The Family Way

A late entry to the British kitchen sink cycle, which suggests that if there was one thing that the upstanding, chapel going, gossipping classes disapproved of more than sex before marriage, then it was failing to fulfill one's conjugal duties afterwards. Which is unfortunate for a willing, but unable, Hywell Bennett and his virginal bride, portrayed by a divine Hayley Mills. Bennett is good, and Mills is suitably wide eyed and adorable, which in fairness is all the script really asks of her, but the film belongs to the senior cast members. John Mills, ironically portraying his real life daughter's father-in-law, succeeds in being comical and pathetic yet immensely noble, and Marjorie Rhodes is equally compelling as his wife, who loves, yet at times, quietly loathes him. The Family Way is a touching and amusing look at the social mores of Northern England circa the mid-sixties, and a chance to see Hayley Mills' bare bottom!

The big day has arrived and you're to wed, a union with young Jenny, conjugal bed, a honeymoon in Majorca (cancelled at the last minute), she really is a corker, but there's things spinning around inside your head. You're father doesn't help as he's a boor, while living in his house is such a chore, no escape on the horizon, and you're struggling to enliven, perform the ritual of love, ardour, l'amour. And now the world has been informed of your shortcoming, about the problem you've been having with your plumbing, you feel belittled and enraged, life was much easier when engaged, it's so unsavoury, unpleasant and unbecoming.

The trials and tribulations of a newly married couple and their irritating and interfering parents.

I saw this movie as a young college student not long after it first came out. Hayley Mills was one of my favorite actresses at the time. Pretty well all girls of my era idolized, envied, and wanted to be just like her. She's a lovely lady still, beautiful accented voice, and wonderful actress. It was a thrill of a lifetime when I saw her on the London stage in 1975 in A Touch of Spring; she's even lovelier in person than on screen. Hayley's perfect here, sort of bubbly, sweet, wide eyed, and eager in the role of the young bride, Jenny. By the way, just as a point of interest for those who might not know, she married (though later divorced) this film's much older director, Ray Boulting, who was 33 years her senior.

This movie tells the story of the marital difficulties of two young newlyweds, Arthur and his virginal bride Jenny, who live with Arthur's working class parents (presumably having no choice for financial reasons). The flat's thin walls prove a problem; Arthur becomes impotent and the couple is unable to consummate the marriage. Their affairs, or lack thereof, become the topic of conversation among interfering family members and the gossip of the neighborhood which, as you might predict, does not prove an asset to Arthur's situation. This unusual (for that era) and touching theme is sensitively portrayed. Times may have changed but believe it or not, I think it's a subject that's still relevant even in the modern Viagra era. Lots of sexual dysfunction issues of one sort or another for modern couples today.

Apparently there were other significant family relationship stories in this picture, especially mother / father / son interactions, but frankly, after all these years, I don't recall any of the details. I would love to watch this film again now, especially as some reviewers seem to indicate that the movie actually revolves more around these issues than the question of Arthur's performance. One commented that the impotency was merely a sub-plot. Naturally the main focus in a movie is invariably the juicy sexual aspect, and I confess that's what I focused on myself when I saw it years ago.

Hayley's real life father, John Mills, plays her father-in-law (Arthur's dad) so it was interesting seeing father and daughter on screen together. They also star together in the much earlier 1959 film Tiger Bay. He's brilliant of course in all his roles, especially the village idiot in Ryan's Daughter.

The film generated a great fuss about it being Hayley's first grown up part, accustomed as we all were to her starring childhood roles in Pollyanna, The Parent Trap etc. Too much has been made of the infamous bathtub scene and the revealing glimpse (actually brief, tastefully done, and not terribly risqué) of Hayley's derriere.

This is a marvelous, highly under rated, currently virtually unknown film of British working class family life...a kitchen sink movie, they seem to be calling it. Even after thirty years, it has left a good impression on me and I recommend it.

This film, although made before i was born is still one of my favorite films, Sir John Mills shows his best ever performance, i don't need to tell you the story as you've read the reviews above but the ending is still one of the most powerful i have ever seen, and humbles me to know its only words, fantastic.

There is a gem of a scene in this movie when the parents of the newly married couple meet to discuss the newlywed's problem in "getting their marriage started". Somehow the subject gets around to Billy, a fellow who is talked about but does not appear in this film. Although the two fathers are too dense to know it, the audience figures out something important which happened concerning Billy.

The closing scene is also great when Ezra Fitton makes two observations which are both sad and funny.