A Letter to Three Wives

Starring: Jeanne Crain, Linda Darnell, Ann Sothern, Kirk Douglas, Paul Douglas
Directed by: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama, Romance
1949

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Three wives are stunned when they receive a letter from their mutual friend, Addie Ross, who claims she has run away with one of their husbands- but doesn't reveal which one.

Review:

Tim: I enjoyed A Letter to Three Wives, but I have to admit I am surprised it won two Academy Awards and was also nominated for Best Picture. This is a good movie and it has some strong moments, but as a whole, I felt it was a bit too forgettable of a film. I would never consider this a classic. As a whole, the movie felt too lightweight to me. I enjoyed the experience, but this is a movie that certainly doesn't leave a lasting impression.

I really enjoyed the premise- three women board a boat for a picnic with a group of children. As they leave, they receive a letter from Addie Ross, a mutual friend (actually, she'd be an early example of a frienemy). She announces in the letter that she's run off with one of their husbands, but does not reveal who. The women are on the boat, so they can't run home and check on their husbands. They're forced to spend the day worrying about whether or not their marriage is over. That's a crazy good premise, and it had me in a decent state of suspense throughout the film. I was indeed curious to find out who it was.

The majority of the movie is told in flashback form- each of the three wives recalls a certain instance that suggests their marriage could be in trouble, and a hint that their husband had a thing for Addie Ross. This is a clever narrative device, but it muted the suspense of the overall film. For long stretches, we spend time not in the anxious moments on the boat, but watching scenes from earlier times in each of the women's marriages. This certainly allows us to understand them in greater depth, but it just made me impatient. Each of the three flashback scenes felt a little too long, which hurt the overall quality of the film. Nothing we see in the flashbacks is as interesting as what's happening in the present day.

What I found interesting is that the most fascinating character in the entire movie is Addie Ross, a woman we never actually see on screen. On the one hand, writer/director Joseph L. Mankiewicz deserves a great deal of credit for crafting such an interesting character- she's intelligent, classy, a bit flirtatious, and yet, seems incredibly kind and thoughtful at times. She is this complex, fascinating character, and we never actually get to meet her. While the movie deserves a great deal of credit for creating such a compelling character, the film is hurt because none of the characters we do spend time with even approaches the level of interest we have in Addie Ross (I even love her name). This creates a bit of an issue while we watch.

I thought the cast was good, but no one really delivered a terrific performance. Jeanne Crain was in the lead role, and she did a good job. There's a few moments where she truly shines on screen. As a whole, though, I felt like she didn't deliver quite as powerful a performance as I would have liked. Ann Sothern was good, and worked well with Kirk Douglas (whom I enjoyed quite a bit in this film). Sothern wasn't quite as memorable as the other actresses, however. We get Linda Darnell's flashback last. She gives a strong performance, but by that point, I was getting a bit tired of the whole thing, and was ready to find out who Addie ran away with. I really enjoyed Paul Douglas- he probably gives the best performance of the film.

As mentioned, I was surprised that A Letter to Three Wives was nominated for Best Picture. I thought the movie was good, but certainly not one of the year's very best. I do agree that it deserved to win the Academy Award for Best Screenplay- the writing was pretty fantastic, and I'm glad Mankiewicz won for his writing. The most shocking event, though, was that Mankiewicz also won Best Director. I have to admit this likely wouldn't have been my call. I am not trying to rag on him- the direction was good, and I suppose, fairly difficult. He did manage to tell an interesting story where we spend most of the time in flashbacks. However, I felt like there were quite a few opportunities to make this movie even better. He directed a good film, not a great one.

One of my complaints is that the movie didn't move fast enough. I'm not suggesting it should have raced to the conclusion, but the 103 minute run time felt longer. All three flashback scenes ran a bit too long, which bogged down the middle of the film. And, when we do finally get around to the big reveal, we're left with one of the most disappointing endings I have seen in quite a while. I have to admit I'm still a little confused as to what exactly happened. The film concluded in a very happy, Hollywood ending that I simply did not care for. I really wanted a more powerful conclusion. This average ending really hurts the film.

As I've said, I did not love A Letter to Three Wives, but I do believe this is a solidly made, good film. It does have a fascinating premise, and while it never lives up to its potential, it is certainly worth seeing.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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