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The two old sisters have been at war for years, until they have become beloved enemies. Now death is near for both of them -- not today or tomorrow or perhaps even this year, but before long.

For decades, since they were children, they have returned to this old cottage on an island off the coast of Maine, where in August it has been their custom to watch at twilight as the whales pass on their journeys to wherever it is that whales go. Although they make plans for the future, and argue over whether they should install a new picture window, there is the sense that this will be their last summer in the cottage.

That is the story. As stories go, it is conventional enough, but in "The Whales of August," as in grand opera, the story is only the occasion for the performances. This film stars Lillian Gish and Bette Davis , and to cast those two actresses as the leads of the same movie is to make their very presences more important than anything else. This is not their fault, nor do they use it as the occasion for self-conscious acting, for any inappropriate drawing of attention to themselves. It is just a fact.

Gish, who was born in 1896, was the star of D.W. Griffith's " The Birth of a Nation " (1915), the first great narrative film. Her career includes some 150 movies. Davis, who was born in 1908, was one of the great movie queens of Hollywood's golden age. Together they make this movie into the kind of project that filmmakers dream about but are rarely able to arrange. They are supported in the film by two other actors who bring a lot of memories onscreen with them: Vincent Price and Ann Sothern .

The film mostly takes place during the course of one day, which ends in a birthday dinner party and a good deal of truth. It begins with Gish and Davis gingerly talking around many of the issues that have divided them for years - and some of the issues, we feel, are not nearly so important to them as the simple satisfaction of being right, of prevailing in a personality struggle that has continued since childhood.

Gish is the older sister, but in slightly better health. Davis's character, who is blind, has a blind person's love of order and continuity, which is a way of finding her way around not only a familiar house but a familiar life.

Nothing of great moment happens during the day, but many small moments occur. One of them, the most touching, is Gish's quiet "private time" with the memory of her late husband. She speaks to him in a monologue that is not only moving but also surprisingly passionate. Another special moment occurs when the two sisters walk out on the lawn to look for the whales, which only Gish can see. And I liked the subtle verbal gamesmanship that was the real subject of most of their conversations.

Many of the crucial moments in the movie play mostly in closeup, and I could not help meditating on these famous faces as I watched them. At her great age, Gish still sometimes looks girlish, capable of teasing and practical jokes. But the moment when she lets her hair down in front of the portrait of her dead husband is a revelation, because it contains a genuine erotic content, a sense memory of her character's romance with this man.

Davis contains surprises, too. In so many of the roles in the third act of her career, her face was a painted mask of makeup - not out of vanity, but because she was often cast as a painted madwoman or harpy. Here, devoid of much makeup, her features emerge with strength and a kind of peace that is no longer denying age. Both women, in other words, are beautiful.

Against such competition, supporting actors have their work cut out. Sothern is sensible and cheery as a neighbor woman, who has shared the lives of these sisters for many years and accepts them. She is sort of a peacemaker, whose life lacks the complexity that the sister's long struggle has created.

The other major character in the film is the old aristocrat, down on his luck, played by Price with a self-deprecating humor that creates dignity out of thin air. Mr. Maranov, his character, was once a "real" member of European nobility, but now has no money and no prospects and depends on the kindness of strangers. His previous sponsor has died, and now he is searching for someone else to support him. He knows this, and everyone else knows it, and yet he still retains a certain nobility, even as a beggar. It is an interesting character.

The movie was directed by Lindsay Anderson , whose previous films have been nothing at all like this one, to put it mildly. After "This Sporting Life," "If...," "O Lucky Man" and "Britannia Hospital," here is a quiet film of a conventional story, a star vehicle designed to show everyone to advantage. This is not one of Anderson's great films, but he succeeds at the assignment he has given himself. There is a story that during the filming of "The Whales of August," Anderson told Gish one day that she had just performed wonderfully in a closeup. "She should," Davis declared. "She invented them."

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Godfrey cheshire, film credits.

The Whales of August (1987)

Lillian Gish as Sarah Webber

Mary Steenburgen as Young Sarah

Bette Davis as Libby Strong

Frank Grimes as Mr. Beckwith

Harry Carey Jr. as Joshua

Vincent Price as Mr. Maranov

Ann Sothern as Tisha Doughty

Photographed by

Produced by.

Carolyn Pfeiffer
Mike Kaplan

Screenplay by

David Berry

Directed by

Lindsay Anderson

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The Whales of August Reviews

Gish rules the day as the more empathetic sister, but Anderson brings them to a masterful finale.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Aug 26, 2020

A quiet, unassuming masterpiece that deserves to be cherished,

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Jun 4, 2019

This is not acting, but simply ex- isting in front of a camera.

Full Review | Sep 5, 2018

This is not my cup of tea, but it is a fascinating last picture show for a likeable legendary acting troupe.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Oct 30, 2008

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 17, 2005

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 29, 2005

The names of Lillian Gish, Bette Davis and Vincent Price will never be forgotten by film lovers. The Whales of August, on the other hand, surely will be.

Full Review | Original Score: 60/100 | Apr 23, 2004

A worthy film that affords the viewer a rare chance to see some fine acting by stars the like we'll not see again.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 1, 2004

Deeply moving drama about two elderly sisters who discover that it's never too late to change.

Full Review | Jul 10, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 31, 2002

Here is a quiet film of a conventional story, a star vehicle designed to show everyone to advantage.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jan 1, 2000

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The Whales of August

Muted but engrossing tale about the balance of power between two elderly sisters boasts superior lead performances from two of the screen's most legendary actresses, Bette Davis and Lillian Gish.

By Variety Staff

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Muted but engrossing tale about the balance of power between two elderly sisters boasts superior lead performances from two of the screen’s most legendary actresses, Bette Davis and Lillian Gish.

Adapted by David Berry from his 1981 play, story has two sisters living alone in a comfortable but basic home they have occupied for decades on the striking coast of Maine. Sarah (Gish) is a doting busybody who is obliged to care for her sister Libby (Davis), because the latter is blind.

Trouble rears its head in the form of Vincent Price, a White Russian of considerable charm and gentlemanliness who for decades has lived as a ‘houseguest’ of numerous ladies.

Wearing long, pure white hair Davis looks gaunt, grim and disturbed, but her performance is restrained in such a way that may even increase its power. Gish is a delight throughout.

Popular on Variety

A black-&-white prolog, in which Mary Steenburgen, Tisha Sterling and Margaret Ladd appear as the women in their youth, gets the film off to a nice start.

