RABBIT, RUN (1970)

Title: RABBIT, RUN

Year of Release: 1970

Director: Jack Smight

Genre: Drama

Synopsis: A footloose man leaves his alcoholic wife, driving across the country, and takes up with a prostitute.

Within a film history context: There were a few movies which dealt with the topic of a man leaving his wife in cinema history before RABBIT, RUN. One of the first was James Whale's SHOW BOAT (1936). In this story of life upon a show boat, and the people whose existences it marked, there are two incidents where a husband leaves his wife. The first deals with a man, Gaylord, who leaves his wife Magnolia, and child due to feeling that he is hampering her life as he is a gambler. The second is of a part black woman, Julie, who is also abandoned by her white husband, and takes to drink. Magnolia's story is similar in the film's 1929 version, but Julie's story is different, with the interracial arc not included here. THE MOON AND SIXPENCE (1942), directed by Albert Lewin, focused upon a stockbroker who leaves his wife and children to become a painter in Paris. Vincent Sherman's OLD ACQUAINTANCE (1943), features a man who leaves his wife, but whose heart is with another woman, being his wife's best friend. The woman's loyalty to her friend, though, forbids her from starting a relationship with her husband. 

With ROUGHLY SPEAKING (1945), directed by Michael Curtiz, a resourceful woman sees her place in the world akin to a man's, and marries someone with whom she does not see eye to eye on this topic. She is eventually abandoned by her husband for another woman who views things more to his liking of womanhood. George Sidney's 1951 remake of SHOWBOAT saw a small change in the story of Magnolia, whose gambling husband left her. Instead of having Magnolia's husband abandon her with a young daughter, in the remake, Gaylord was unaware that his wife was pregnant, and subsequently met his offspring when he and Magnolia reunite years later. INSIDE DAISY CLOVER (1965), directed by Robert Mulligan, had a man marry a young actress only to leave her, finding out about his bisexuality after the fact. Ken Kennedy's grindhouse movie THE VELVET TRAP (1966), saw a young waitress enduring a number of humiliating incidents, one of these marrying a man, only to be left by him the next day. RABBIT, RUN was a film which dealt extensively with a husband leaving his wife.

In general, most of the movies on the topic were about a woman abandoned by her husband, with the male role of a secondary nature. This trend is evident in the SHOW BOAT movies, OLD ACQUAINTANCE. ROUGHLY SPEAKING, INSIDE DAISY CLOVER, and THE VELVET TRAP. The individual movies placed varying degrees of importance on the aftermath on the female lead of this event, in the latter two pictures having lesser weight in the narrative. The incident occurs, and is just one in a long chain of events that the story presents to viewers, as both these movies were more melodramatic in nature. The husband leaving the wife, though, makes an indelible mark especially in the SHOWBOAT movies, and ROUGHLY SPEAKING. These pictures were the ones where the female lead had a family, and the husband not only left her but also, his children. 

The one picture closest to RABBIT, RUN was THE MOON AND SIXPENCE. This was in relation to having a central male character instead of a female character in the forefront. Where RABBIT, RUN's Harry differs from THE MOON AND SIXPENCE, is that Charles wants to be an artist in Paris, whereas Harry seeks to uproot from his existence due to dissatisfaction with his alcoholic wife. In another sense, Harry is the libertine version of Charles, wanting to do what he likes, where and when he likes, without having a specific goal, being Charles' dream of painting. On the other hand, Charles is not given to Harry's penchant for wandering, vanishing at a moment's notice, and taking up with another woman. Charles is the more upstanding incarnation of Harry, actually marrying another woman instead of having an affair with someone he just met. These posit male identity, and masculinity, at opposite ends of the spectrum. Where Charles is poised and artistic, Harry is promiscuous and insolent. An interesting if frivolous take on a husband leaving his wife, RABBIT, RUN is notable for its interpretation of this topic.

Overview: Jack Smight was an American film director who presided over seventeen projects during a twenty-five year period. He also was very prolific on television, with many prime-time series to his credit, and seventeen telemovies. Mr Smight's first film, I'D RATHER BE RICH (1964), was a romantic comedy of a young woman whose dying grandfather wants to meet her fiancé. When her fiancé is unable to attend, she convinces another man to take his place, the surprise being that her grandfather recovers in the process. THE THIRD DAY (1965), was a suspense film of a man involved in a car crash, but unable to piece together exactly what happened that day in light of his amnesia. HARPER (1966), covered a private investigator assigned to find a missing millionaire, and the deepening mystery surrounding his disappearance. Jack Smight then turned his hand to comedy in KALEIDOSCOPE (1966). The adventures of a wealthy gambler in London was a vehicle for Warren Beatty, with a mainly British cast including Susannah York, Clive Revill, and Eric Porter. It was back to suspense territory with NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY (1968). The story of two men, a deranged serial killer, and the police detective hunting him down, was a critical and financial success. Mr Smight rounded out the decade with THE ILLUSTRATED MAN (1969). A man whose entire body is tattooed, relates the stories of some of his body art, which are visions of doom.

