Good Small Story
Film 'Butterflies' Slowly Succeeds
By Emerson Batdorff Eventually, after figuring that "Butterflies Are Free" had been flapping along aimlessly, a man realizes that he is all caught up in the small story.
It does that to people. It's a sneaker. A slow sneaker, but a sneaker nonetheless. It grabs you unaware.
It is one of those rare movies that is impressive in spite of its cleverness rather than because of it. The bright lines shine deeper than the surface.
Largely it is photoconversation, graphed
which usually makes a bad movie. But this one is not bad; just slow getting under way.
THE THREE principals pull together splendidly, making it an auspicious starring debut for Edward Albert as the blind boy who is trying to make it on his
own.
His blindess is thoroughly realistic: he never overdoes.
Goldie Hawn, the wellknown kook. very nearly overdoes, which would have marred proceedings but she pulls back in time with one of those overwhelmingly guilty looks of hers.
The mother of the blind boy is played lioness-like by Eileen Heckart, who tuned up for the movie role by creating the character on Broadway.
a
"Butterflies Are Free" is
contest of wills. The young man who has been blind since birth ("My mother has a corner on the guilt market") wants to live by himself instead of with his rich, do-everything-forhim mother.
SHE KNOWS what is best for him, which is her. Her dream girl is not a happy blonde hippy with hair that is bountiful even in this hairy age, and who adds to the mess a borrowed fall.
That will be Miss Hawn, who can even enunciate lines like Freedom is the most important thing to me
'Butterflies Are Free'
Directed by Milton Katselas, screenplay by Leonard Gershe based upon his play. Produced by M J Frankovich. Columbia. Mature.
The cast includes Goldie Hawn, Eileen Heckart and Edward Albert.
-after I've eaten" and make them come out sensible.
The blind boy and the hippy girl are both straightfor.ward.
She notes his almost perfect beauty. “Are you a homosexual?" she asks. • No. he says. "Just blind.'
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It's wry like that through-
out.
Edward Albert