1987: Nomination: Best Supp. Actress (Ann Sothern)

Production: Alive. Director Lindsay Anderson; Producer Carolyn Pfeiffer, Mike Kaplan; Screenplay David Berry; Camera Mike Fash; Editor Nicolas Gaster; Music Alan Price; Art Director Jocelyn Herbert
Crew: (Color) Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1987. Running time: 90 MIN.
With: Bette Davis Lillian Gish Vincent Price Ann Sothern Harry Carey Jr Frank Grimes

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The Whales of August (1987) Movie Review: Gish + Davis Together at Last

The Whales of August Lillian Gish Bette Davis Ann Sothern Vincent Price

According to my math, the careers of the three leading ladies – Lillian Gish, Bette Davis, and Ann Sothern – in Lindsay Anderson’s The Whales of August total 191 years. And that is without taking into consideration their co-stars, among them Vincent Price and Harry Carey Jr. That’s an awful lot of acting experience for one film.

The Whales of August begins with the leisurely, early morning routines of two sisters living together in a small cottage on the coast of Maine in late summer. Sarah Webber (Lillian Gish) greets the day by working in the garden, dusting the house, and fixing breakfast for her blind sister, Libby Strong (Bette Davis). Sarah is upbeat, patient, and hopeful; Libby, on the other hand, begins her day cranky and irritable.

The two sisters share a lifetime of memories together, reminiscing much of the time and discussing their families. Conflict arises when the sisters must decide whether or not they should have a new picture window installed in their cottage. Sarah is excited about the prospect of having a view of the ocean, but Libby is resistant to change as she believes they’re too old to try new things.

The vast majority of the scenes in The Whales of August are focused on the two veteran stars: 91-year-old Lillian Gish and 79-year-old Bette Davis. The dialogue exchange between these two – from a screenplay by David Berry based on his own play – feels not only fresh and natural, but also quite realistic.

Additionally, The Whales of August features introspective moments in which the two women are silent and alone, their faces revealing a host of emotions: Gish as she gets ready for a “date,” and Davis caressing her cheeks with a feather, given to her from a lost love of long ago.

The film’s supporting cast couldn’t be better. The always delightful Ann Sothern plays Tisha, the blueberry-picking old friend. (Sothern’s real-life daughter with Robert Sterling , Tisha Sterling, plays the young Tisha.) With her flaming red hair and ample body while shuffling around with a cane, the Academy Award-nominated Sothern contributes a bright and cheery presence to the otherwise low-key story.

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Vincent Price is Mr. Maranov, a deposed Russian aristocrat who remembers the good old Czarist days of splendor and grandeur. Now, however, he has been reduced to catching fish and living off the kindness of the small town’s elderly ladies. Although Mr. Maranov’s accent seems to be both elusive and imprecise, his gentlemanly demeanor and sincerity make him seem trustworthy.

Harry Carey Jr, for his part, plays Joshua: the old, noisy handyman, waiting around for permission to install the picture window. Carey Jr, who early in his career played supporting roles in John Ford Westerns, creates a fully convincing character, one with Maine speech patterns and a gruff exterior.

Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, The Whales of August

But the real delight in The Whales of August is the interaction – and the contrast – between Bette Davis and National Board of Review Best Actress co-winner Lillian Gish (who tied with Broadcast News ’ Holly Hunter). Both actresses work brilliantly opposite one another. Gish gives a complex performance as a warm, sweet, old woman who knows her end is near, even though she is not ready to die. Davis also displays a great range of emotions as a blind woman afraid of dying. Although Libby is cranky by nature, Davis shows us that she still has a sense of humor, as in the scene where Libby sits back and laughs while dishing with the girls.

Lillian Gish, Bette Davis movie The Whales of August

Libby is also possessive of her sister, resenting the relationship between Sarah and Mr. Maranov. When Sarah invites the man to dinner, Libby scowls, “ I will not eat his fish! ”

More cutting dialogue continues over dinner, during which Libby is rude to the point of insulting their guest. When the subject turns to the past, Libby emphatically insists, “Photographs fade. Memories live forever.”

Mr. Maranov, however, notes, “Alas, Mrs Strong. Memories can fade too.”

Libby snaps, “That has not been my experience!”

The “whales” in the title refer to the women’s lost youth. Sarah and Tisha are anxious to see them one more time, but blind Libby seems not to care. Anticipating her own death, she is unable to understand why her sister continues to relish life.

Once again, the contrast between the two sisters is what makes their relationship fascinating. Their minor spats are frequent, but do not last for long. Sarah insists, “We are so different, you and I.” Libby responds, “We are strong stock, Sarah. And with precious little time.” (As a side note, make sure to pay close attention to the photos around the house, showing the two women in their youth. There is even one manipulated image of Lillian Gish and Bette Davis “together” in the 1930s.)

Ultimately, their dispute about installing a new picture window is only symbolic. Libby does not want to “try new things,” while Sarah is eager to enjoy what’s left of her life. “You can choose death if you’d like to. But life is not over for me!” she insists.

Eventually, Libby realizes how selfish she has been, especially considering that she doesn’t want to lose her sister to either Mr. Maranov or Tisha. She slowly becomes less abrasive, while Sarah regains her patience and determination. They’re then finally able to come to terms with their differences.

In the deliberately paced, lovingly directed The Whales of August , don’t expect action scenes, special effects, or explosions. This is all about old age , folks. Lindsay Anderson takes his time to tell a simple story about the affection and devotion of two sisters facing death in their own separate ways, with or without a new picture window.

Also worth noting is Mike Fash’s soft-focus but vibrant cinematography. Fash’s lighting, in fact, is flattering for the entire geriatric cast. In one beautiful scene, for instance, we see a close-up of Lillian Gish brushing Bette Davis’ long, thick, white hair; it almost seems to glow in the sunlight.

By now, everyone knows the stories that went around during (and after) the making of The Whales of August: Lillian Gish was quite deaf and Bette Davis was quite bitchy. According to one apocryphal story, when Anderson praised Gish after a stunning close-up, Davis groused, “Of course it’s a good close-up. The bitch invented the close-up!”

Well, Davis was almost right. After all, Gish had been around since near the beginning of film history. I should add that even if this anecdote were true, I can see how Davis would have meant it as a compliment: she was addressing Anderson, chastising him for even considering that Gish could give anything but a good close-up.

Although it is sentimental and may suffer from a sort of rigor mortis , The Whales of August is neither manipulative nor dull. Once the slow pace of the proceedings is accepted, the film becomes a powerful and compelling story of how aging affects us all.

Personally, the most moving scene is at the end when Libby asks Sarah to take her out to the cliff to wait for the whales. Libby’s hand stretches out and clasps Sarah’s. When their hands touch, they are finally connected with their past as well as their future.

Do the whales return?

“You never know,” Libby croaks. “You never know.”

