Eccentricities of a Nightingale

Eccentricities of a Nightingale (1976)

Genres - Drama  |   Sub-Genres - Period Film, Romantic Drama  |   Run Time - 120 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Review by Craig Butler

A rather radical reworking of his earlier play, +Summer and Smoke, Tennessee Williams' The Eccentricities of a Nightingale is full of the rich, poetic language that was the playwright's hallmark. It also focuses on two of his familiar themes: the fragility of the individual and how society tries to crush or repress the eccentricities of those who do not quite fit in. Smaller in scope than his major works and lacking their profound emotional impact, Eccentricities is still a moving experience, thanks in no small part to the finely detailed performances of its two leads. As Alma, Blythe Danner is jittery and fidgety, prone to "palpitations" and neurotic attacks, but she has a steely inner core that manages to break through. Danner is also not afraid to show the pathetic side of the character, yet doesn't allow her to become a figure of derision. Even in the final scene, when it is revealed that Alma has become an outcast with a reputation for loose moral behavior, Danner opts to show that that has freed Alma rather than demeaned her. As her suitor, Frank Langella is a marvel of quiet power, using his soft, yet deep, voice to gently convey his understanding of the world and of the Almas that inhabit it. Rarely have an actor's eyes expressed so much as Langella's, which seem to have a life of their own. Even these wonderful actors have a difficult time making the climactic hotel scene work, as Williams' symbolism becomes almost laughably heavy-handed. For the most part, however, this is a very fine production of an interesting work.