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Blind Major 
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TITLE |
Butterflies Are Free (1972) |
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NOTES |
Another film
in which someone who is disabled is romantically matched with someone
who is able bodied but considered different.
Here a blind boy finds romance with his next door neighbour
who happens to be Goldie Hawn. You can figure out the logic
there.
Thanks to Yvonne who has sent the following review:
Synopsis
Set in the hippie era of free love.
Donny (Edward Albert) plays a young blind man living in a
rundown apartment in L.A... Jill (Goldie Hawn) a free-spirited,
giggly hippie, has just moved in next door. They meet and
she does not at first realise that he is blind and is then really
impressed with how well he copes. She helps him to update
his image. They become lovers. It becomes clear from their
conversations that he is trying to be independent from his
wealthy, overprotective mother and become a successful
singer/songwriter. He comes from a privileged, sheltered
background. She, at only 19, has left school early, married,
divorced, lived with various lovers and has aspirations to be
an actress.
His mother (Oscar winner, Eileen Heckart) turns up, uninvited
and shocked at his living conditions, tries to make him come
home. He refuses. The mother tries to put Jill off the
relationship by pointing out that when Jill leaves him, he will be
hurt. Jill points out that it is the mother's lack of nurturing
confidence that has caused him problems.
The mother keeps Donny company while he awaits Jill's
promised return from an audition. She turns up very late and
with the play's director (Paul Michael Glazer) who was
previously her lover. She announces that she is going to
move back in with the director, which really upsets Donny.
When she leaves the room, he is very dispirited and tells his
mother that he is returning home with her. However she has
taken to heart what Jill told her and persuades him to stay on,
offering to support his independence.
Before Jill leaves, Donny points out to Jill that she is
emotionally crippled because her life is driven by her fear of
commitment.
She leaves but at the last minute returns to him.
Comments
This film suffers from 2 main problems, firstly it is very much
of its time and is dated now. Also it is clearly taken from a
stage play and is almost entirely played out in the apartment
set.
However on the plus side, the dialogue and situations are very
humorous.
Edward Albert plays the vulnerable yet independently spirited
young man very well. His character's struggles are not in
relation to rehabilitation but with other people's attitudes. He
punctures other's misconceptions about blind people with
gentle humour. He is shown as an appealing, attractive and
gifted character. Goldie Hawn and Eileen Heckart are
perfectly cast.
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Notes
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