THE WHALES OF AUGUST (1987). Director: Lindsay Anderson. Cast: Lillian Gish, Bette Davis, Vincent Price, Ann Sothern, Harry Carey Jr, Mary Steenburgen, Frank Grimes, Margaret Ladd, Tisha Sterling. Screenplay: David Berry; from his own play

THE WHALES OF AUGUST 1 Academy Award Nomination Best Supporting Actress: Ann Sothern

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And Ann Southern!! Don’t know how I could have left her out! She was marvelous as Tisha!

I recently saw this film for the first time. What a delightful, precious gem. I was awestruck by this film,and moved to tears to see these veteran actors still showcasing their incredible talent, that of which has not diminished through all the years. I too, was unaware of this film, thanks TCM.

I awoke at 5am to the sound of the soft background music in this film. I was instantly drawn in and continued to watch.

I loved this charming story and the interactions of the stars. It was poetic in every way.

I highly recommend this film. I’ve mentioned it to friends. A delight!

What a wonderful surprise to come across this movie on TCM! How lucky we felt! Thanks to all concerned!

Love this movie! There is no one who can compare to any of the main actors- Davis, Gish, Price, Carey - all fabulous and amazingly gifted in that even in their older years they were able to perform with such depth and range of emotion! Fortune’s synopsis was wonderful. The only change is that Davis strokes her cheek not with a feather, but with a lock of hair from her long, lost love. Wonderful picture!

Wonderful movie, great acting.

I’ve been very impressed by the wonderfull actresses Lilian Gish and Bette Davis: these women have lived trough many approaches of how filmmaking should be, well, they are marvellous and prove hereby that a good actor will stay a good actorn whatever the fil-making-approach may be…..

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The Whales of August

Where to Watch

Bette Davis (Libby Strong) Lillian Gish (Sarah Webber) Vincent Price (Mr. Maranov) Ann Sothern (Tisha Doughty) Harry Carey Jr. (Joshua Brackett) Frank Grimes (Mr. Beckwith) Margaret Ladd (Young Libby) Tisha Sterling (Young Tisha) Mary Steenburgen (Young Sarah) Frank Pitkin (Old Randall)

Lindsay Anderson

Two aged sisters reflect on life and the past during a late summer day in Maine.

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The Whales of August

Time out says, release details.

Duration: 91 mins

Cast and crew

Director: Lindsay Anderson
Screenwriter: David Berry
Bette Davis
Lillian Gish
Vincent Price
Ann Sothern
Harry Carey Jr
Margaret Ladd
Tisha Sterling
Mary Steenburgen

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Movie Review

The whales of august.

US Release Date: 10-16-1987

Directed by: Lindsay Anderson

Starring ▸ ▾

Bette Davis , as
Libby Strong
Lillian Gish , as
Sarah Webber
Vincent Price , as
Mr. Maranov
Ann Sothern , as
Tisha Doughty
Harry Carey Jr. , as
Joshua Brackett
Frank Grimes , as
Mr. Beckwith
Mary Steenburgen , as
Young Sarah
Margaret Ladd , as
Young Libby
Tisha Sterling as
Young Tisha

Bette Davis and Lillian Gish with a combined 131 years of movie experience.

It’s always interesting to watch a movie again that you haven’t seen for many years. Especially if you were young when you last saw it. I was 20 years old when I saw The Whales of August at the local theater in my home town. It was called Le Bijou and it was the only theater in Kalamazoo, Michigan that showed art house movies and foreign films during the 1980’s.

I certainly appreciated it more now than I did in 1987. Then I was pretty bored with it and completely disliked Bette Davis’ Libby. I thought she ruined her sister Sarah’s (Lillian Gish) life and that she took away her last chance at love. At the time I thought that Vincent Price’s Mr Maranov was quite a catch for her. Now I saw him for what he was, just an aging gigolo with courtly manners.

This is based on a play and is quite slowly paced, not surprising when you figure the cast consists almost entirely of senior citizens. Lillian Gish was an active and healthy 93 at the time, whereas Bette Davis (78) had recently suffered a major stroke, this plus the fact that her character is blind makes it completely believable for Davis to be playing the older sibling. For the record Gish had made her first movie in 1912 and Davis’ movie career dated back to 1931.

As girls these two sisters used to watch always for the whales to return every August off the coast of their Maine home. But that was in the 1880’s and ‘90’s. Now it is the late 1940’s and our sisters have come near to the end of their long lives and no whales have been spotted in decades, although, Sarah, ever the optimist, continues to watch for them every summer.

There isn’t much of a plot just a few days in the lives of these aging sisters. They understand each other and sometimes resent each other but they are family and they are all each of them has and that is that. Gish has a great scene where she toasts her dead husband Philip on their anniversary. “It’s been 46 years Philip…” Davis gets the most memorable line though, and proves that in all her infirmity she could still make a good line better with her delivery. She tells her sister, “We’re from strong stock, you and I, but we’ve precious little time left.” The Whales of August was shot on location in Maine and features a good supporting performance by Ann Sothern and a cameo by Mary Steenburgen as the young Sarah. This is a poetic little movie about death, sibling rivalry and the passage of time. Lillian Gish and Bette Davis, at the end of their legendary careers, are more than worth the 90 minutes running-time.

Photos © Copyright MGM Home Entertainment (1987)

The Whales of August

Photos & Videos

Film Details

Articles & Reviews

Brief Synopsis

Cast & crew, lindsay anderson, bette davis, lillian gish, vincent price, ann sothern, frank pitkin, photos & videos, technical specs.

Drama revolving around five unusual elderly characters, two of whom are sisters, at the end of a summer on a Maine island, as they undergo various emotional changes in their lives.

Mary Steenburgen

Harry Carey Jr.

Tisha sterling, margaret ladd, frank grimes, stuart besser, beverly burton, dixie j capp, matthew j clark, rudy dillon, shep gordon, david a harp, jocelyn herbert, julie hewett, sosie hublitz, mike kaplan, broderick miller, richard morrison, carolyn pfeiffer, holly pitkin, anna rita raineri, janice reynolds, cathy rosenstein, daniel sanabria, hugh strain, donald summer, toni trimble, teresa visinare, derek wadsworth, frederick edward weatherly, julie weiss.

Award Nominations

Best supporting actress.

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Fall October 16, 1987

Released in United States October 23, 1987

Released in United States on Video May 1988

Began shooting September 3, 1986.

Released in United States October 23, 1987 (Los Angeles)

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Sunday, August 1, 2021

The whales of august: a review (review #1501).

THE WHALES OF AUGUST

This review is part of the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon. Today's star is Bette Davis.

The Whales of August unites two of film's great stars of the silent and sound era at the end of their cinematic careers. A bit stage-bound and slow, The Whales of August picks up and is worth a visit for those willing to go through some travel.

