Geliebte Brigitte

I remember seeing this in the movie theater when I was a boy; I'm the same age as Bill Mumy and was always interested in his shows.

Like many movies it's important to understand the times in which the movie was produced. This was the age when the computer was moving from a science fiction tool to a daily part of life. Many of the themes in the movie were things that people were wrestling with every day. A decent father trying his best to raise his children right but trapped in his own perceptions of life. A daughter grown up in a completely different age. A young boy who is a mathematical savant in a family of liberal arts specialists. The mother doing her best to uphold the respect her family and children deserve. All held together in a very off beat setting.

All of this makes for a unique comedy that to me has grown with age. No, it's not a knee-slapper. But there are interesting themes being played out that grow as you watch. The ending of a child's innocence. The brutal march of technology. The desire to hold on to traditions deemed vital. And in the final scenes, the knowledge that with all our desire to control the future, luck and pure chance will have it's say.

And Brigitte Bardot's part is.....how do I say it......wonderful? She comes across as interesting and genuine. I think it's a great role.

Don't expect pie-in-the-face-fun. If you can't wrap yourself around the show and the times it's understandable. It's quirky and offbeat and wasn't pre-shown to theaters so they could write the script, the script was written and shot and there it is. But if you have it a chance (or two) you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Fairly good comedy featuring an ultra smart little boy who is used by swindlers for their own gain despite the over protectiveness of his father. Meanwhile, the boy is scheming to meet the famous French actress while his sister is anguishing over boys and proms. Typical 60's comedy.

Fun James Stewart film about a professor whose son has a dream to meet superstar Brigette Bardot. The circumstances are pleasing and the film has wonderful moments of laughter and tenderness.

In the 1960's this might have passed for wholesome family entertainment. Getting Fabian for a throw-away role was probably a good casting coup, and for comic relief you have Ed Wynn and Billy Mumy's 'Rain Man' routines. He is an IBM in sneakers, from which most of the plot develops. He secretly writes a love letter to Bardot every night and one day he gets a response in the form of an invitation to visit her in France. Billy and dad Jimmy Stewart go to Paris and have a meeting with Miss Bardot. She gives the little boy an autograph, a kiss and a puppy.

Inoffensive little comedy that might give you a laugh or two. I like movies that reference real movie stars in their title, like "Being John Malkovich" and "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar" so this makes the hat trick for me.

I've always have had a soft spot for family comedies, when they are charming, witty, and engaging, and this fits the bill. Its a harmless, lovely entertainment. Jimmy Stewart is is good, warm mode as a father who finds that his son (an endearing Bill Mumy) is a math genius who can solve the hardest of equations in just seconds and also has the knack for figuring out horse races as well. True he's also colorblind and tonedeaf, but not even geniuses can have everything. Glynis Johns has a bit of a smaller part as Stewart's wife but she is as welcome as ever and knows exactly how to play a scene.

The film receives its name from all the lett ers the boy sends to Brigitte Bardot, upon whom he has a case of a very youthful crush. Ms. Bardot actually appears toward the end, and her cameo is one of the high points of the film. This film might not be appreciated by cynics, nor by those wanting the height of sophistication, but as an example of cinematic comfort food, it is utterly enchanting.