The main plot idea of "Middle of the Night" is great. However, dare I say that Paddy Chayefsky's script isn't 100% satisfying?! After all, he was a brilliant writer and was responsible for such great productions as "Marty" and "Network". Yet, as I watched "Middle of the Night" I just felt that one of the characters really wasn't written well and because of this, the great message about so-called May-December marriages is muddled.
Frederic March plays a 60-something widower, Jerry. He's successful at his job but he's also rather lonely. While he doesn't initially consider dating her, his secretary Betty (Kim Novak) is lonely and they start spending time together. Eventually, they realize they are in love and want to get married. Then, they get all sorts of crap from their families--families who seem more concerned with keeping the status quo than wishing the best for these two lonely people.
March's character was the best thing in the film. It was a combination of excellent writing and excellent acting that made him a guy you could really care about. As for Novak's, she was much more difficult to relate to because she seemed very fragile emotionally and seemed in need of some therapy--and this really made their getting married a confusing thing. For most of the film, she really doesn't seem like she necessarily loves her fiancé but dates him to make him happy. And, much of the time, she seems to have no idea what she wants. Clarity in her character would have made for a better film. Instead, she just seemed very pretty but flaky.
In many ways, this film is like a reworking of "Marty"--a story of a lonely man whose friends and family seem to work hard to keep him alone and sad. My advice--just watch "Marty".
Frederic March plays a 60-something widower, Jerry. He's successful at his job but he's also rather lonely. While he doesn't initially consider dating her, his secretary Betty (Kim Novak) is lonely and they start spending time together. Eventually, they realize they are in love and want to get married. Then, they get all sorts of crap from their families--families who seem more concerned with keeping the status quo than wishing the best for these two lonely people.
March's character was the best thing in the film. It was a combination of excellent writing and excellent acting that made him a guy you could really care about. As for Novak's, she was much more difficult to relate to because she seemed very fragile emotionally and seemed in need of some therapy--and this really made their getting married a confusing thing. For most of the film, she really doesn't seem like she necessarily loves her fiancé but dates him to make him happy. And, much of the time, she seems to have no idea what she wants. Clarity in her character would have made for a better film. Instead, she just seemed very pretty but flaky.
In many ways, this film is like a reworking of "Marty"--a story of a lonely man whose friends and family seem to work hard to keep him alone and sad. My advice--just watch "Marty".