Breezy *** (1973, William Holden, Kay Lenz, Roger C Carmel) – Classic Movie Review 8360

Sometimes, very rarely, Clint Eastwood surprises audiences by showing that he can be in a romantic, much softer mood, as with The Bridges of Madison County.

Here, back in 1973 the Eastwood-directed romance Breezy, with William Holden as a middle-aged divorcee called Frank Harmon revived by the young and hippyish teenage girl Breezy (Kay Lenz) he takes in, sadly did not have many takers by way of paying audiences because it was terribly old-fashioned at a time when American cinema was generally being decisive, innovative and challenging, like the era it was representing.

But, nevertheless, Breezy (1973) did have deserved good reviews because it is a sharp little tale, well-played, incisively written and thoroughly craftsmanlike in the making. Both Holden and Lenz are outstanding. It was nominated for three Golden Globes: Most Promising Newcomer – Female (Kay Lenz), Best Original Score – Motion Picture (Michel Legrand) and Best Original Song – Motion Picture (Breezy’s Song by Michel Legrand) .

It was supposed to continue the ‘Holden romantic tradition’ started with romance movies of the 1950s such as Sabrina (1954), The Moon Is Blue (1953) and Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955).

Also in the cast are Roger C Carmel, Marj Dusay, Joan Hotchkis, Jamie Smith Jackson and Shelley Morrison.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8360

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