Aging sisters Libby Strong (Bette Davis) and Sarah Webber (Lilian Gish) are in their family's Maine summer home. Here, the older Sarah cares for the more infirm, slightly bitter Libby as they struggle to find themselves in this, perhaps their final summer together. Sarah is finding it harder to endure Libby both physically and emotionally.

Their longtime friend Tisha Doughty (Ann Sothern) advises Sarah to sell the house and have Libby's daughter Anna take care of her. Sarah struggles with these options, while Libby gives the cold shoulder to Mr. Maranov (Vincent Price), a Russian count who has relied on the kindness of friends to see him through the years after the Russian Revolution threw his family out of his homeland. Sarah is charmed by the Romanov-connected Count but Libby thinks him a fraud.

As the summer winds down Sarah opts to turn down Tisha's views on selling the family home, much to Tisha's embarrassment. Libby for her part pushes Maranov to not try and find shelter with them, wisely seeing him for the player he is. With the whales perhaps in sight, the two sisters have a rapprochement, the bonds of family strengthening them.

The Whales of August starts slow as it feels its way towards our four characters. It can be a bit trying to get to the heart of David Berry's adaptation of his play: the evolving yet declining push-and-pull between these sisters. I figure it is because the adaptation requires a perhaps too lengthy setup, not just for them but for both Tisha and Maranov (who apart from a handyman and a realtor are the only figures in the film).

However, once we get past the introductions The Whales of August starts to slowly move. I think it is because once the four of them share a tea we can get the various conflicts coming into view. There's whether Sarah will continue to care for Libby; there's little doubt she doesn't care about Libby, but whether to care for her is another matter. Fragile but fierce, Libby can be a handful.

There's the potential romance between Sarah and Maranov. While devoted to the memory of her husband Philip (killed in battle), Sarah does sparkle when the wily and elegant Count comes calling. This is sharp contrast to Libby, who does not trust him even if she cannot see him.

Finally, there's the well-intentioned Tisha, who has mediated between the sisters but who also may have overstepped herself by bringing a realtor without fully consulting Sarah, who is the legal owner.

As the film moves, we see how these various pieces get their moments, all coming together to a quiet yet satisfying conclusion.

The Whales of Augus t allow us to see some simply beautiful things. Even at the age of 93 in her final film, Lilian Gish has a simply luminous face that is magic on the screen. Gish is firm repudiation of the idea that silent film stars had no voices to carry them into sound films. However, Gish is also proof of what Sunset Boulevard 's Norma Desmond said. "We didn't need voices, we had faces", and Gish's face is simply divine.

In terms of her acting, we see that full range for Sarah: irritation and love with and for Libby, charm at Maranov, joy at Tisha.

Davis can come across as more cantankerous than perhaps is good for the character, but she too shows some vulnerability as Libby. Her more short-tempered manner mask quiet fears, and Davis makes Libby into a woman who wills her way to strength while still holding affection for her sister.

At times both do show they are acting versus being, but on the whole Gish and Davis do show that struggle between loving and loathing your sibling.

Sothern brings a spark every time she's on screen as their longtime friend, and she can also move the viewer more than even Gish or Davis. Her story about losing her driving license is surprisingly sad, as is her farewell to Sarah. Knowing that whatever her intent the end result is that of anger, we see Tisha's deep sense that she has lost her friend, and that fear comes across beautifully.

Maybe Price came across as a bit too hammy as Maranov, but given the character was already a bit dubious we can cut him some slack. He does have one of the wittier lines in The Whales of August . When Sarah comments about him having to be cast adrift in this world again, he replies, "I have often been adrift, but I have always stayed afloat".

The film is also complimented by Alan Price's beautiful score and Lindsay Anderson's deft if perhaps somewhat slow direction.

The Whales of August should relate to those who have struggled to love the sometimes difficult sibling. Well-acted, if a bit slow, The Whales of August allows the viewer to see four legends in the twilight of their years, giving a farewell to all that has come before.

DECISION: B-

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Ann Sothern , Bette Davis , caretaker , elderly sisters , Harry Carey Jr , Lillian Gish , Lindsay Anderson , Maine island , Margaret Ladd , Mary Steenburgen , neighbour , recall old days , Russian count , summer home , Tisha Sterling , Vincent Price

The Whales of August ***** (1987, Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Vincent Price, Ann Sothern) – Classic Movie Review 125

An incredibly sprightly 94-year-old Lillian Gish (who held the record as the oldest actor in a leading role), Bette Davis (aged 79) and Vincent Price (76) are wonderful in this exquisitely lovely, beautifully moving 1987 film.

Director Lindsay Anderson provides a marvellous showcase for the tenacious talents of these veterans actors. Age may have slightly withered them, but nothing stops them giving show-stopping turns.

Two elderly sisters – angry Libby Strong (Davis), sweet Sarah Webber (Gish) – argue as they recall the old days on their Maine island summer home. In the changing world, whales no longer come close to the shore. People pop in: caretaker Joshua Brackett (Harry Carey Jr), smooth old Russian count Mr Maranov (Vincent Price) and neighbour Tisha Doughty (Ann Sothern).

The movie starts in black and white with a flashback to the three ladies in their salad days, at this point played by Mary Steenburgen (Young Sarah), Margaret Ladd (Young Libby) and Tisha Sterling (Sothern’s daughter as the young version of her real mother’s character, Tisha).

With a screenplay based on his own stage play by David Barry, it’s all talk and nothing happens, so it could just as easily have been a filmed stage play but Anderson ensures it’s a real film and that it’s a total delight.

The Whales of August is British director Anderson’s American debut. It proved to be the last film for both Gish and Sothern and Davis’s penultimate one.

Anderson said to Gish while filming: ‘Miss Gish, you have just given me the most marvellous close-up.’ Davis interrupted: ‘She should, she invented them!

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Produced by, released by, the whales of august (1987), directed by lindsay anderson.

