She'd be awfully hard to resist, so why try?. The perky Kay Lenz is delightfully inquisitive as the drifter title character, not quite a stereotypical hippy yet too independent to want to settle down with responsibility. She depends on the kindness of strangers, and sometimes it works when they are kind. When she brazenly gets into Laurel Canyon resident William Holden for a ride down the hill, he finds out that he can't easily get rid of her. It's a challenge for different generations of any era to get along, and for this young boomer to get any type of compassion from the much older Holden who doesn't trust her but is somehow fascinated by her fault.
The gorgeous Marj Dusay is a complete charmer as Holden's longtime girlfriend, announcing that she's accepted another marriage proposal because of his neglect, and it is obvious that she longs for serious companionship rather than just be an ornamental arm attachment. Holden's just as needy for his complete freedom as Lenz is so somehow they begin to relate as Holden opens up to at least a friendship with her. Lenz is a bit too pushy at times and reminds me of the saying, "Don't feed a strange dog who's all alone. You'll never get rid of it." Still she's a refreshing entrance into his drab, structured life and the film shows them bonding. Whether or not it becomes romantic soon is of no consequence, and the "eew!" factor never appears. In fact, it's sort of a parallel to "Sunset Blvd." as they discover each other quite by accident and end up changing each other's lives, sans swimming pool and gunshots.
Is this an old man's fantasy or a young woman's need for a father figure as a lover? Is he quietly attracted to her young zest for life and is she really looking for a meal ticket? Those questions do come up here. Holden is no longer a golden boy, and Lenz isn't exactly "Network's" Faye Dunaway. But it's difficult to dismiss whatever they end up having especially when it is revealed what happened to the dog that Breezy saw on the road early in the film. What this comes down to irregardless of the lengthy age difference is that they bring something to each other and learn something new. I call this an early variation of "Pretty Woman" without the sleeziness of the Sunset strip, and the sweetness of it all.
An extremely well written restaurant scene features a "War of the Roses" like confrontation with Holden's ex-wife, a fascinating bit by Joan Hotchkiss who essays the bitter, drunken fading glamour queen, furiously jealous over seeing her ex happy. Roger C. Carmel ("The Mothers-In-Law"), as Holden's tennis playing pal, is married to "Will & Grace's" Shelley Morrison here, complaining about a fading passion in his marriage, yet unable to completely end it. A twist involving Marj Dusay's character could have taken many directions, so the writer keeps the audience guessing.
For an in gag, director Clint Eastwood has Holden and Lenz going to see "High Plains Drifter". The question arises of who in this relationship will become wary first, and if applicable, who will initiate it ending. This is a film that in many aspects could have been eye rolling and even disgusting considering the massive difference in ages, but miraculously, it works, becoming an underdog of romantic dramas that is filled with heart for rebels of all ages.
The gorgeous Marj Dusay is a complete charmer as Holden's longtime girlfriend, announcing that she's accepted another marriage proposal because of his neglect, and it is obvious that she longs for serious companionship rather than just be an ornamental arm attachment. Holden's just as needy for his complete freedom as Lenz is so somehow they begin to relate as Holden opens up to at least a friendship with her. Lenz is a bit too pushy at times and reminds me of the saying, "Don't feed a strange dog who's all alone. You'll never get rid of it." Still she's a refreshing entrance into his drab, structured life and the film shows them bonding. Whether or not it becomes romantic soon is of no consequence, and the "eew!" factor never appears. In fact, it's sort of a parallel to "Sunset Blvd." as they discover each other quite by accident and end up changing each other's lives, sans swimming pool and gunshots.
Is this an old man's fantasy or a young woman's need for a father figure as a lover? Is he quietly attracted to her young zest for life and is she really looking for a meal ticket? Those questions do come up here. Holden is no longer a golden boy, and Lenz isn't exactly "Network's" Faye Dunaway. But it's difficult to dismiss whatever they end up having especially when it is revealed what happened to the dog that Breezy saw on the road early in the film. What this comes down to irregardless of the lengthy age difference is that they bring something to each other and learn something new. I call this an early variation of "Pretty Woman" without the sleeziness of the Sunset strip, and the sweetness of it all.
An extremely well written restaurant scene features a "War of the Roses" like confrontation with Holden's ex-wife, a fascinating bit by Joan Hotchkiss who essays the bitter, drunken fading glamour queen, furiously jealous over seeing her ex happy. Roger C. Carmel ("The Mothers-In-Law"), as Holden's tennis playing pal, is married to "Will & Grace's" Shelley Morrison here, complaining about a fading passion in his marriage, yet unable to completely end it. A twist involving Marj Dusay's character could have taken many directions, so the writer keeps the audience guessing.
For an in gag, director Clint Eastwood has Holden and Lenz going to see "High Plains Drifter". The question arises of who in this relationship will become wary first, and if applicable, who will initiate it ending. This is a film that in many aspects could have been eye rolling and even disgusting considering the massive difference in ages, but miraculously, it works, becoming an underdog of romantic dramas that is filled with heart for rebels of all ages.