Greetings,
You know what we all love? A makeover story! And that is exactly what we're going to take about today...sort of. It's Now, Voyager. Okay, it's probably more a story about someone blossoming, rather than...makeover-ing, but still. Also, you may think that my choosing this film makes me a narcissist or something, since I am a poet and a novel writer, and this is based on a novel of the same name, where the title comes from a line in a poem by Walt Whitman. But no, I just really like this movie. So, let's talk about it.
Now, Voyager is a 1944 film directed by Irving Rapper and starring Bette Davis as Charlotte Vale, a woman living under the thumb of her domineering mother, played by Gladys Cooper. Charlotte is basically the textbook definition of a spinster, and her self-confidence is lacking, thanks to the way her mother treats her. But we soon learn why this behavior occurs. It's actually kind of sad. All of this leads to Charlotte needing to spend some time in a sanitarium, mostly at the request of her sister, Lisa, played by Ilka Chase, and a psychiatrist named Dr. Jaquith, played by Claude Rains.
The time away from her mother proves extremely and positively effective for Charlotte, changing her into a whole new woman, both inside and out. Rather than returning home to her mother after her time at the sanitarium, she decides to take a cruise. Sounds good to me. And she meets a man! Sounds even better to me! His name is Jerry Durrance and he is played by Paul Henreid. Let me stop for a moment and say something. I have a list of Classic Movie Actor Crushes. A lot of people do, I'm sure. And, after I first saw this film, Paul Henreid got a coveted spot on that list. I'm sure he would be thrilled. He's just so unique, and I mean that in a good way. Plus, I love the way he talks. Dreamy sigh, dreamy sigh...and let's move on.
Anyway, Jerry is traveling with his two friends Deb and Frank McIntyre, played by Lee Patrick and James Rennie, and unfortunately, he has some baggage. Baggage of the matrimonial persuasion...and offspring. Yeah, it's that kind of story. The good news is that his wife is awful and he wants to divorce her, but the bad news is that he loves his daughter and stays in the marriage for her benefit. You know, writing that sentence out made me feel very bad, because it sounds very not right. But, in regards to the plot, it makes a little bit of sense.
Of course, all of this throws things into upheaval for Charlotte, and she ends up going back home. After this, her path takes some turns that she doesn't exactly want, but they are ones she feels she has to take. Her relationships, both new and old, stir up some uncomfortable emotions, and she ends up in places she doesn't want to be. Thus, we must wait to see if this long-suffering woman will ever be truly happy.
No, I'm not gonna tell you the answer to that! I may spoil a couple of plot points, but never an ending! Certainly not the ending to this movie which has one of the greatest quotes of all time.
Now, I must say, I do love this cast. As per usual, Bette Davis is stunningly brilliant, and everyone supporting her is fantastic. Especially my boyfriend. Oh, there I go again. Although...Yeah, I'm gonna have to be a bit overly critical now. So, here's the thing about child actors. I believe they get hired 99% of the time because they just need a kid, usually a cute kid. But a child actor that is legit good at the craft are rare as all heck. Sadly, the child actor in this film is not super great, in my opinion. She was a tad annoying, but maybe that was the way they wrote the character. And maybe that's the problem. Either way, I did not find the character particularly enjoyable. Maybe no one did since, according to IMDB, she didn't even get a credit. That can't be right. Oh, well. Still, everything else is good, so...we're good. Moving on.
This is one of the most interesting stories which I think is about the human condition and wanting to find fulfillment in one's life. Not to mention what people will do to hold on to that fulfillment once they think they've found it. So much of it is heartbreaking and uplifting all at once. Basically, it's life, along with all of its complexities. Therein lies the sign of some great storytelling.
Wrapping things up, Now, Voyager is one of those classics that should be put on everyone's "To Watch" list. It's a perfect example of everything that should be applied in film making, from the most important to the least. It shows us how sharing stories about emotions are the best ones to be told.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
