What is it about a movie you saw as a ten year old kid in 1956 that sticks in your mind forever??? Friendly Persuasion is just such a film....it is a film that transcends all ages with strong emotion, peace, love and understanding.....FP might possibly the greatest Hollywood film of all time...certainly there are arguments for it being so....first of all it has brilliant casting with Dorothy McGuire and Gary Cooper as mother and father Birdwell.....at the time they might have been the very best male and female actors of their time.... Anthony Perkins handles his role as Josh with temerity and rigidity and wonderful emotional battles...like the scene where he cries out loud after shooting at the river...Phyllis Love as Mattie is strong, caring, sweet and pushed to her emotional boundaries....little Jess played by that wonderful kid at the time was splendid, Richard Eyer...who could forget him as the genie in "Seventh Voyage of Sinbad"......every emotional string is pulled within the Birdwell family in order to avoid involvement with the Civil War encroaching their Indiana home. Their religion bans fighting but what to do when directly threatened with potential lethal harm. Then there are other Quakers who try to force their beliefs on the Birdwell family....director William Wyler directs a brilliant, flawless movie....he knew when to inject comedy, action, fighting and personal involvement to a tee.....you will howl in delight as Jess and Josh Birdwell visit Dorothy Main and her three, hapless, love starved daughters......then there is the antics at the county fair filled with comedy and genuine pure laughs...also Professor Quigley the organ salesman will make you howl......for my money the scene near the end when the rebel soldier is pinned to the tree and thinks he is going to die - but suddenly he is let go by Cooper is very emotionally draining and worthy to see......the solider melts down in a very compelling and emotional way as he is allowed to live.....there are so many moments in FP to talk about.....the horse race between Cooper and his neighbor are a stitch and Doprothy McGuire provides her own antics like blowing dust off of her bible......another compelling scene when a union major is called to the Quaker church to warn the Quakers about the dangers of not fighting to save their lands.....Cooper with that famous statement, "If I am called to violence, I hope that I can be an instrument of the Lord"......there are so many memorable scenes to talk about...this is just a movie par excellence and you can watch it 20 times and not get bored.....to this day 45 years later I think about avoiding violence in my life and "being an instrument of the Lord"....watch this movie with your family and be delighted......
Review of Friendly Persuasion
