The Prince of Tides

yet this movie stated that it was okay for her to have sex with him...because he "wasn't really her patient." well, for starters, it's equally BAD THERAPY for her to have sex with...a patient's brother...but the fact is, she was treating him LIKE a patient, giving him real sessions and asking him personal questions about himself. in short, he WAS her patient, and there's no excuse for what she did...it violates all boundaries: professional, personal and emotional.

and i say this movie is immature because clearly the people who made this movie and acted in it had no idea of the real emotional effect such a relationship would have on a character such as nick nolte's.

i've worked with patients who have had sex with past therapists, and let me tell you...in the best of cases it proves very disturbing to them in the long run. it's not a subject to be treated lightly, because it's not, despite what it might look like, a romance. in fact, it's much closer to incest.

sick, sick movie. and scary (but perhaps not surprising) that it became so popular in america.

and by the way, even if it is a fantasy (a normal one) for people to want to seduce their therapists, it doesn't mean for ONE SECOND that it would be healthy IF THEIR THERAPISTS GIVE IN TO THEIR PATIENTS' WISHES! the whole point of therapy is that the therapist understands this...and keeps their boundaries, modeling healthy boundaries and limits.

As anyone who has read the book can attest, the characters of Tom and Lila Wingo would seem to be extremely challenging (if not almost unplayable) roles, both of which are brimming with contradictions and hidden emotions. However, Nick Nolte and Kate Neligan find the perfect balance in their portrayals, which earned them both well-dissevered Oscar nominations. Blythe Danner, Jason Gould, and Melinda Dillion all also turn in memorable performances, even though Dillion's Savannah (a lead character in the novel) has precious little screentime due to the film's structure. Barbra also gives an affecting portrayal, however, the director's chair is where she really shines this time. With it's moving storyline, compelling characters, and breathtakingly beautiful cinematography, THE PRINCE OF TIDES is film that will continue enchant audiences for years to come.

About the DVD: The picture quality and sound are excellent, although it's disappointing that the many extras (which included a featurette, deleted scenes, a gag reel, and Streisand's full-length commentary track) that were included on Criterion's special edition laserdisc release are not found on this DVD. The film's original trailer and teaser are included, but I hope that all of the extras from the laserdisc will someday make their way to DVD.