Young divorcee Betty Preisser (Kim Novak) works as a secretary in a NYC garment factory. She lives with her mother Mrs. Mueller and her sister Alice Mueller. Her much older boss Jerry Kingsley (Fredric March) is a widower of almost two years. He has married daughter Lillian at about the same age as Betty with a baby and protective spinster sister Evelyn. The women try matchmaking for him and he's not happy about it. He falls for the troubled Betty who reluctantly starts dating her boss despite objections from both of their families.
May to December romances were probably more in fashion back in the day, not to mention the power imbalance of a worker and her employer. I'm not feeling this romance and I don't see the chemistry between the two actors. Quite frankly, she's Kim Novak. This is written from the man's point of view. He's bitter and she's pathetic. He's sad so he deserves a hottie. It may be a match but it's not made in heaven. It doesn't help that he calls her "you're such a pretty kid". At the very least, she could have a child and he could show some real kindness towards her kid. They are not the most compelling part of the movie. It's their family. The family complications are interesting. It's a Paddy Chayefsky play. It certainly has deep writing but the main premise is slightly problematic in today's HR. I don't feel for the relationship.
May to December romances were probably more in fashion back in the day, not to mention the power imbalance of a worker and her employer. I'm not feeling this romance and I don't see the chemistry between the two actors. Quite frankly, she's Kim Novak. This is written from the man's point of view. He's bitter and she's pathetic. He's sad so he deserves a hottie. It may be a match but it's not made in heaven. It doesn't help that he calls her "you're such a pretty kid". At the very least, she could have a child and he could show some real kindness towards her kid. They are not the most compelling part of the movie. It's their family. The family complications are interesting. It's a Paddy Chayefsky play. It certainly has deep writing but the main premise is slightly problematic in today's HR. I don't feel for the relationship.