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The Sterile Cuckoo
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Wikipedia article
'The Sterile Cuckoo' (released in the UK as 'Pookie') is a 1969 American comedy-drama film by producer-director Alan J. Pakula that tells the story of an eccentric young couple whose relationship deepens despite their differences and inadequacies. It stars Liza Minnelli, Wendell Burton, and Tim McIntire.
The film was adapted by Alvin Sargent from the 1965 novel by John Nichols, directed by Pakula in his directing debut, and was released by Paramount Pictures.
The film received two Oscar nominations for the 42nd Academy Awards: Liza Minnelli for Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Fred Karlin & Dory Previn's song "Come Saturday Morning" (performed by the Sandpipers) for Best Original Song.
Plot
Mary Ann "Pookie" Adams is a quirky oddball who meets quiet, reserved Jerry Payne while waiting for a bus heading to their colleges; both are freshmen and their colleges are near each other. Jerry immediately sees that Pookie is different, even strange: she lies to a nun on the bus so the nun will switch seats with her.
As Jerry is beginning to settle into college life with his roommate, Charlie Schumacher, the aggressive Pookie arrives unannounced one Saturday morning. Pookie and Jerry spend much time together over the weekend, and soon begin to see each other regularly.
Jerry falls in love with Pookie, but their different personalities start to pull them apart. After they have sex, Pookie tells Jerry she might be pregnant. When the pregnancy scare is over, Jerry wants to spend spring break alone to catch up on his studies. Pookie pleads to stay with him, and he relents.
A week alone with the needy, somewhat unstable Pookie makes Jerry realize that they need time apart. Later he discovers that she has dropped out of school, and he finds her in the same boardinghouse where she had been staying the first time she visited him. He puts her on a bus for home and the young lovers part ways.
Cast
* Liza Minnelli as Mary Ann "Pookie" Adams
* Wendell Burton as Jerry Payne
* Tim McIntire as Charlie Schumacher
Production
Much of 'The Sterile Cuckoo' was filmed at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. Some of it was filmed in Sylvan Beach, New York, including the Sylvan Beach Union Chapel. Some scenes, including the later bus-stop scenes, were filmed at the central park in Vernon Center, New York. The first bus-stop scene was filmed in front of the Ontario State Bank Block at 300 South Euclid Avenue in Ontario, California.
Reception
The film was well-received by critics. It grossed $14 million in the United States and Canada, making it the 13th highest-grossing film of 1969.
Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
|-
| rowspan="2"| Academy Awards
| Best Actress
| Liza Minnelli
|
|-
| Best Song Original for the Picture
| "Come Saturday Morning"
Music by Fred Karlin
Lyrics by Dory Previn
|
|-
| British Academy Film Awards
| Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles
| rowspan="3"| Liza Minnelli
|
|-
| David di Donatello Awards
| Best Foreign Actress
|
|-
| Golden Globe Awards
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama
|
|-
| Grammy Awards
| Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special
| Fred Karlin
|
|-
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
| Best Actress
| Liza Minnelli
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| Mar del Plata International Film Festival
| Best Film
| Alan J. Pakula
|
|-
| Best Actress
| Liza Minnelli
|
|-
| National Society of Film Critics Awards
| Best Screenplay
| Alvin Sargent
|
|}
See also
* List of American films of 1969
References
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