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Sandy Dennis plays a lonely woman who sees a young man sitting on a park bench in the rain and invites him in to dry off. He does not speak and she feeds him and buys him new clothes to wear. Dennis is perfect as the troubled lady with severe mental issues. She lives in a world of intense sexual repression, which is never fully explained. The boy turns out to be involved with the 1960's drug and free love culture. The finale is heart breaking and Robert Altman went on to a successful directorial career. Dennis won a Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" and she should have one another for this film.

Robert Altman is one of my favorite directors, and I had succeeded in seeing all but two of the many films he made during his career: "Health" and "That Cold Day in the Park." Neither were available anywhere to see for the longest time, and then a month ago or so the Gene Siskel Film Centre in Chicago had "That Cold Day" on its calendar, so I finally got a chance to review it.

It's a much better movie than I had expected given its obscurity and the dismissive response from critics and audiences upon its release. It's the first of four dream films centering on the psychological distress of primarily female protagonists that Altman would make over the course of his career. Sandy Dennis plays a Canadian spinster who takes in a younger man who's only too happy to let her buy him clothes, food, etc. There is no sexual component to their transaction, but the sexual tension nonetheless builds to a breaking point, at which point Dennis's character goes off the rails in a macabre finale.

Dennis is quite good and tones down her mannered acting habits. The film stylistically bears many of the hallmark Altman traits, like images broken up and refracted in reflective surfaces or the roving camera that will zoom in on a particular detail. I quite enjoyed this film and think that it deserves more mention in discussions about Altman's canon than it customarily receives.

Grade: A-

I would have given this more stars but for the contrived ending that sort of ruined the whole thing for me. Up until that point, I was seriously considering this work to be the equal of any work by Ingmar Bergman. Despite the corny ending, I still think that Sandy Dennis was easily the equivalent of Liv Ullman or Isabelle Hupert. It's shame that she died when she did, and I don't think she ever really received the accolades that she was due. Of course there was her work in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff", in which she played a supporting role, and lighter fare such as "The Out of Towners", but one viewing of "That Cold Day in the Park" should be enough to convince any discerning viewer that Sandy Dennis was a great talent that was taken away far too soon.

To me, a film like this is too difficult to rate.

The 113-minutes amounts to a slow moving, yet fascinating, study in perverse character. Frances (Dennis) is a rich girl living a lonely repressed life in a ritzy Vancouver apartment. Then one rainy day she spots a young man (Burns) sitting alone in a park across from her rooms. Clearly, he's soaked and suffering, unprotected from the rain, while gazing across at him from her comfy apartment, she's suffering from a cloistered life amongst a suffocating elite. Sensing a bond, she takes him in and comforts him though strangely he never says a word to her. Nonetheless, it seems he's a handsome mute presence that breaks her internal solitude. But how can she keep him there since she's too repressed to express emotion other than acting kindly. At the same time, underneath it all, she secretly yearns for sex, yet in her repressed state can't manage the emotional lead-up. Thus, caught between a rock and a hard place, she locks him in the apartment, while plotting to overcome her frozen lead-up to intimacy.

All in all, Dennis manages a single inscrutable expression throughout, a genuine novelty but true to her character's mental state. Of course, we wonder what's going on with Frances, and at the same time, we wonder about Burns's strangely mute boy. It's this curiosity, I believe, that carries viewers over the flatter spots that stretch out the run-time. I hate to say so but it seems director Altman over-indulges a penchant for dressing and undressing his characters as well as other bits of marginal business. But then, to the delight of most audiences, it is 1968 and decades of censorship are breaking down. In short, the forbidden is no longer forbidden, and Altman joins the crowd, perhaps to a fault.

Too bad the narrative's otherwise pointless moments disrupt rather than intensify the underlying character puzzle. All in all, the result amounts to an over-stretched thriller. But one that still manages to fascinate thanks to an odd premise embodied by the quirky Sandy Dennis.

A rich but lonely spinster, Fraces Austen (Sandy Dennis) invites a stranger, young man (Michael Burns) to her home and lets him live with her.

