Silent Night, Lonely Night

For a TV movie from over 50 years ago, it holds up remarkably well. A quiet, intelligent film, with some beautiful (and REAL) snow scenes shot in Amherst, MA, where the story is set. The most unrealistic scene was where they tear around on a snowmobile amidst numerous x-c skiers, barely missing hitting some of them. In real life, the skiers would be ANGRY at that, and for good reason! And there is no explanation given why Sparrow is suddenly an expert at guiding a horse-drawn sleigh on a long afternoon ride through the snow (and manages to bring it right into town, as well, lol). But those are minor things, overall the movie is well worth a view.

The film is watchable, especially if you have a soft spot for homey New England countryside in wintertime, or for Lloyd Bridges or Shirley Jones in fairly small roles. They circle each other, she: self-depriving and disciplined by principle, stunted socially; he: rougish in a restrained and admirable sort of way, but refusing to divulge a lie to her.

There is a hilarious scene in which John Sparrow (Lloyd Bridges) takes an afternoon jaunt on a Ski-Doo snowmobile, tearing around, laughing out loud and bailing out. This fad must have been in full swing in 1969 but looks bizarre and forced as an 'amusement' activity now! Later they take a picture perfect sleighride through Robert Frost country and you wish you were along.

Post-Airplane, it's indeed hard to see Lloyd Bridges open a bottle of scotch whiskey without saying aloud "Looks like I picked the wrong week to give up drinking!" Seeing son Jeff Bridges play Lloyd in a flashback to his college days (scene is shot inside the old Amherst College "Cage" basketball gymnasium) is fun. Carrie Snodgress appears as a student with her boyfriend, who admonish John and Katherine as the "establishment types" for their old tired ethics, and all share in the merriment of the season....

Cloris Leachman is wonderful in a cameo as the townie whom John may or may not recall from his past.

Nice film to watch at Christmastime -- the action all unfolds in the day or two before Christmas, and resolves on Christmas morning.

"Silent Night, Lonely Night" is another drama that takes place at Christmas time. The holiday setting is what brings one of the principal characters to the story. That, and the dour doldrums some people have when they are alone at such times, are the main aspects that fit this into the genre of Christmas films. Otherwise, it's not one that most people would want to replay over the holiday season.

That's not to say this isn't a good film. Indeed, it is a very good drama about a very likely real life situation similar to what any number of people may have experienced. For that reason, it is a very good study in human emotions. It's a good drama about family tragedy, illness, fidelity and infidelity. It's a story about betrayal, loyalty, loneliness, guilt, forgiveness and temptation. Lloyd Bridges and Shirley Jones play the leads very well.

Being a heavy drama, the film's pace may put many people off. Especially younger, modern audiences who have been weened mostly on non-stop action movies. But, for those willing to sit through it, this movie will present a good picture of personal conflict in trying times of marriage. It really strikes at the meaning of the traditional marriage vow of fidelity in sickness and health, good times and bad, and for better or worse.

This is a very sad movie, but very realistic, well-acted, and relatable in a lot of ways. It almost forces the viewer to hope for a number of possible outcomes, and keeps you wondering right up to the very end of the movie. And then the viewer has to decide how he or she feels about the choices made. I don't normally care for dramas like this one, but it is so well done, I can't help but love it.

I was sharing an apartment with three fellow recent college graduates when this was first telecast in 1969. I don't remember a lot about it except how it made me feel. When it was over there were four guys refusing to make eye contact with one another as we cried. It was a good movie. It was about two people who briefly find each other during a difficult time in their lives. I would have loved to have seen Henry Fonda and Barbara bel Geddes in the play.