Turn in the Road (1919)

Genres - Drama, Spirituality & Philosophy  |   Run Time - 50 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - NR
  • AllMovie Rating
    4
  • User Ratings (0)
  • Your Rating

Share on

Synopsis by Janiss Garza

Although this is one of King Vidor's earlier directorial efforts, it has a lot of the qualities that defined his best work later on. The Turn in the Road is a story about ordinary people -- a clergyman, his two daughters, and the young man who marries one of them. And it asks the heady question, "What is God?" This quest comes to haunt the young man, Paul Perry, when his young wife dies. He can't abide by his father-in-law's platitude of "It is God's will" and runs off. Years pass, and his child Bob (Ben Alexander) is being raised by his aunt and visits with Paul's father. Grandfather Perry is a miserly sort who is fighting with workers who are striking at his plant. The strikers go to his home to assassinate him but are halted by the innocence of six-year-old Bob. Old man Perry mends his tight-fisted ways and this is the scenario to which Paul returns home. Through this he learns that God is love. While studios at this time were relying ever-more increasingly on the star system, Vidor leaned heavily towards ensemble acting, and that greatly enhanced this film.

Characteristics

Keywords

conviction, daughter, death, father-in-law, religion