Into the 1970s, THE TRAVELING EXECUTIONER (1970), was another dark movie for Jack Smight. A man with a portable electric chair, charging for executions in jails, comes unstuck when he falls for one of his prospective victims. Mr Smight then tackled AIRPORT 1975 (1974), which was the second entry in the Airport disaster movie franchise. Trouble brews for a plane when it collides with a smaller aircraft, causing the pilot's incapacity, and death of several crew members. The challenge is for a pilot to board the cockpit, and rescue the plane. It was a wildly successful movie, being one of the year's biggest hits. Next for Jack Smight came MIDWAY (1976). The story of the battle of Midway in 1942 fought between Americans and the Japanese, it was another commercial bonanza, bringing forth a healthy profit for its studio. Science fiction was next on the agenda in DAMNATION ALLEY (1977). The immense difficulties of a group of people in post-apocalyptic America were portrayed, but it was not a financial success. FAST BREAK (1979), was a breezy comedy about a basketball fan who assumes the position of coach for a team, bringing them to the heights of sporting fame. 

The 1980s were inducted by Jack Smight with LOVING COUPLES (1980). The complicated love shenanigans of a married couple trying to make the other jealous with outside parties starred Shirley MacLaine and James Coburn as the central duo, with Susan Sarandon and Stephen Collins in support. NUMBER ONE WITH A BULLET (1987), was Jack Smight's penultimate movie. When two detectives, opposites in manner and behavior, take on a murder case, they discover corruption in their own police force. It had a great cast, with Robert Carradine and Billy Dee Williams as the policemen, and capable support from Peter Graves, Valerie Bertinelli, and Doris Roberts. Mr Smight's final picture, THE FAVORITE (1989), was an historical story of a young French woman who is sold into slavery in an Ottoman harem, and charts her survival in this very demanding milieu. RABBIT, RUN was Jack Smight's ninth film, but not one of his best achievements.

Jack Smight has, unfortunately, made a convoluted motion picture with RABBIT, RUN. The tale of a man leaving his pregnant wife and young child, roaming the country by car, and subsequently taking up with another woman in the process, has been handled in an unsatisfactory manner. While the movie has interesting characters, they do not have a chance to really shine as the story is haphazard. This happens, that happens, someone says this, another says that, but it has been assembled in a pedestrian way. There is a major reason that this is so. It is difficult to feel a connection to what is occurring as events are unemotional in their execution. For example, one never finds out why Harry does what he does, aside from the obvious, that is, he is unhappy with his wife, and her state of mind. There is never a deep delving into character motivations.

The movie highlights a jokiness in its orientation which sometimes works, but quickly wears out its welcome. The naughty words and sexual innuendo seem forced, the main intention being to shock, instead of providing privileged glimpses into characters. Aside from this, characters, in the main, do not have in-depth conversations to hook the viewer. There are several scenes which are compelling in examining character interactions, but these are few and far between. What one witnesses overall is a flippancy, instead of revelations in the storytelling to secure spectators' attention. While RABBIT, RUN is watchable in a basic sense, its lack of finesse renders it half-hearted. One of Jack Smight's lesser movies, RABBIT, RUN is a disappointing film.

Acting: RABBIT, RUN has an excellent cast who do their best to make the film work. In the lead role of Harry Angstrom, the titular Rabbit, James Caan does a creditable job as a man torn in many different directions, but, in the main, this is of his own making. Mr Caan had an indelible charm which worked in both sympathetic, and villainous parts. His Harry is someone difficult to dislike, despite his actions in the movie. Harry's beleaguered wife, Janice, is excellently portrayed by Carrie Snodgress. A unique performer who easily captured the audience's sympathy with her friendly ways, Miss Snodgress makes the most of her part in the movie. Harry's mistress Ruth is given careful shading by Anjanette Comer. With her volatile manner and unpredictability, Miss Comer provides the movie's most complex female character. Another exceptional actress in RABBIT, RUN was Carmen Mathews as Mrs Springer, Harry's mother-in-law. With her serious expressions and quiet voice, Miss Mathews adds immeasurably with her singular presence. The last acting of note was by Melodie Johnson as Lucy, the priest's wife who takes a shine to Harry. Miss Johnson provides yet another intricate portrait of femininity in the film, with many twists and turns to keep Lucy a compelling personality in RABBIT, RUN.

Soundtrack: RABBIT, RUN has a soundtrack peppered with songs of the late 1960s/early 1970s, and some classic tunes. Many of these are employed diegetically with the scenes of Harry driving in his car, listening to the radio. The best use of music is the tune 'Anything Happening?' performed by Inner Sense. This is used both during the opening, and closing credits of RABBIT, RUN. It is an evocative song which makes one wish that the movie had actually delivered as equally as its effective theme tune.

Mise-en-scene: What appears onscreen for spectators is thoroughly convincing in RABBIT, RUN. Photography by Philip Lathrop makes the movie beautiful to view, his knowing use of Technicolor ensuring events appear lifelike. Both indoor, and especially outdoor location shooting, also imbue the picture with a freshness, and verisimilitude, that makes this one of the film's best aspects. Set decoration by Marvin March is also vivid, with Harry's home, his parent's kitchen, and Ruth's apartment standouts. 

Notable Acting Performances: James Caan, Carrie Snodgress, Anjanette Comer, Carmen Mathews, Melodie Johnson. 

Suitability for young viewers: No. Infrequent coarse language, male nudity, female nudity, adult themes.

Overall Grade: D

Link: IMDB Page

Trailer