The starring role of Stella Hallam was originally meant for Norma Shearer, but it's hard to imagine that she would have given the character all the subtle shadings that Helen Hayes did. Hayes had to make her character strong to stand up against Louise Closser Hale, who, as Mother Hallam, stole the show at every opportunity. While Another Language isn't one of MGM's more well-known dramas, its portrait of a marriage that is slowly going to hell is honest and real. But then, considering that Herman J. Mankiewicz and Donald Ogden Stewart did the adaptation of Rose Franken's play, its depth is not surprising. While Stella's free spirit clashes with the rest of the family, several members, including Henry Travers as the weak but wise father and Margaret Hamilton as the observant spinster sister, Helen, retain a lot of sympathy. And the conclusion is kept up in the air until the very end -- no one has any idea if Victor (Robert Montgomery) will stand by his family or reconcile with Stella until the picture's last few minutes. This excellent small film from MGM also marked Hale's last screen performance -- she died the same year it was released, of injuries she suffered from an accident.
by Janiss Garza
review
