Four Friends (1981)

71% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
68% of users liked it
(808 ratings)

Also known as Moritorium and Georgia's Friends, Four Friends follows the titular quartet from high school to young adulthood. The film is set during the tumultuous 1960s, an era when everyone's values were turned inside out, shaken around, and reassembled. The central character is first-generation… More Also known as Moritorium and Georgia's Friends, Four Friends follows the titular quartet from high school to young adulthood. The film is set during the tumultuous 1960s, an era when everyone's values were turned inside out, shaken around, and reassembled. The central character is first-generation American Craig Wasson, who confounds his Yugoslavian father (Miklos Simon) by pursuing his own let-it-all-hang-out lifestyle. Wasson's best friends are athlete Jim Metzler and chubby Michael Huddleston; all pursue the affections of bewitching Jodi Thelan. Though they are obviously deeply in love with one another, Wasson and Thelan continue to foolishly avoid a long-term commitment as the sixties unfold around them. Four Friends calls for a fresher approach than the one offered by director Arthur Penn, whose handling of the material is much too pat and old-fashioned. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 54 min.
Directed By: Arthur Penn
Genres: Drama, Romance, Comedy

In Theaters: Dec 11, 1981 Wide
On DVD: Aug 23, 2005

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Ends in an unconvincing pat way after much tragedy.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Arthur Penn's saga is too episodic and the acting is uneven, but film's scope is ambitious, the issues socially relevant, and it centers on a new type of Amrican heroine, one in love with all her husband's friends--call is menage a quatre.
Scott Weinberg, DVDTalk.com
Some say this is a better-than-average film that effectively captures the tumultuous sixties and the young folks who were caught up in the craziness of it all. I don't see it.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
involving drama
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Steven Teisch's outstanding screenplay charts one young man's coming-of-age during the 1960s amidst a swirl of changes.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Brian R

This is a great film. I admired the picture because of the four characters since each of them are close to one another, they relate pretty well, change and sadly move on. The main character played by Craig Wesson is the one I felt most familiar with and there is a scene where his… More
This is a great film. I admired the picture because of the four characters since each of them are close to one another, they relate pretty well, change and sadly move on. The main character played by Craig Wesson is the one I felt most familiar with and there is a scene where his friend, a girl, played by Jodi Thelan shows up at Wesson's house and wants to sleep with him but he shyfully isn't ready. Then there is another great scene where Thelan, years later, meets up Wesson, once again, and mentions she is ageing...They fight, they're both tired of being young and tired of acting immaturish. It's as if they are both afraid of life and afraid to commit to one another. The ending is a nice way to end the picture but I don't want to say only for you to see it for yourselves. Now If you don't mind films where you feel you might be interested in watching the lives of these characters then this is a picture I would definetly recommend for you. Also known as Moritorium and Georgia's Friends, Four Friends follows the titular quartet from high school to young adulthood. The film is set during the tumultuous 1960s, an era when everyone's values were turned inside out, shaken around, and reassembled. The central character is first-generation American Craig Wasson, who confounds his Yugoslavian father (Miklos Simon) by pursuing his own let-it-all-hang-out lifestyle. Wasson's best friends are athlete Jim Metzler and chubby Michael Huddleston; all pursue the affections of bewitching Jodi Thelan. Though they are obviously deeply in love with one another, Wasson and Thelan continue to foolishly avoid a long-term commitment as the sixties unfold around them. "Four Friends" is a return to form from director Arthur Penn who knows the 60's era and directs this story masterfully with real emotion. Steve Tisch has written another great script.
Leo L

Great movie. A favorite.