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The Whales of August

Two aged sisters reflect on life and the past during a late summer day in Maine.
It's August. Like they have most summers, elderly widowed sisters Libby Strong and Sarah Webber, who live in Philadelphia, are staying together in the family's summer cottage on an island off the coast of Maine. The cottage, which now belongs to Sarah, has been in their family most of their lives, was the family's summer getaway from Philadelphia when they were younger. There are a few people who have been friends or acquaintances on the island, including the outspoken Tisha Dought, and Joshua Brackett. Someone new at least to Sarah's social circle is Mr. Maranov, a former Russian aristocrat. His stay on the island is threatened when his landlady, Hilda Partridge, passes away. Sarah and Libby have come to the realization they are in the respective twilight of their lives, Sarah, who still keeps busy and wants to savor life's pleasures, acts as now sightless, cantankerous and bitter Libby's caregiver. Sarah knows she can no longer take care of Libby. As such, Sarah has to make alternate living arrangements instead of the Philadelphia house.Those arrangements will not involve Libby's estranged daughter Anna, who has the means to take care of her mother, although not the want. It is their interactions with Tisha and Mr. Maranov which may decide their sisterly fate for the immediate future. — Huggo
Two elderly sisters spend a traditional August at their seaside home in Maine, for perhaps the last time. Their attitudes and outlook on life and death, both old and new, continually effect their relationship with each other, and with their distinguished and not so distinguished neighbors. — tywescoat
Summer people in Maine: things are changing. Whales no longer pass close to the shore as they did during the youth of two elderly widowed sisters who have a seaside home where they've summered for 50 years. Libby is blind, contrary, and seemingly getting ready to die. Sarah is attentive to her sister, worried about continuing to care for her, and half interested in an old Russian aristocrat who fishes from their shore. It's the eve of Sarah's 46th wedding anniversary. The Russian offers some fish he's caught, Sarah invites him to dinner, and Libby gets her back up. Sarah wonders if it isn't time to sell the place and find a home for Libby. What alternatives do old people have? — <[email protected]>
The events take place during a single summer day in Maine, in a cottage on an island. The camera stays indoors except when the characters take walks to the water. Two elderly widowed sisters are summering in the cottage, as they have done for 60 years. The sisters frequently relate events of the past to each other. Sarah Webber (Lillian Gish) is the older of the two, the owner, and is caretaker to her blind sister Libby Strong (Bette Davis). Every August, they have watched the whales passing in the nearby waters, but the sense is that this may be their last summer together. Sarah is living life the way it's important to her, friendly, attentive, gracious, worried about continuing to care for her sister. She cleans, makes beanie animals for the fall fair, cooks, serves meals and tea and keeps the house in order. Libby is contrary, cantankerous, and psychologically ready to die. Mr. Maranov (Vincent Price) is an old man originally of the Imperial Russian aristocracy who has been living in a rented room in the house of a neighbor woman who has recently died. Maranov arrives in mid-morning, announces his presence and makes small talk, asks permission to fish from their shore, and goes to the shore to fish, but he really is fishing around for a place to live. Joshua Brackett (Harry Carey, Jr.) is a noisy handyman man who drops in to offer to install a picture window. Joshua says he can get a good deal on the materials and can do the work in about two weeks. Libby brushes off the idea, saying they are too old for anything new. A neighbor and life long friend of the sisters, Tisha Doughty (Ann Sothern) shows up to gossip, complain about newcomers and losing her drivers license, and by the way suggests to Sarah that she might want to think of selling the old cottage and leave Libby's care to her daughter. Sarah is close to being convinced, until she remembers how Libby helped her when her own husband died. They guess that Maranov is trying to ingratiate himself with Sarah to see whether she will rent him a room, as he needs to move soon. There are quiet scenes in which Sarah talks to old photographs as she cleans or fixes up her hair and makeup. Later in the day, Maranov has caught some fish and offers part of his catch to Sarah. Sarah accepts, puts the fish in her refrigerator, and invites Maranov to come to dinner to eat the fish. Libby protests that she will not under any circumstances eat of that fish, nor get dressed for dinner. Sarah promises to fix a pork chop for Libby, as she is sweet in her sisterly devotion to Libby and avoids getting drawn into her moods. She always calls her dear. She brushes her hair, fixes breakfast for her, gets her clothes together and tends to the garden. "Busy, busy, busy" is how Libby talks about her, and irritatingly calls her Say-rah throughout. In a moving sequence, Libby brushes her own face with a lock of her husband's hairwhile sitting alone in her bedroom. Mr. Maranov arrives for dinner, dressed up as best he can, after having picked a few flowers, and the threesome have a candlelight dinner, during which Maranov entertains the sisters with stories from the old aristocratic days, exile in Paris, and his life since then. He has little money and has survived mainly on the kindness of others. The relatively pleasant dinner session comes to an end when Libby unequivocally announces that no way will they even consider letting Maranov live in their house. Sarah is shown in an emotional scene in which she celebrates her 46th wedding anniversary by having an imaginary conversation with her long deceased husband. "Forty-six years, Phillip", she tells him. "Forty-six red roses; forty-six white. White for truth--red for passion. That's what you always said--passion and truth; that's all we need. I wish you were here, Phillip." Tisha Doughty arrives together with Mr. Beckwith (Frank Grimes) in a vintage car. Beckwith is a real estate agent who believes that Sarah may want to put her house up for sale. Sarah, much annoyed at the suggestion, eventually orders Mr. Beckwith out, determined not to sell. Joshua Brackett the handyman returns to the house to look for a wrench he might have left behind earlier. He is constantly making a racket as he enters or leaves or rummages in the garden. Libby asks for Joshua to come into the house, asks questions about the proposed picture window, and announces that she and her sister have agreed to go ahead with the project. The picture window project is symbolic, in that Libby shows her first sign in possibly many years of not giving in to death. Sarah is delighted with the prospect of getting her picture window installed. Libby asks Sarah to walk her out to the point, the spot from which they used to watch the whales go by.

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The Whales Of August

"movie magazine international" review.

(Air Date: Week Of 11/20/87)

By Monica Sullivan

Lindsay Anderson's "The Whales Of August", features one luminous piece of work by Miss Lillian Gish, in her 95th year, and four excellent performances by Bette Davis, 79, Vincent Price, 78, Ann Sothern, also 78, and Harry Carey, Jr., 66. The script by playwright David Berry is not-so-hot, with a confusing timeline and a fuzzy psychological grasp of its elderly characters. Berry offers a younger person's view of how older people see life.

As two sisters bound by blood, finances and circumstances, Bette's blind character might well wind up a crabby whiner, but Miss Lillian would not be blamed for giving Sis a good shaking instead of serenely waiting on her hand and foot. Vincent is so irresistible as a charming scrounge who tries to horn in on this pair that when he makes his graceful exit from the plot with resignation, he takes much of the film's lightness of tone with him.

Ann Sothern, too, is seen to good effect as a well-meaning Maine friend. But Miss Lillian, defying every assumption about what a woman in her tenth decade should be, acts rings around all these outstanding pros, drawing every bit of emotion from each line, gesture and expression, in a subtle yet richly textured portrayal that's as powerful as anything she's done on film since 1912.

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Two aged sisters reflect on life and the past during a late summer day in Maine.

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Movie Review: In 'The Idea of You,' a boy band is center stage but Anne Hathaway steals the show

This image released by Prime shows Nicholas Galitzine, left, and Anne Hathaway in a scene from "The Idea of You." (Prime via AP)

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Movie Review: In 'The Idea of You,' a boy band is center stage but Anne Hathaway steals the show

In the warmly charming rom-com “The Idea of You,” Anne Hathaway plays a 40-year-old divorcee who becomes romantically involved with a 24-year-old heartthrob in a boy band called August Moon

In the warmly charming rom-com “The Idea of You," Anne Hathaway plays a 40-year-old divorcee and Silver Lake art gallery owner who, after taking her teenage daughter to Coachella, becomes romantically involved with a 24-year-old heartthrob in the boy band August Moon. They first meet after she mistakes his trailer for the bathroom.

