Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 27-February-05
Spoiler Rating: Low

Friendly Persuasion (1956)

Toward the beginning of "Friendly Persuasion," little Jess Birdwell (Richard Eyer) — the cutest young shaver on DVD — stands up at a Quaker meeting and announces nervously that "God is Love." Those nine letters spell a big opinion for a lad of Jess' age, but as the movie unfolds it becomes apparent that he might have got them from somewhere other than the sampler in his sister's bedroom. With a gentle manner reminiscent of the Hallmark Hall of Fame, "Friendly Persuasion" argues this view of divinity by example instead of exhortation. The story of the Birdwells starts with faith and expands to the virtues having more to do with family than religion, like commitment, affection, happiness, and trust.

The film is set in Indiana in 1862, when the Civil War was tearing the U.S. apart and the Society of Friends was already looked upon as a quaint throwback to former days. As little Jess struggles with the ordeals of daily life (such as his nemesis, Samantha the goose), he looks not to the assembly of stern elders for guidance but to his eponymous father (Gary Cooper), a lighthearted arborist with a penchant for horse-and-buggy racing. For his part, Jess père is kept in check by his wife Eliza (Dorothy McGuire), a rock of unwavering faith and the minister of their congregation. A nice example of opposites attracting even after 20 years of marriage, Jess and Eliza try to keep their convictions intact and their home fires burning as the world writhes and transforms around them. This proves especially difficult when it comes to their daughter Mattie (Phyllis Love), who is discovering the joys of courtship, and their older son Josh (Anthony Perkins), who is torn between a desire to take part in the war and the pacifism of his creed.

Director William Wyler treats his subjects fondly but not too mawkishly, allowing each one ample time to reveal his or her own moods, dreams, and dilemmas. This, along with a historical flavor, gives the movie a novel-like quality quite different from the current Hollywood style. A few scenes seem long or unnecessary (notably one in which Josh is molested by a pack of man-hungry, backwoods gals), but as the picture casts its spell they fall into place as revealing a most estimable group of people, the key to whom is character. Instead of glorifying one particular path over another, the screenplay includes callous Methodists, petty Quakers, and rowdy hicks from both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. The Birdwells stand out as exceptional because of their strong devotion to each other, which allows them to find their way as individuals without getting lost, and to enjoy the fruits of their labors — spiritual and otherwise — in the company of loving souls.

"Friendly Persuasion" lacks a knockout scene or climactic moment when lives are changed, illusions destroyed, or major issues resolved for better or worse. Instead, it waxes nostalgic about a way of life virtually lost to the nation we have become, and serves as a pleasant reminder that simple goodness can bloom wherever and whenever people love and stand by each other.

Copyright © 2005 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.