This movie sounds intriguing because the plot and the promotional materials suggest the subject matter of sex even more so involving an older woman, but if viewed through today's standard, this would likely confuse and could potentially garner the worst rating from its audience. And that is because this movie is totally something different. I say this pertaining to how the story was executed. More recent films tend to spoon-feed moviegoers to avoid alienating them from the story of the movie, but at the expense of losing the audience's active participation. I have realized that the movie holds up because it does not follow that trend. It offers so much more beneath the surface for the thoughtful and patient viewer. This is certainly a film that would get better upon repeated viewings. The performance of Sandy Dennis alone is a testament to that. With her almost blank facial expression, her performance adds to the emotional depth of the character. She is perfect for it. The direction of then newcomer Robert Altman (who would later direct classic films such as Nashville and M.A.S.H.) is rightfully subtle. He was able to both reveal and conceal elements for the benefit of the material.

If you are looking for a movie with straight forward storytelling and a clear quick payoff to enjoy and relax to, this might exhaust and bore you to tears. But if you are interested with unconventional narratives that will make you more an active watcher and immerse you in the subject of psychology or simply in how people in the same position think and behave, this will pass as entertaining to you or even more than that. You will surely be rewarded one way or another.

If you remember how Sandy Dennis charmed your socks off in "Up The Down Staircase," be forewarned, she WILL creep you out in "That Cold Day in The Park." Remember to tell yourself, that this is only a movie, and she was only an actress...and a damned good one.

A rich but lonely woman, Frances Austen (Sandy Dennis), one day invites a boy (Michael Burns) from a nearby park to her apartment and offers to let him live there.

The film was shot in Vancouver for the purpose of getting the rain, which seems odd. Many, many films today are shot in Vancouver, though the weather is not typically a factor. Was this common practice in 1969 or were they pioneering? Although based on a novel, director Robert Altman offered some ideas for the film, and he confessed that some were "awful". Luckily, those ideas were scrapped by star Sandy Dennis and never made it into the film. (Could she be said to be a co-writer? Not quite, but clearly a valuable resource.) Interestingly, the producer was Donald Factor, a member of the well-known Max Factor cosmetics family. His only other part of film history was producing "Universal Soldier" (1971), which starred nobody and was seen by nobody.

This film requires a lot of patience. Because it focuses on mood and character development, the plot is very simple and many of the scenes take place on the same set - in Frances Austen's (the Sandy Dennis character) apartment. But the film builds to a disturbing climax.

The characters create an atmosphere rife with sexual tension and psychological trickery. It's very interesting that Robert Altman directed this, considering the style and structure of his other films. Still, the trademark Altman audio style is evident here and there. I think what really makes this film work is the brilliant performance by Sandy Dennis. It's definitely one of her darker characters, but she plays it so perfectly and convincingly that it's scary. Michael Burns does a good job as the "mute" young man. Regular Altman player Michael Murphy has a small part. The solemn, moody set fits the content of the story very well. In short, this movie is a powerful study of loneliness, sexual repression, and desperation. Be patient, soak up the atmosphere, and pay attention to the wonderfully written script.

I praise Robert Altman. This is one of his many films that deals with unconventional, fascinating subject matter. This film is disturbing, but it's sincere and it's sure to elicit a strong emotional response from the viewer. If you want to see an unusual film - some might even say bizarre - this is worth the time.

Unfortunately, it's very difficult to find in video stores. You may have to buy it off the internet.

One of the gifted Robert Altman's earliest and most underrated films, and a real showcase for the exceptionally talented Sandy Dennis who is at her best as the deluded heroine. Granted, Dennis has been known to overact a time or two, but definitely not here. She delivers a quietly intense, effective performance that sticks with you. If you're a Dennis devotee like me, THAT COLD DAY IN THE PARK is a terrific little gem you simply can't afford to miss. Michael Burns, as the odd young man that Dennis takes under her wing, also does well in his role, but the film belongs to Sandy who should have won a second Oscar for this film(she won the Academy Award three years earlier for her scene-stealing supporting role in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?). Altman should have also won an Oscar for his superb direction. This dark, disturbing drama makes a great companion piece to William Wyler's THE COLLECTOR. After watching both films innumerable times, I still find it difficult to say which is the better flick. If I absolutely had to choose between this dynamic duo, I'd choose THAT COLD DAY IN THE PARK.