There are a few hundred things about this premise that might be farfetched, including the odds of finding love anywhere near the porta johns of a music festival. But one of them is not that a young star like Hayes Campbell ( Nicholas Galitzine ) would fall for a single mom like Solène (Hathaway).

Solène is stylish, unimpressed by Hayes' celebrity and has bangs so perfect they look genetically modified. And, most importantly, she's Anne Hathaway. In the power dynamics of “The Idea of You,” Hayes may be a fictional pop star but Hathaway is a very real movie star. And you don't forget it for a moment in Michael Showalter's lightly appealing showcase of the actor at her resplendent best.

“The Idea of You,” which debuts Thursday on Prime Video, is full of all the kinds of contradictions that can make a rom-com work. The highly glamorous, megawatt-smiling Hathaway is playing a down-to-earth nobody. The showbiz veteran in the movie is played by Galitzine, a less well-known but up-and-coming British actor whose performance in the movie is quite authentic. And even though the whole scenario is undeniably a glossy high-concept Hollywood fairy tale, Showalter gives it enough texture that “The Idea of You” comes off more natural and sincere than you'd expect.

The only thing that really needs to make perfect sense in a movie like “The Idea of You” is the chemistry. The film, penned by Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt from Robinne Lee's bestseller, takes its time in the early scenes between Solène and Hayes — first at Coachella, then when he stops by her gallery — allowing their rapport to build convincingly, and giving each actor plenty of time to smolder.

Once the steamy hotel-room encounters come in “The Idea of You,” the movie has, if not swept you away, then at least ushered you along on a European trip of sex and room service. At the same time, it stays faithful to its central mission of celebrating middle-aged womanhood. The relationship will eventually cause a social media firestorm, but its main pressure point is whether Solène can stick with Hayes after her ex-husband ( Reid Scott ) cheated on her. This is a fairy tale she deserves.

While Showalter ( "The Big Sick" ) has long showed a great gift for juggling comedy and drama at once, “The Idea of You” leans more fully into wish-fulfillment romance. That can leave less to sustain the film, which has notably neutered some of the things that distinguished the book.

The May-December romance has been shrunk a little. In the book, the singer is 20. Given that Galitzine is 29 and the 41-year-old Hathaway is no one's idea of old, this is more like a July-September relationship. In the book, the daughter (Ella Rubin) is a huge admirer of the pop singer, adding to the awkwardness, but in the movie, August Moon is “so 7th grade” to her.

There are surely more interesting and funnier places “The Idea of You" could have gone. But Hathaway and Galitzine are a good enough match that, for a couple hours, it's easy to forget.

But the most convincing thing about “The Idea of You”? August Moon. The movie nails the look and sound of boy bands so well because it went straight to the source. The original songs in the film are by Savan Kotecha and Carl Falk, the producer-songwriters of, among other pop hits, “What Makes You Beautiful," One Direction's debut single.

That connection will probably only further the sense that “The Idea of You" is very nearly “The Idea of Harry Styles.” The filmmakers have distanced the movie from any real-life resemblances. But one thing is for sure: With August Moon following 4(asterisk)Town of “Turning Red” (whose songs were penned by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell ), we are living in the golden age of the fictional boy band.

“The Idea of You,” an Amazon MGM Studios release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for some language and sexual content. Running time: 115 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

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National News | Anne Hathaway steals the show in ‘The Idea of You’

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National news | two san jose police officers wounded in shooting while investigating disturbance, national news, national news | review: anne hathaway steals the show in ‘the idea of you’, there are a few hundred things about this premise that might be farfetched.

Nicholas Galitzine, left, and Anne Hathaway in a scene from "The Idea of You."

In the warmly charming rom-com “The Idea of You,” Anne Hathaway plays a 40-year-old divorcee and Silver Lake art gallery owner who, after taking her teenage daughter to Coachella, becomes romantically involved with a 24-year-old heartthrob in the boy band August Moon. They first meet after she mistakes his trailer for the bathroom.

Solène is stylish, unimpressed by Hayes’ celebrity and has bangs so perfect they look genetically modified. And, most importantly, she’s Anne Hathaway. In the power dynamics of “The Idea of You,” Hayes may be a fictional pop star but Hathaway is a very real movie star. And you don’t forget it for a moment in Michael Showalter’s lightly appealing showcase of the actor at her resplendent best.

The only thing that really needs to make perfect sense in a movie like “The Idea of You” is the chemistry. The film, penned by Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt from Robinne Lee’s bestseller, takes its time in the early scenes between Solène and Hayes — first at Coachella, then when he stops by her gallery — allowing their rapport to build convincingly, and giving each actor plenty of time to smolder.

The May-December romance has been shrunk a little. In the book, the singer is 20. Given that Galitzine is 29 and the 41-year-old Hathaway is no one’s idea of old, this is more like a July-September relationship. In the book, the daughter (Ella Rubin) is a huge admirer of the pop singer, adding to the awkwardness, but in the movie, August Moon is “so 7th grade” to her.

There are surely more interesting and funnier places “The Idea of You” could have gone. But Hathaway and Galitzine are a good enough match that, for a couple hours, it’s easy to forget.

That connection will probably only further the sense that “The Idea of You” is very nearly “The Idea of Harry Styles.” The filmmakers have distanced the movie from any real-life resemblances. But one thing is for sure: With August Moon following 4(asterisk)Town of “Turning Red” (whose songs were penned by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell ), we are living in the golden age of the fictional boy band.

“The Idea of You”

2 1/2 stars out of 4

Rating: R (for some language and sexual content)

Running time: 115 minutes

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‘The Idea of You’ Review: Surviving Celebrity

Anne Hathaway headlines a movie that’s got a lot to say about the perils of fame.

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A man and a woman, both wearing sunglasses, walk down a city street. The man has his arm around the woman, who is holding a cup of coffee.

By Alissa Wilkinson

Women of a certain age (that is, my age) feel like they grew up alongside Anne Hathaway, because, well, we did. We were awkward teens together when she made “The Princess Diaries” in 2001. We felt ourselves to be put-upon entry-level hirelings right when “The Devil Wears Prada” came out in 2006. We understood her broken-down narcissistic addict in “Rachel Getting Married,” because who couldn’t? And we watched the Hathaway backlash, pegged to public perception that she was trying too hard, and worried that people saw us the same way.

