John and Mary (Film)
Encyclopedia
John and Mary is a 1969 American romantic drama film directed by Peter Yates
. It stars Mia Farrow
as Mary, and Dustin Hoffman
as John, directly on the heels of Rosemary's Baby
and Midnight Cowboy
, respectively (as well as Bullit for Yates). The screenplay
was adapted by John Mortimer
from the Mervyn Jones
novel.
It was released theatrically in North America
on December 14, 1969. It received an R rating upon its original release, which was later downgraded to a PG rating.
's Week End, and go home with each other. The story unfolds during the day as they belatedly get to know each other over breakfast, lunch and dinner. Flashbacks of their previous bad relationships are interspersed throughout when something in their conversation brings the thought up.
of the Chicago Sun-Times
says, "John and Mary is supposed to be a contemporary movie, I guess, and yet it's curiously out of touch. John and Mary shadow box uneasily with the American language, trying to sound like all people their age without sounding too much like any particular person." John Thompson of the Orlando Weekly
calls it "a delectable New Wave–inspired dish for thoughtful viewers tired of the same old menu." Vincent Canby
of The New York Times
concludes, "There is nothing wrong with the idea of John and Mary, just with its execution."
The film holds a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
.
Nominated:
Peter Yates
Peter James Yates was an English director and producer. He was born in Aldershot, Hampshire.The son of an army officer, he attended Charterhouse School as a boy, graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked for some years as an actor, director and stage manager...
. It stars Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow
Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
as Mary, and Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
as John, directly on the heels of Rosemary's Baby
Rosemary's Baby
Rosemary's Baby is a 1967 best-selling horror novel by Ira Levin, his second published book. Major elements of the story were inspired by the publicity surrounding the Church of Satan of Anton LaVey which had been founded in 1966.-Plot summary:...
and Midnight Cowboy
Midnight Cowboy
Midnight Cowboy is a 1969 American drama film based on the 1965 novel of the same name by James Leo Herlihy. It was written by Waldo Salt, directed by John Schlesinger, and stars Dustin Hoffman and newcomer Jon Voight in the title role. Notable smaller roles are filled by Sylvia Miles, John...
, respectively (as well as Bullit for Yates). The screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
was adapted by John Mortimer
John Mortimer
Sir John Clifford Mortimer, CBE, QC was a British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...
from the Mervyn Jones
Mervyn Jones (writer)
Mervyn Jones was a British biographer and novelist, the son of psychoanalyst Ernest Jones.-Literary credits:...
novel.
It was released theatrically in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on December 14, 1969. It received an R rating upon its original release, which was later downgraded to a PG rating.
Synopsis
John and Mary begins the morning after John and Mary meet in a bar, during a conversation about Jean-Luc GodardJean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard is a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film critic. He is often identified with the 1960s French film movement, French Nouvelle Vague, or "New Wave"....
's Week End, and go home with each other. The story unfolds during the day as they belatedly get to know each other over breakfast, lunch and dinner. Flashbacks of their previous bad relationships are interspersed throughout when something in their conversation brings the thought up.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Mia Farrow Mia Farrow Mia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra... |
Mary |
| Dustin Hoffman Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters.... |
John |
| Michael Tolan Michael Tolan -Life and career:Tolan was born Seymour Tuchow in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit and studied under Stella Adler and at Stanford University. He appeared primarily in stage roles in his early career, with only minor parts in films of the early 1950s... |
James |
| Olympia Dukakis Olympia Dukakis Olympia Dukakis is an American actress. In 1987, she won an Academy Award, BAFTA, and a Golden Globe for her performance in Moonstruck... |
John's Mother |
| Stanley Beck Stanley Beck Stanley Beck is an American film producer and actor of the stage, television, and film. As an actor he is best known for his portrayal of Stanly in the 1969 film John and Mary and Artie Silver in the 1974 film Lenny... |
Stanley |
Critical reception
Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
says, "John and Mary is supposed to be a contemporary movie, I guess, and yet it's curiously out of touch. John and Mary shadow box uneasily with the American language, trying to sound like all people their age without sounding too much like any particular person." John Thompson of the Orlando Weekly
Orlando Weekly
The Orlando Weekly is an alternative newsweekly distributed in the Greater Orlando area of Florida. It features local news, views, arts, entertainment, local music coverage, an events calendar and classifieds...
calls it "a delectable New Wave–inspired dish for thoughtful viewers tired of the same old menu." Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby was an American film critic who became the chief film critic for The New York Times in 1969 and reviewed more than 1000 films during his tenure there.-Life and career:...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
concludes, "There is nothing wrong with the idea of John and Mary, just with its execution."
The film holds a 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Awards
Won:- 1970 BAFTA Award, Best Actor - Dustin Hoffman (For Midnight Cowboy and John and Mary)
Nominated:
- 1970 BAFTA Award, Best Actress - Mia Farrow (For: Rosemary's Baby, Secret Ceremony and John and Mary)
- 1970 Golden Globes, Best Actor, Musical/Comedy - Dustin Hoffman
- 1970 Golden Globes, Best Actress, Musical/Comedy - Mia Farrow
- 1970 Golden Globes, Best Screenplay - John Mortimer
- 1970 WGAWriters Guild of AmericaThe Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions:* The Writers Guild of America, East , representing TV and film writers East of the Mississippi....
Awards, Best Adapted Screenplay - John Mortimer