The film begins well, with Jean Simmons being released from a state mental institution after suffering a mental breakdown a year before. Her ambitious university professor husband drives her home through wintry New England and arrives home. She lives in a large home with her selfish, indifferent husband, her noisy stepmother, and her vain, glamorous stepsister, whom she envies and had suspected of having an affair with her husband. In addition, there is a boarder, a young Jewish professor who works for her husband, and a crotchety, condescending maid. Everyone is polite, but the issues that led to her breakdown are still in the home and she also has to deal with gossipy neighbors. Then, it seems that the story is at a loss. The film is overwrought, to be honest. Even with the people problems she faces, Simmons' life is better than those of many people- she's attractive, has inherited money, lives in a beautiful, two-story home, can afford a servant to prepare meals and clean the home, and she has no children to take care of. I couldn't help if boredom and too much time on her hands wasn't one of her problems. Everyone talks about the same thing over and over again and the film could have been thirty minutes shorter without losing anything. It becomes like a merry-go-round of talk. Then I have to talk about the music. Max Steiner is a brilliant composer, but his music is way over the top for this personal and intimate film. Something much more low-key was needed. Two things save this film. One is the excellent locations, which are filmed in the dead of winter and make a perfect backdrop. The other is Simmons' performance, which capture a woman trapped in a marriage and family that are good in all the official ways but are lacking in all the ways that matter. She makes us care about her character even when her behavior is exasperating, which is quite an accomplishment.
Review of Home Before Dark