Now we’re 40-ish. We know for sure that Gen Z considers millennials to be cringe, and, thankfully, we no longer feel the need to care. The greatest gift of reaching middle age is having settled into yourself, and that is apparently what Hathaway, age 41, has done . She has been through the celebrity wringer (and more ) and come out the other side looking radiant, with a long list of credits in movies that swing from standard commercial fare to auteurist masterpieces.

This is perhaps why it’s so satisfying to see her name come first — alone, before the title credit — in “The Idea of You,” which is on its surface a relatively fluffy little film. Based on the sleeper hit novel by Robinne Lee, “The Idea of You” is plainly fantasy, in the fan fiction mold, that poses the question: What if Harry Styles, the British megastar and former frontman of One Direction, fell madly in love with a hot 40-year-old mom? In this universe, the Styles character is Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the British frontman of a five-member boy band called August Moon.

Hathaway plays Solène Marchand, an art gallery owner whose arrogantly useless ex-husband, Daniel (Reid Scott), buys v.i.p. meet-and-greet tickets for their 16-year-old daughter, Izzy (Ella Rubin), and her two best friends, all of whom were huge August Moon fans … in the seventh grade.

The event is at Coachella, and Daniel is set to take the teenagers but backs out at the last second, citing a work emergency. Solène reluctantly agrees to take them, and while at the festival, mistakes Hayes’s trailer for the bathroom. They meet, it’s cute, and you can guess what happens next.

Or can you? It was clear about 10 minutes into the movie that what was required for enjoyment was to surrender to the daydreaming, and so, with very little internal protest, I did. How could I resist? Solène is smart, competent, kind and secure; she has great hair and a great wardrobe; and most important, she seems like a real person, even if the situation in which she finds herself greatly stretches the bonds of credibility.

More than once, I was struck by how authentically 40 Solène seemed to me — a woman capable of making her own decisions, even ones she thinks might be ill-advised — and how weirdly rare it is to see that kind of character in a movie. She has a kid, and friends, and a career. She reads books and looks at art, and she is flattered by this 24-year-old superstar’s attention but takes a long time to come around to the idea that it may not be a joke.

Solène also feels real shame and real resolve in the course of the winding fairy tale story, which predictably has to go south. But most of all, she’s in a movie that doesn’t try to shame her, or patronize her, or make her appear ridiculous for having desires and fantasies of her own. She’s just who she is, and it’s simple to understand her appeal to someone whose life has never been his own.

Directed by Michael Showalter, who wrote the adapted screenplay with Jennifer Westfeldt, “The Idea of You” succeeds mostly because of Hathaway’s performance, though she and Galitzine spark and banter pleasurably (and he can dance and sing, too). It tweaks the novel in a number of ways — Hayes is older than the book’s character, for one thing — and also seems to implicitly know it’s a movie, and that movies have a strange relationship with age-gap romances.

In fact, that’s one of its strengths. Several times, characters remark on the double standard attached to people’s judgment of Solène and Hayes’s relationship, hypothesizing that in a gender-swapped situation, people would be high-fiving the older man who landed the hot younger star. Sixteen years looks like a lot on paper, but in the movies, at least, it is barely a blip.

That musing is interesting enough, if a familiar one. More fascinating in “The Idea of You” is its treatment of the cage of celebrity. Hayes seems mature compared with his bandmates and the girls who follow them around, but he’s also clearly stuck in some kind of arrested development. And I do mean stuck: He is self-aware enough to tell Solène, plaintively, that he auditioned for the band when he was 14 and not much has changed beyond his level of fame. He wants a life beyond the spotlight, badly.

And that’s just what he can’t get. Neither can Solène, nor, eventually, anyone around her. The idea of living a quiet life might obviously be out of reach, but the added elements of tabloid news and rabid fans unafraid to treat Hayes as if they know him make things far worse. The film starts to feel a little like the tale of a monster, but the monster is parasociality, encouraged by the illusion of intimacy that the modern superstar machine relies on to keep selling tickets and merch and albums and whatever else keeps the star in the spotlight.

It’s probably coincidental that “The Idea of You” comes on the heels of Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” on which she strongly implies that her carefully cultivated fandom has made her love life a nightmare. But spiritually, at least, they’re of a piece — even if the origins of the film’s plot seem as much borne of parasociality as a critique of it. And that makes Hathaway’s performance extra poignant. She’s been dragged into that buzz saw before. And somehow, she’s figured out how to make a life on the other side of it.

The Idea of You Rated R for getting hot and heavy, plus some language. Running time: 1 hour 55 minutes. Watch on Prime Video .

Alissa Wilkinson is a Times movie critic. She’s been writing about movies since 2005. More about Alissa Wilkinson

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Movie Review: In ‘The Idea of You,’ a boy band is center stage but Anne Hathaway steals the show

This image released by Prime shows Nicholas Galitzine, left, and Anne Hathaway in a scene from “The Idea of You.” (Prime via AP)

This image released by Prime shows Ella Rubin, left, and Anne Hathaway in a scene from “The Idea of You.” (Prime via AP)

This image released by Prime shows Nicholas Galitzine in a scene from “The Idea of You.” (Prime via AP)

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While Showalter ( “The Big Sick” ) has long showed a great gift for juggling comedy and drama at once, “The Idea of You” leans more fully into wish-fulfillment romance. That can leave less to sustain the film, which has notably neutered some of the things that distinguished the book.

There are surely more interesting and funnier places “The Idea of You” could have gone. But Hathaway and Galitzine are a good enough match that, for a couple hours, it’s easy to forget.

“The Idea of You,” an Amazon MGM Studios release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for some language and sexual content. Running time: 115 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

In Elizabeth O’Connor’s ‘Whale Fall,’ a remote island community clashes with outsiders seeking to preserve their customs

A lyrical debut novel centers on the harshness and beauty of a village at the outer edge of the british isles.

Elizabeth O’Connor, author of 'Whale Fall.'

In 1938, on a small, isolated island — it’s only 3 miles long and 1 mile wide, a 5-mile boat ride off the Welsh coast that stretches to 10 in bad weather — 18-year-old Manod looks after her younger sister and her father, a lobster fisherman. In a story drawn from the real-life, British Isles-adjacent islands and archipelagos of Wales’ Bardsey Island, Scotland’s St. Kilda, and Ireland’s Blasket and Aran islands, this land formation’s myriad realities are dictated by remoteness, from the inevitable danger of death at childbirth to the accuracy of public records: “I was born on the island on 20th January 1920,” notes Manod. “My birth certificate read 30th January 1920, because my father could not get to the registration office on the mainland before then.”

