawn won two awards for her supporting role:
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress - Goldie Hawn
- Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture - Goldie Hawn
In addition, there was a nomination for Ingrid Bergman and an additional one for Goldie Hawn:
- BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role - Goldie Hawn
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy - Ingrid Bergman
Screenwriter I. A. L. Diamond was nominated for the 1969 Writers Guild of America Award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium, the only one of his ten screenplay nominations that was not for a screenplay that he co-wrote with Billy Wilder.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ Thompson, Howard (1969-12-17). "'Cactus Flower' Blooms". New York Times. http://movies2.nytimes.com/mem/movies/review.html?_r=1&res=9B03E7D6123CEE34BC4F52DFB4678382679EDE&oref=login. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (1969-12-29). "Cactus Flower". Chicago Sun-Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19691229/REVIEWS/912290301/1023. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
- ^ "Laugh-In Dropouts". Time Magazine. 1969-12-05. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,901660,00.html. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
- ^ "Late Bloomer". Time Magazine. 1969-12-19. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,941757,00.html. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
[edit] External links
- Cactus Flower at the Internet Movie Database
- Cactus Flower at the TCM Movie Database
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