Review of The Belle of Amherst (1976) by Justin S — 09 Apr 2013

I admit, I didn't know quite what to expect from this, but it probably would have tended more towards the dreary end of the spectrum to be honest, and what I got was a delightfully funny and powerful performance. Julie Harris's comedic wit had me laughing heartily as she described how she would play games with the gossiping neighbors.

There were a few moments that seemed a bit strained, and when I wished she would stop yelling so consistently, but they were worth the moments of hilarity and real, heart-wrenching emotion concerning her parents and disappointments during her career.

I don't know that I would watch it again, at least not anytime soon, but it was well worth seeing once, especially when considering the amount of talent, energy, and sheer memorization mastery required to single handedly captivate an audience for an entire hour and a half. It's incredible.