Pookie

I saw it in 1992 (well past puppy love age) and wrote in my diary:

A heavenly movie! What a visual and aural delight! The plot didn't matter much (love of shy college boy and girl). But then, no good movie puts plot above everything else. Good movies have great atmospheres. They are pleasing to the eye, as well as the ear. This one was blissfully free from cliches, melodrama, formulas, phony excitement. It was pure warmth, charm, prettiness, spontaneity. There were almost no close-ups. The scenery was breathtaking, the pacing calm and gentle. There were whispers! Whispering is so charming, so intimate. Liza Minelli was never better. This film gave me a great boost, making me feel connected with fellow humans.

This is one of the few films I've seen in which every shot represents the theme and overall feeling of the film. No matter whether Minnelli's Pookie and Burton's Jerry are together as a couple, in a crowd, or completely alone, a sense of loneliness pervades the situation. To achieve this Pakula uses several long shots of the characters, or, during the party scene, he has Pookie and Jerry on separate levels of the staircase, staring up or down at each other from a distance. From the very first shot we see this, with Pookie and her father walking to a bench and then sitting there waiting, in an extremely long take that spans the entire opening credits. In representing the awkwardness of a first sexual experience, another extremely long take is used, in which Jerry disrobes Pookie, take off each piece of clothing one by one, hanging them up in the closet or folding them properly, then doing the same for himself, and within this the loneliness is established in Pookie's great enthusiasm to "get in the sack" and Jerry's calculated attempts at making the experience romantic, which are completely unromantic. Even McIntire's small role as Charlie plays an important part in the representation of the loneliness, as he assumes that Jerry is a virgin, like he is, thinking he confide this is in Jerry because they have it in common, which they don't. Minnelli's acting in this excellent, probably on the same par as her role in Bob Fosse's "Cabaret." This is also one of the few films I have actually not just felt sad about, but actually did cry at. I believe this is a very well-made film, and it deserves a higher rating than it has on here. The subjects it deals with are not trivial in the least, they are an important part of life, and the ending is perfect in proving this. It is very realistic in the psychological portrayal of its characters, which is a very difficult thing to pull off. I have not read the book, but I am sure the characters are established just as well in this film adaptation. Although it is a sad film to watch, Pakula hooks us right away with Pookie's outrageous personality, and although, like Jerry, we feel she is annoying person, even if she is friendly, we cannot stop listening to her and watching her, and when she is not in a scene we feel something is lacking. So, rather quickly, we begin to enjoy her character and what it brings to the film, just as Jerry begins to enjoy her company and she helps him learn to enjoy his life and be more outgoing, even though, in the end, this works against Pookie. I feel this film has been highly overlooked, and I definitely recommend it, even with the sad ending it brings. By the end of the film I had fallen in love with Pookie, and this is what makes it such a strong film.

This film, along with the performances of the two principals, Minnelli and Burton, as well as the soundtrack, evoke a time in everyone's past, at some time or other.

As two drifting college students, they have a chance meeting, become interested in each other, then gradually grow apart. The sets are evocative of New England and upstate New York, beautiful in autumn, beautiful and sad. Reminding us perhaps of past relationships, longing, and wishes that were never fulfilled.

The soundtrack is sentimental, but not overly so, I am not a major fan of Minnelli, but in this film her performance was understated and believable. The film leaves us with a sense of loss and longing, recalling times we were younger, relationships of the past. 8/10.

College can be lonely, or it can be fun. Fitting in is always a must even though you don't want to. In "The Sterile Cuckoo", it all points out to that. Taking place in Upstate New York, it makes a very great Fall setting there. Here you have Jerry(Wendell Burton), a shy college man who happens to meet Mary Ann "Pookie" Adams(Liza Minelli) who happens to be socially inept. She doesn't fit in with anyone around her, she calls them "Wierdos". She too is smart, but she only wants to be around Jerry, instead. They happen to have a good time where ever they go, even going to a graveyard where she really acts up. The hotel scene is really classic. The request she gave out was very unusual. "Peel the Tomato" seems to be a new one on me. The strip scene was short but nice to watch. No insecurity about that! But in life, we need to leave our comfort zone behind sometimes, because not meeting new people can create problems. But that's anybody's guess. This movie is a real gem, and I enjoyed it very much. 5 stars!

This story of a strange girl falling in love with a boy who at first resists, then embraces her is a wonderful movie. Pookie Adams is unlike any character in any other movie I have seen. She is truly desperate for love and when she finds it she ruins it by holding on too tightly. This movie is heart- breaking because there is no way for the teenage lovers to find a happy ending. A sweet, touching look at first love that is not to be missed.