Memories light the corners of my mind
Misty watercolor memories of the way we were…
It is a cold December day in Manhattan, and I’m sick in bed. There is one film that is the perfect accompaniment to a day like this, and that film is The Way We Were.
The Way We Were, directed by Sydney Pollack and written by Arthur Laurents, stars Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand. Redford plays Hubbell Gardiner, the equable WASPy boy whose good looks, athletic ability, and money have paved his way. Hubbell knows everything has always come easily to him and he does not care to disrupt the status quo. Streisand plays his foil, Katie Morosky, whose idealism and left-wing political activism has her charging up mountains of causes, expecting everyone to fall in line. Hubbell and Katie possess bright minds and excel with words, he as a writer, and she as a public speaker. They both recognize the immense talent in each other, and this ignites their budding attraction in college.
Hubbell and Katie graduate and supposedly go their separate ways. Several years pass, and Katie now works in the Office of War Information (O.W.I.) in New York City. One night, she goes to El Morocco for drinks with co-workers, and she runs into Hubbell, beautiful as ever, falling asleep at the bar in his naval officer uniform. Katie pulls us into a flashback to their college days, which I think is one of my favorite cinematic montages of all time. She takes Hubbell home, they reconnect, and fall madly in love. As Hubbell and Katie’s lives blend together, we witness more painful differences. She loathes his friends, the same conservative and frivolous friends he’s had since college, and she can’t understand why he sticks with them. He detests her inability to “leave her soapbox at home” (as said by Katie’s boss at the beginning of the film) and wishes she could accept the world as it is. As Hubbell’s writing career develops and Katie involves herself deeper into politics, the couple has decisions to make. Their contrasting approaches to life, what they once admired about each other, begin to test their special friendship and romance.
Without a doubt, The Way We Were is one of my favorite films. After countless viewings, the story never grows old or becomes less poignant. There are a few timeless characteristics of the film that make it work. The theme song, also called “The Way We Were” and sung by Barbra Streisand, plays for the first time during Katie’s flashback when she sees Hubbell at the bar. The song focuses on how our memories of great relationships or events often grow fonder with time, and “what’s too painful to remember, we simply choose to forget.” Throughout the film, the theme song’s melody and rhythm intertwine with the scenes. Its reoccurrence reminds me of “Mia and Sebastian’s Theme” from La La Land, and after listening to the lyrics, we understand its implications. It is hard to think of many other films where the main song has such a connection to the story of the film.
The casting of The Way We Were is perfect. Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand were on top of the world in 1973. Redford had done a string of films in the late 60s and early 70s, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Jeremiah Johnson, that cemented him as one of Hollywood’s top leading men. Streisand shined in Funny Girl onstage and onscreen, and had starred in the popular film What’s Up, Doc? in 1972. Redford and Streisand as Hubbell and Katie work because it’s a classic case of opposite attraction. I challenge anyone to name an actor who better embodies the “all-American male” more than blonde-haired and blue-eyed Robert Redford. Streisand, one of the few openly Jewish movie stars, is attractive and alluring, but she confidently contradicts the “all-American girl” (embodied by Hubbell’s ex, Carol Ann). Streisand excels at playing women with a voice, maybe because she has an extraordinary one, and this gives her the ability to stand her ground against any leading man. I love when two skilled actors play complicated partners, because their likability and chemistry is crucial to the audience connecting with the story. The genuine connection between Redford and Streisand on the screen completely enthralls me because of the visuals – they’re both very good-looking people – but because of their magnetism and talent, we want to join them on their journey.
One remarkable scene in the film is the senior prom before Hubbell and Katie’s college graduation. There is very little dialogue in this sequence yet so much is communicated. Katie dances with a friend as she longingly watches Hubbell across the room. He looks absolutely flawless with his polished tuxedo, well-groomed hair, and glowing blue eyes. Hubbell locks eyes with Katie and seemingly floats over to her as the sea of dancers parts for him. The passion between the two radiates as Katie carefully accepts Hubbell’s invitation to dance, as if she doubts his existence. Katie appears lost in a dream, accentuated by the soft orchestration of “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams,” in the background. We witness an enchanting sequence of two people fascinated by each other, slowly building their attraction. I find it interesting that no matter how many times I watch this dance, I look with Katie’s gaze, never Hubbell’s. We purposely never experience anything from Hubbell’s point of view, or understand exactly what moves him. Katie comes the closest to drawing this out of him, and he feels charmed that someone with such principle might think he has anything to contribute. Yet, unlike Katie, Hubbell likes to keep situations undisturbed, as we see throughout the film. Once he finishes dancing with Katie, he returns her to her original dance partner and blends back into the crowd.
So it’s the laughter we will remember
Whenever we remember the way we were…
The Way We Were depicts the reality of a complex romance. Yes, opposites attract, but more than that is necessary to create a lasting union. Hubbell’s resignation to an affable manner and comfortable lifestyle completely opposes Katie’s defining principles that require a constant push and intensity. Hubbell and Katie love each other, but they explicitly established who they are, and that cannot be changed. The story is bittersweet, but I appreciate the balance of truth. I don’t like to rank either character over the other. Even though I relate more to Katie’s approach to life, I understand Hubbell’s yearn for simplicity. In this life, people will be who they say they are, and we must accept that and manage our expectations. A successful love story requires a match in the middle, and this romance smolders any chance at compromise.
At the end of the film, Hubbell and Katie are simply as incompatible as when they first met. They have reached the end of their romance, but the memories endure.
Hubbell: It was never uncomplicated
Katie: But it was lovely, wasn’t it?
Hubbell: Yes, it was lovely…
Tickets and Popcorn 