A Patch of Blue is one of my favorite classic movies. There are so many wonderful elements to the film: a tragic script, fantastic acting, family tensions, a beautiful romance, suspense, humor, social commentary, fitting music, and above all, heart. There's so much heart in this film it'll be impossible for you to remain dry-eyed. But, although it is a heavy drama, it's not so upsetting you won't want to watch it over and over. I've seen it over a dozen times and I still haven't had my fill.
Twenty-two-year-old Elizabeth Hartman made her film debut as the lead in A Patch of Blue, and she was nominated for Best Actress at the 1965 Oscars. It was a terribly competitive year, with Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music and Julie Christie in Darling as her main competition. I'll leave it to you to pick the most deserving performance of the three, but it's a very tough decision. I would have given the gold to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth plays a young blind girl, and to make her eyes look sufficiently damaged to the audience, she wore special contacts-but they actually interfered with her ability to see clearly! She lives with her crass and cruel mother Shelley Winters, and Shelley's alcoholic father Wallace Ford. Elizabeth is constantly verbally abused, and she believes the insults her mother flings at her, so she sees no problem with acting as the housekeeper, cook, and laundress, even though she's unappreciated. She also strings beads, which bring in a meager side income for the household, and on sunny days, Wallace Ford takes her to the park so she can enjoy the fresh air while working. One day, she meets a kind man, and a slow friendship builds.
Sidney Poitier plays the nice man in the park. Elizabeth is extremely ignorant, and as she and Sidney become friends, he helps educate her, from correcting her grammar to helping her survive better in her blind world. If you don't fall in love with Sidney Poitier after watching A Patch of Blue, you must have lousy taste. He's so incredibly sweet and kind, but he's also reserved because he suspects if Elizabeth knew the color of his skin, she wouldn't want to associate with him anymore.
Shelley Winters, in her own unique brashness that makes her utterly unlikable yet fascinating to watch, plays an ignorant, racist woman so convincingly, it'll be tough to believe her in any other role if you've never seen her before. You might want to try A Place in the Sun or Night of the Hunter to see her in a softer role first before this harsh character becomes etched in your mind. She won an Oscar for her performance, but Sidney Poitier wasn't even nominated. Maybe the Academy wasn't ready to honor an interracial romance; in some Southern states, some of the scenes were cut from the theatrical screenings.
I can't stress enough how wonderful this film is. If you've ever felt alone in the world and ached for just a small gesture of kindness, you'll love it. If you're a hopeless romantic, you'll love it. If you appreciate movies with fantastic acting, or are a Sidney Poitier fan, or are looking for a new celebrity boyfriend, you'll love it. Just watch it. You'll love it.
Twenty-two-year-old Elizabeth Hartman made her film debut as the lead in A Patch of Blue, and she was nominated for Best Actress at the 1965 Oscars. It was a terribly competitive year, with Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music and Julie Christie in Darling as her main competition. I'll leave it to you to pick the most deserving performance of the three, but it's a very tough decision. I would have given the gold to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth plays a young blind girl, and to make her eyes look sufficiently damaged to the audience, she wore special contacts-but they actually interfered with her ability to see clearly! She lives with her crass and cruel mother Shelley Winters, and Shelley's alcoholic father Wallace Ford. Elizabeth is constantly verbally abused, and she believes the insults her mother flings at her, so she sees no problem with acting as the housekeeper, cook, and laundress, even though she's unappreciated. She also strings beads, which bring in a meager side income for the household, and on sunny days, Wallace Ford takes her to the park so she can enjoy the fresh air while working. One day, she meets a kind man, and a slow friendship builds.
Sidney Poitier plays the nice man in the park. Elizabeth is extremely ignorant, and as she and Sidney become friends, he helps educate her, from correcting her grammar to helping her survive better in her blind world. If you don't fall in love with Sidney Poitier after watching A Patch of Blue, you must have lousy taste. He's so incredibly sweet and kind, but he's also reserved because he suspects if Elizabeth knew the color of his skin, she wouldn't want to associate with him anymore.
Shelley Winters, in her own unique brashness that makes her utterly unlikable yet fascinating to watch, plays an ignorant, racist woman so convincingly, it'll be tough to believe her in any other role if you've never seen her before. You might want to try A Place in the Sun or Night of the Hunter to see her in a softer role first before this harsh character becomes etched in your mind. She won an Oscar for her performance, but Sidney Poitier wasn't even nominated. Maybe the Academy wasn't ready to honor an interracial romance; in some Southern states, some of the scenes were cut from the theatrical screenings.
I can't stress enough how wonderful this film is. If you've ever felt alone in the world and ached for just a small gesture of kindness, you'll love it. If you're a hopeless romantic, you'll love it. If you appreciate movies with fantastic acting, or are a Sidney Poitier fan, or are looking for a new celebrity boyfriend, you'll love it. Just watch it. You'll love it.