I liked this but it had the potential to be so much better than it was. If this was my film I would tweak it just a little. Add a few more little subtle creepy scenes to it in the beginning before she brings the hooker home that gives the viewer some clues that she isn't playing with a full deck and wholah this would be a full fledged fantastic horror movie and bonk it up to at least an 8 rating. As it is now the story plays out about the life of a single woman who lives alone but has friends & leads a normal & very plain life. She functional & there's nothing that indicates she's off her rocker. Maybe that's the point of the whole thing but still it makes for a pretty stale dull movie. If it wasn't for the last 5 minutes I would rate this a 3.

"Frances Austen" (Sandy Dennis) is having a genteel lunch party with her friends when she spots a young man sitting on a park bench outside amidst an heavy rainstorm. Her guests all leave and she decides to fetch him in to feed, water and dry him off. He (Michael Burns) understands her ok, but he doesn't ever speak as she proceeds to chat (pretty relentlessly) to him before offering him a bed for the night. It isn't long before she is completely obsessed by the attractive young man and he becomes more of a lodger, though with increasingly less freedom to leave her luxurious apartment. When she decides that she might want to look after his sexual needs too, things begin to come to an head - and (a feintly ridiculous) tragedy ensues. The first eighty minutes or so of this are quite intriguing. We see a woman - of ostensibly upstanding character - become increasingly hung up on the young Adonis she has taken under her wing, whilst we also see aspects of the young man's true character that remain unknown to her for much of the film. Robert Altman cleverly and delicately touches on the aspects of infatuation and delusion of "Frances" whilst also eliciting a degree of sympathy for her as we discover that the boy is not the only one being used, here. Burns spends a lot of his time scantily clad, but in quite an effectively non-provocative, almost boyish fashion - and Dennis is on good form as a woman who has lived her life in a gilded cage from which she now craves escape. I did not really like the ending. It seemed a bit lazy and sensational for me. Not that I did really know how it should conclude, or even if it needed a definite denouement at all, but somehow I was rather disappointed with what we were offered..This is still an interesting character study that any fly on the wall might enjoy. I did.

This is another of Robert Altman's underrated films(let's be honest, the only movie he's made that really didn't work was Ready to Wear), and Sandy Dennis gives a spellbinding performance in it.She is far better here than she was in "The Out of Towners". The material, I will admit, is beneath the great director Altman and the extraordinary actress Dennis, but that hardly matters anyway.As long as there allowed to do their thing and do it well, just about any story will do.

Rare for me to come across a film of such quality from 60s/70s that I have never seen but this is certainly one. All the more surprising that it is an Altman film I hadn't seen but then I assume this only had a modest release and then disappeared. Easy to see why as it is a difficult film to describe and recommend to someone and pretty much in a category of its own although I do recall someone suggesting there might be a small genre of 'women going madsploitation' which I guess was to include to include Repulsion and the earlier Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. Strangely I was reminded more of the 2007 British film Hallam Foe which had something of the tone and obsessiveness. That had humour though which this has little of and what there is is very hard to laugh at. Sandy Dennis is amazing and particularly in that she has to talk to herself for most of the movie. At turns this is worrying and vaguely amusing that only makes it more worrying and even disturbing. There are some surprises but right from the beginning it is clear this is not going to end very well.

