Review of The Prince of Tides (1991) by Josh P — 23 Jun 2008

The Prince of Tides is a well acted excellent story that tugs at you, grabs you and won't let you go. I have been reading repeatedly in the IMDb reviews that the book is much better than the movie; of this I have no doubt. Then again I have never seen a movie that has been better than the book. Books are infinitely better because we create the characters in our own mind, and basically are directing the visuals of the story ourselves. Because all directors adapting movies from books have to fight this natural disadvantage, they are often accused of 'not capturing the book'. How could they capture what you saw in your own mind? It's a no-win scenario for the director, which is why a film needs to judged as a completely separate piece of work.

This film works on many levels, and I completely believe Streisand and Nolte in these roles. It's my OPINION that many people who have torn into Ms. Streisand on IMDb are people who either don't like her personally, or disagree vehemently with her politics. I am no great personal fan of hers, and my belief is that her political voice is way out there. However, this difference of political opinion cannot cloud the fact that she directed a great film, and put in a very credible and believable performance.

The only real issue I have is with the character of Lila. She seems very shallow and only seems to be there to make everyone she comes into contact with miserable. One wonders how her new husband could stomach her bitter personality. She doesn't hide it well. That and her makeup job in the "older years" is awful. But these are minor concerns. Oh, and George Carlin could disappear and no one would notice or care.

The true performer here is Nolte. His journey and relationships are real, flawed, believable and heartwarming, all at the same time. The way he hides his pain through humor is something I have seen a great deal of people do. He is a good man, but he is the only one who seems incapable of seeing that. The Lowenstein character does a marvelous job of tearing down the barriers of doubt in Nolte, all the while exposing her own fears, doubts and unhappiness. It is here the two characters bond. Having shared intimate secrets with each other that they never shared with anyone else brings them towards a natural level of trust and love. It happens quickly, but we believe it (unlike in most movies Ã?Æ?Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ??¬Ã?â?? Titanic's Jack and Rose come to mind). All this tied in with an excellent musical score, this film really works!

Overall, The Prince of Tides is a spectacular film. Streisand does her best work here by far. If you have been conditioned by the book, go back and try to watch this film on its own merits. I know this is difficult (an example of this with me is The Firm - a movie I just can't seem to buy into after reading the novel), but if you can do that, you may be pleasantly surprised.