Roughly Speaking

Louise Randall Pierson lived a wonderful life. Mrs. Pierson was a woman ahead of her times. Her biggest accomplishment was a total dedication to her family. The film, based on her own autobiography, clearly shows why this woman was so unique. Michael Curtiz directed with his usual flair.

Louise Randall Pierson went from a childhood of privilege to almost poverty after her father died when she was still a girl. Louise pursues a career as a typist and joins a firm where no women had been employed. Her friendship with Alice Abbott brings her to New Haven where she meets and marries a man that never amounts to anything, but who leaves her for another woman without any qualms, leaving Louise to do whatever she can with four small children.

At this point in her life, she meets Harold Pierson, a lovable man who had big visions, but who never was able to have the recognition he deserved. Louise and Harold were made for one another. Their love will get them through some rough patches, but they manage to keep their spirits and give all the children careers of their own.

Rosalind Russell makes this film come alive. Ms. Russell was such a lovable actress that no matter what she appeared in, she always managed to please us. Jack Carson, an underrated actor, was perfect as her second husband Harold Pierson. Mr. Carson and Ms. Russell seem to be having a great time while making the movie. Ann Doran is the loyal friend Alice and Ann Todd plays the young Louise.

"Roughly Speaking" is one of the most positive films that came out of Hollywood in the forties because it shows us a determined woman with a great heart who raises above of what life gave her.

Until I happened to catch it on the Turner Classic Movies channel, I'd never heard of Roughly Speaking. It turns out to be a charming and genuinely funny romantic comedy, set during the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and the 1939-40 New York World's Fair. Roz Russell and Jack Carson, as a married couple raising a family, keep us wondering what crazy scheme they will cook up next in order to survive hard times. Their optimism is contagious. This family laughs a lot, especially when everything is going wrong, and it's real laughter--the kind that makes me laugh along with them. The ending seemed kind of abrupt, but apart from that, I found this movie great fun and often quite touching.

Rosalind Russell plays Louise Randall Pierson (someone I've never heard of, but this is based on her autobiography). Directed by Michael Curtiz, it showcases Russell and the often underrated Jack Carson as they face financial feast and famine and an ever-expanding family. Russell is tough, and unapologetic, and Carson is her equal. The film, coming from 1945, has a strange cliff hanging effect, as it ends with the beginning of World War II, and you wonder what will happen next. At the time it must have hit home for a lot of families with men (and women) fighting overseas. But I would strongly recommend it as a movie to watch before the films "Since You Went Away", with Claudette Colbert which chronicles life at home during the war, and "Best Years of Their Lives", which is probably the best coming-home-from-war film ever made. The three would make a great sequential view of life from the turn of the century to post WWII America. 8.5 out of 10.

'Roughly Speaking' sounded really interesting. Really like to love a vast majority of Michael Curtiz's films and even his lesser output is watchable, with him directing two of my favourite films of all times. Rosalind Russell was always well worth watching, many of her performances full of grace and wit. Usually see Jack Carson in more comedic roles and he was usually in support rather than lead, so a relative change of pace was always welcome. The story on paper intrigued.

As did the film overall. It is not quite perfect, but there is very little wrong and what doesn't quite come off is pretty minor. The good things are many and the best of them are done brilliantly. It's adapted from the personal life of a very eccentric person and it is a very colourful personal life, the person in question being Louise Randall Pierson who also adapts her own autobiography that 'Roughly Speaking' is adapted from. Making for a very good film overall that should be seen more.

Maybe 'Roughly Speaking' is slightly overlong by about 15-20 minutes and tries to include too much. The film never stops being interesting and a lot is covered, all interesting but with Pierson wanting to include as much as she could the "not knowing when to stop" approach was occasionally an undoing when it sometimes felt on the overstuffed side.

So much is great though in 'Roughly Speaking'. Russell is both gritty and charming, a truly great performance and manages to make an eccentric and potentially caricaturish person in the wrong hands likeable and interesting. Carson shows that he is equally at home in dramatic roles and also that he was not out of his depth as a lead like some predominently supporting actors/actresses in lead roles have been before and since. All the performances are fine, apart from dull Robert Hutton.

Curtiz directs with skill, both visually and in how he approaches the material. 'Roughly Speaking' is beautifully shot and is never over-elaborate or static while also being handsomely and evocatively designed. The film balances comedy and drama very, very well. Both are very well handled individually, the comedy having bite and sparkling wit and the drama being genuinely moving without going overboard on the bathos. The balance is just right with one not being favoured over the other and any tonal shifts don't feel jerky, abrupt or random.

The story is always compelling and a lot happens, too much admittedly at times, in a way that's fun, moving and truthful. It is easy to relate to what happens too. Max Steiner's score is quite charming and lush without being excessive. While Pierson is the most colourful of the characters, the characters still feel like real people with real human conflicts and such.

Overall, very, very good. 8/10

This was a real surprise. I found it hard to switch channels once I started watching the movie. The dialogue was witting and the whole movie charming. The movements between segments of the movie were abrupt but everything else I liked a lot.