'That Cold Day In The Park' is an extremely underrated psycho-thriller directed by a pre-fame Robert Altman. Sandy Dennis (who Altman would eventually reunite with on 'Come Back To The Five And Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean' in the early 80s) plays Frances Austen, a repressed thirty-something woman who is trapped in a boring bourgeois life after the death of her mother. She becomes fascinated by the sight of a young man (Michael Burns) who sits in the park getting soaked in the rain. After her guests leave she invites him into her home to get warmed up, and after discovering that he is mute an odd relationship develops between them. We soon find out that he he has the power of speech, but she is none the wiser, and his silence allows her to open up a little. After that things get well, complicated. I don't want to spoil what follows but it's fascinating to watch the events unfold, and Dennis' performance is terrific. Sadly she passed away in the early 1990s, Sean Penn's terrific 'The Indian Runner' being her last movie. I know nothing about Michael Burns, but he is also very good, and the supporting cast includes small but important roles from Altman regular Michael Murphy and cult actress Luana Anders ('Dementia 13', 'Easy Rider', 'Greaser's Palace'). 'That Cold Day In The Park' has been neglected for far too long. It's an excellent movie which I highly recommend.

Sandy Dennis' ability to convey the character's descent into loneliness and obsession without resorting to melodrama is a testament to her acting prowess. This film marks a significant departure from the conventional narratives of its time. I find it to be profoundly suspenseful and enigmatic from the moment we are introduced to the main character, Frances. As the narrative progresses, serious psychological elements emerge, heightening the underlying suspense. The film's visual language, characterized by its muted color palette and claustrophobic interiors, also mirrors Frances's internal turmoil and the oppressive nature of her solitude.

Robert Altman didn't hit the big time until MASH in 1970. Most of his work prior to that was on television, though he did make a small handful of theatrical films. That Cold Day in the Park came the year before MASH. Sandy Dennis stars as a lonely socialite who spies a young man (Michael Burns) sitting on a park bench across the street. Presumably, he's homeless - he stays there even in the freezing rain. She invites him in to dry off. He seems to be a mute. The mystery behind him is intriguing, but, surprisingly quickly, it's dismissed as his secrets are revealed and are fairly banal. At first, I was disappointed. Soon, though, it becomes apparent that the audience's expectations about how this plot will develop are subverted. This film has kind of a middling reputation, but, while I wouldn't call it one of his absolute best, I don't think it should be ignored among Altman's oeuvre. His signature style may not have come until MASH - though the sequence at the women's clinic definitely is a precursor - but he would revisit similar story lines later on, most notably in Images, another of his most undervalued films. Anyone who's a fan of Sandy Dennis ought to check it out. She's fantastic in it. Olive Films has given That Cold Day in the Park a long overdue DVD/Blu Ray release (it's not the best looking Blu Ray I've ever seen, but it's more than acceptable). If you don't want to spend the money, there's also a decent-looking VHS rip on Youtube.

That Cold Day In The Park is a great movie about obsession and posessive relationships, that more people should watch.

It takes an aging woman, Frances Austen, as the protagonist. She sees a (seemingly mute) young man in the park. She invites him in, and gives him a room, and trying to fulfill all of his needs. However, she has no intention of letting him go.

It plays as a slow burner psycho story. The characters are explored without ever getting basic information on them: the boy's name is never revealed, for example. But what is really ingenious about it is the progression and implications, as Frances grows more and more to need the boy in her house, and how she starts to desire him. The climax explodes about five minutes from the picture's end, once tension is maxed out and finally snaps.

It is a sexual thriller, yes. It is built around the emptiness of Frances's wealthy life, and how far she is willing to go in order to obtain some adventure, or perhaps "love".

Great performances come from Sandy Dennis (Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?) and Michael Burns (The Virginian). Burns, who has probably no more than 20 lines in the whole film, is given almost only the movement and the facial expressions to work with, and manages to be a mysterious and interesting presence in the screen. Dennis plays the lonely lady in a methodical way. Her voice is the highlight. By the end, when she asks the boy to "make love" to her, by her voice only, it is clear that she is on the verge of a breakdown.

The direction is Robert Altman's (The Player, M.A.S.H.), who had yet to take his greatest and most popular projects. The picture takes place mostly in interiors, giving a certain feeling of claustrophobia, as if the viewer was trapped alongside the boy. Surely a great idea for the cinematography, in the best "New Age Hollywood" style.

As quite slow, sexual and puzzling burn, it isn't everyone's cup of tea. But for the fans of the Late 60s and 70s era of "Arthouse" filmmaking, it is a great watch.