This is one of my all-time favorite films. You can watch it via Netflix or if you have On Demand, it's under the free movies on TCM. I'd recommend checking it out.
Georgy (Lynn Redgrave) is a young woman who, as one of the characters puts it, just misses beautiful. And she does. But part of it is her fault. She wears baggy, unflattering sweaters and her hair is a mess, but she's likeable and oh so kind.
Georgy's parents, Ted and Doris (Bill Owen and Clare Kelly) are the butler/friend and housekeeper to the wealthy James Leamington (James Mason). James and his wife Ellen (Rachel Kempson, Redgrave's real life mother) are unhappily married. James has long-since taken Georgy under his wing. He paid for her finishing school in Switzerland and even lets her hold her music classes in his loft. Despite all the fatherly things he's done for her over the years, it turns out he is quite glad that she is not his actual daughter. He puts up with all her crazy antics, something her own father does not.
Georgy lives in the 'slums' as her father calls them with the beautiful but nasty Meredith (Charlotte Rampling, always fairly evil). Meredith fully takes Georgy for granted, but Georgy just lets her. Meredith is dating the kind banker Jos (Alan Bates), but that doesn't stop her from seeing others on the side. Meredith and Jos also have sex, forcing Georgy to leave her own apartment. When Meredith finally does decide to spend time with Georgy, a date calls her at the last minute and she ditches Georgy for him. Georgy cries after her, "I'll think about you when I drink my cocoa." Instead, she opts to go to James's birthday, making a crazy and slightly hilarious scene. Here, James makes an offer. He will take Georgy to be his mistress. When Georgy's father interrupts them, Georgy attempts to show him the contract James just offered her, he dismisses it instantly, not wanting to interfere in anything James does for her. He's a great father.
Meanwhile, Meredith decides she wants a change. She's willing to marry Jos. His response? "You must be pregnant." She is, and then in the next breathe says that she already destroyed two of his children. When Georgy finds out, she simply says that no matter what, despite the ever expanding population, Meredith will not be getting any more of her money.
Meredith does not abort the pregnancy; she marries Jos, but is miserable the whole time, hating having all the baby stuff in the tiny flat and hating all the changes to her body. Jos doesn't mind.
Then, Jos realizes that he really loves Georgy and chases her into the streets, taking off his clothes so she will come home with him. They do have sex, but while Jos has no regrets, Georgy feels bad so Meredith went into labor that night. Meredith is a pill at the hospital, taking in the gas when she shouldn't and then not caring about her daughter once she's born. In fact, she wants the baby adopted straight away. Jos doesn't care, as he believes that no child should have a mother like that, though Georgy pleads with him, saying that Meredith will be great.
Georgy falls in love with the baby and brings her home, keeping house with Jos, though he soon also grows disinterested with her, as she will always pick the baby over having sex with him. (Meredith leaves with one of her other lovers almost immediately after leaving the hospital.)
The baby is taken away, thanks to the unconventional living arrangements and Jos leaves Georgy for the unknown. Luckily, the ending is a happy one, for Georgy at least. Thanks to his wife dying, James is able to make Georgy happy, by getting the baby back and marrying her. The film ends with the two of them driving away for their honeymoon, but instead of paying attention to James, Georgy is lavishing all of her attention on the baby Sara.
I can relate to Georgy, not completely, but in many ways. She wants a baby more than a lasting, real relationship. Jos later describes as crazy but not because of her height (she is rather tall) or her looks but because she believes that she can save everyone. She tries to see the best in people, but it backfires.
The film has its issues, like having a man want to make a young girl who is really like a daughter become his mistress. And Jos isn't all the great, either, though he at least appreciates Georgy for who she really is. But then, he is also selfish, like Meredith, wanting Georgy to give him all of her attention when she relates better to children.
Redgrave was Oscar-nominated her but lost to Elizabeth Taylor in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, though Redgrave also deserved to win. Mason was also nominated, though I will argue he was miscast. He did great, but he was and looked too old for the role. Never mind, the film is still great, though odd. I will watch it again and again. I feel for Georgy, though she is also her own worst enemy. Grade: A
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