Petulia (1968)
-
91% of critics liked it
(11 reviews) -
79% of users liked it
(855 ratings)
Petulia is Richard Lester's ode to the Swinging Sixties: a time of psychedelic instability when neither those who were square, nor those who were hip, really had it right. George C. Scott is Archie Bollen, a divorced San Francisco doctor in the midst of "discovering himself." Julie… More Petulia is Richard Lester's ode to the Swinging Sixties: a time of psychedelic instability when neither those who were square, nor those who were hip, really had it right. George C. Scott is Archie Bollen, a divorced San Francisco doctor in the midst of "discovering himself." Julie Christie is Petulia Danner, a peculiar young beauty recently married into an established family. Archie's sterile apartment and detached, bemused manner exemplify his inability to emote. Petulia's forward nature and desperate tenderness betray her fear of her sullen, abusive, pretty-boy husband (Richard Chamberlain). The physician and the newlywed embark on a schizophrenic love affair amid Pepsi references, automated motels, roller derbies, and a cameo by Big Brother and the Holding Company -- but they never achieve the daring to truly change their lives. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, Rovi
- Directed By
- Richard Lester
- Written By
- Larry Marcus, Barbara Turner
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Classics
R,
- In Theaters
- Jun 10, 1968 Wide
Critic Reviews
-
Mark Bourne, Film.com
...an anti-The Graduate ... an essential film from and about America in the dying days of the '60s, yet the modernism of its style and ambitions makes Petulia impressively ahead of that time.
-
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Jack-rabbiting technique embodies foreboding and dissonance rather than gimmicky whimsy
-
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Innovative in narrative and style, Lester's dissection of mores and manners through marriages and affairs captures vividly the zeitgeist of the Summer of Love and the violent Vietnam War with brilliant turns from Julie Christie and George C. Scott.
-
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Julie Christie in her Oscar role + Richard Lester direction. Enough said.
-
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Petulia lives on with its vague curiosity and a genuine emotional sting.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
UltraViolet Retailers
Other Retailers
Subscription Services
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Cast
-
Julie Christie
as Petulia
-
George C. Scott
as Archie
-
Richard Chamberlain
as David
-
Arthur Hill
as Barney
-
Shirley Knight
as Polo
-
Pippa Scott
as May
-
Kathleen Widdoes
as Wilma
-
Joseph Cotten
as Mr. Danner
- The ATC Company
-
Rene Auberjonois
as Salesman
-
Peter Albin
as Band Member
- Big Brother & the Holding Company
-
Roger Bowen
as Warren
- Ace Trucking Co.
-
Barbara Colby
as Patient
- The Committee
-
Richard Dysart
as Motel Receptionist
-
Nate Esformes
as Mr. Mendoza
-
Ellen Geer
as Nun
-
Lou Gilbert
as Mr. Howard
- The Grateful Dead
-
Ruth Kobart
as Nun
-
DeAnn Mears
as Nurse
-
Austin Pendleton
as Intern
-
Maria Val
as Mrs. Mendoza
-
Josephine Nichols
as Neighbor
