AllMovie

Somewhat daring in its time, The Young Lovers will come across as very dated to many modern viewers. Lovers deserves points for tackling, with serious and sensitivity, issues that were only beginning to be explored openly in the cinema of 1964 -- premarital sex, abortion, paternal responsibility, etc. Yet even when it was first released, Lovers didn't explore these with enough honesty; there's a hesitancy about the film, a sense that it doesn't want to push the boundaries too far, and this acts against it. This hesitancy is perhaps the reason that Peter Fonda's performance is so uneven. Portions of it are quite good, exhibiting a fine combination of power and nuance; yet at other times Fonda seems adrift, not sure what exactly he's playing in a given scene. First-time director Samuel Goldwyn Jr. did not provide the strong guiding hand required, and Fonda is not the only one who suffers. His co-star, Sharon Hugueny never really "lands" her moments and comes across as too indistinct for someone in such a crucial role. The supporting cast fares much better, with solid turns from Beatrice Straight and Joseph Campanella, and two wonderfully energizing performances from Nick Adams and Deborah Walley.