Lovers and Other Strangers
By Peter John Gardner
"Don't look for happiness. It'll only make you miserable."
Best advice I ever heard.
Lovers and Other Strangers was based on a play that was making its rounds across the New York City theatre circuit at the time. The plot is centered around a young couple, Mike and Susan, and their doubts regarding their upcoming matrimonial union. Intercut throughout the film are several subplots involving characters related to the couple.
First, we've got Susan's parents, a couple that is seemingly happy on the surface, but Susan's dad is having quite the steamy affair behind his old lady's back. Bad karma, Mr. Susan's Dad.
Then we've got Susan's sister who is stuck in a sexless marriage with a husband that is more interested in watching Ingrid Bergman films than forking his wife.
Next up, we've got Mike's brother Richie who is already in an unhappy marriage and desperately wants out.
Not to be outdone, there is another subplot invoving one of the bridesmaids, Brenda, and an usher, Jerry. These two are set up on a blind date, and viewers get to watch Brenda cocktease Jerry for the entire film.
Towering above all else are Mike and Ritchie's Italian/American parents. These two are stuck in an unhappy marriage, yet they stay together because "that's what you're supposed to do". (Fun fact: Mike's mom is played by Bea Arthur, better known as Dorothy from the Golden Girls. First, this marks the second time I've seen a Golden Girl in a Stallone film. Second, was this woman ever young? The movie was made in 1970, and she looks older than she did on the Golden Girls).
If anyone's been a serious relationship, married or not, then it should be easy to relate to at least one of the characters and their subplot. Ever been in a relationship where your partner became uninterested in you sexually? Ever been in one where you find out your partner has been cheating on you? How about a relationship that you stayed in merely for the convenience instead of an actual passion?
What did I get from all of this? Some nuggets of wisdom, actually. The quote that opened the review is a line uttered by Mike's dad when Mike is expressing his doubts about getting married because he just wants to be happy. Taken out of context, the quote is pure brilliance. How many of us have strived for happiness only to find out that we're just making ourselves more miserable in the process? You can't force happiness upon yourself.
"You can't help who you love and who you don't love". This is a quote from Susan's dad when trying to justify his affair, but it's one that I think is applicable to everyone. Sometimes you have a family member or a close friend that has overwhelming flaws in their character. Would you ever stop loving them because of their faults? If you do, then you should probably re-evaluate what you think "love" is.
Oh, and Stallone. Um...according to imdb.com, he was an extra in this film, and try as I might, I couldn't find him. I checked every crowd scene for John Rambo walking around in the background. There is a dance sequence at the wedding where everyone is dancing those weird late 60s/early 70s spastic dances. I wanted to see Stallone do that. Hell, I wanted to see Stallone do his naked dance from "The Party at Kitty and Stud's" in the background of the wedding.
On the other hand, you do get to see one of the Golden Girls do the cha-cha. I found that amusing.
Instead, Stallone blends in seamlessly. You don't see him. Stallone is just a faceless extra in someone else's movie; a feeling that I have on a daily basis. Interesting stuff happens all around me...to other people. I'm the guy in the background. I'm the guy that was there at the party, but you didn't see him. I'm the guy that you pass by on the street and think nothing of. I blend in, but I'm not happy about it. Nothing about me sticks out to the average person.
Will my Stallonical odyssey help me overcome these insecurities? Maybe the answer lies in Death Race 2000...God help us all.