The island community is as minuscule as the island: 12 families, a minister, and the lighthouse keeper. There are more empty houses than inhabited ones, and the minister, Reverend Jones, does double duty, fishing with the other men, then “[taking] his black robes from where he kept them in his boat … [pulling] them on while walking back up the beach, over the rough suit he fished in.” And, after he leads the congregation with his sermons, Reverend Jones shares the shipping forecast for the week ahead.

Then Joan and Edward, English ethnographers, arrive on the island to record the community’s way of life. They hire Manod, who speaks excellent English — partly from reading women’s lifestyle magazines — to help them with their transcriptions and in-person translations. She’s enamored of the visitors, without being completely blind to their shortcomings. Still, in this tale set in a location that, above all else, consistently drives a particular way of life, things begin to go a bit haywire.

From its lyrical opening — “Here is an island year. First the sun, and first the spring growing fat with birds…” — O’Connor’s slim, powerful debut vibrates with elemental, immediate, and palpable scenes and descriptions. Manod’s home, Rose Cottage, is “set into the side of a hill, where the wind wrapped a fist around it.” In one of the more heart-breaking moments, the easily annoyed English ethnographers mistake a fisherman’s desperately shy nervousness for plain old fidgeting. And this is a place where a single word might represent an all-encompassing, entirely local apprehension of the natural world: At one point, Edward asks Manod to translate a word for him, and, rather than providing one word to match, Manod responds: “It means cockle. … Specifically a spring cockle, a young one. Younger than two years old. Some people leave them behind when they go gathering, so they can breed more the following year.”

Engagingly poetic — though, at times, maddeningly elliptic — the novel interweaves Manod’s canny observations with other villagers’ memories, songs, and folktales; there are also a handful of revealing notes from Joan and Edward, whose classist, narrow-minded perceptions are skillfully elicited by O’Connor’s concise phrasing.

The story is shot through with dread: Remote as the island is, the community lost sons to World War I years earlier, but the Great War continues to reach them in the form of uniforms, helmets, and shards of naval mines that wash up onto the island. Now, there’s news of another war on the horizon: “Something happening in another country. Violent nights. Another war? someone asked. God forbid, replied another. … Snatches of news soon replaced by some other worry, an infection passing through the sheep, a crack in a wall, dogs left roaming in someone else’s field. But it felt as though something was circling us, waiting to land against the shore.”

But there’s great — if at times, rough — beauty here as well. O’Conner’s spare, incisive prose brings the island to vivid life — both its frequent devastations as well as its resolute continuity — in telling detail, from the perpetual presence of a decaying whale carcass, to the community’s folklore-infused beliefs and their close-quarters lifestyle, living cheek-by-jowl as they do with the fish, lobsters, goats, and sheep that support the villagers. (Except, that is, for when they don’t: “There was a year when the sea turned to ice of half a mile around the edge of the island. A dreadful winter. In the chapel Revered Jones stared blankly back at us, as though he did not want to think about what it meant. Most of Merionn’s sheep were killed for food, and the rest froze to death. The sheep he has now are descended from the three who survived.”)

That same pared-down prose throws Joan and Edward’s agenda-driven visit into stark relief; their patronizing arrogance snakes its way through the narrative and you can see them enhancing their preferred vision of the islanders with assumed fictions, even as they record the villagers’ lives and stories. “Often my conversations with Joan went that way: me telling her something she did not know before, her arguing with it,” notes Manod.

Sometimes, an invasion can take an unexpected shape, and O’Connor’s beguiling and compelling novel is just as much about retaining a willful ignorance of others’ ways of life as it is about Manod’s own furtive steps into new aspects of adulthood.

By Elizabeth O’Connor

Pantheon, 224 pp., $27

Daneet Steffens is a journalist and critic. You can find her @daneetsteffens.

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“The Idea of You,” an Amazon MGM Studios release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for some language and sexual content. Running time: 115 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

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The Whales of August movie review (1987)
That is the story. As stories go, it is conventional enough, but in "The Whales of August," as in grand opera, the story is only the occasion for the performances. This film stars Lillian Gish and Bette Davis, and to cast those two actresses as the leads of the same movie is to make their very presences more important than anything else.
The Whales of August
Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/14/23 Full Review dave s Known for his social critiques via cutting satire (O Lucky Man!, If…, Britannia Hospital), The Whales of August is a ...
The Whales of August (1987)
The Whales of August: Directed by Lindsay Anderson. With Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Vincent Price, Ann Sothern. Two aged sisters reflect on life and the past during a late summer day in Maine.
The Whales of August
The Whales of August is a 1987 American drama film directed by Lindsay Anderson and starring Bette Davis and Lillian Gish (in her final film appearance) as elderly sisters. Also in the cast were Ann Sothern as one of their friends, and Vincent Price as a peripheral member of the former Russian aristocracy. The story is based on the play of the same title by David Berry.
The Whales of August (1987)
alix-7 11 February 2001. The Whales of August follow the events of just more than a day in the life of two sisters, Sarah (Lillian Gish) and Libby (Bette Davis). As Sarah follows her daily chores, from gardening to painting to preparing tea for visitors, you get a strong sense of rhythm and simplicity that is almost hypnotic.
The Whales of August
Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 29, 2005. The names of Lillian Gish, Bette Davis and Vincent Price will never be forgotten by film lovers. The Whales of August, on the other hand, surely ...
The Whales of August
The Whales of August Muted but engrossing tale about the balance of power between two elderly sisters boasts superior lead performances from two of the screen's most legendary actresses, Bette ...
The Whales of August (1987) Movie Review: Gish + Davis Together at Last
But the real delight in The Whales of August is the interaction - and the contrast - between Bette Davis and National Board of Review Best Actress co-winner Lillian Gish (who tied with Broadcast News' Holly Hunter).Both actresses work brilliantly opposite one another. Gish gives a complex performance as a warm, sweet, old woman who knows her end is near, even though she is not ready to die.
The Whales of August (1987)
Cast. Bette Davis (Libby Strong) Lillian Gish (Sarah Webber) Vincent Price (Mr. Maranov) Ann Sothern (Tisha Doughty) Harry Carey Jr. (Joshua Brackett) Frank Grimes (Mr. Beckwith) Margaret Ladd ...
The Whales of August 1987, directed by Lindsay Anderson
A gentle interlacing of memory, comedy and pathos, this is a golden opportunity to enjoy, if not whale music, then the probable swansong of two giants of cinema. Written by MS Monday 10 September 2012
Film: Gish and Davis In 'Whales of August'
Unlike Libby, she has memories of a happy, sexually satisfying marriage. She's not caged in an arid darkness. With its two beautiful, very different, very characteristic performances by Miss Gish ...
The Whales of August
The Whales of August was shot on location in Maine and features a good supporting performance by Ann Sothern and a cameo by Mary Steenburgen as the young Sarah. This is a poetic little movie about death, sibling rivalry and the passage of time.
The Whales of August (1987)
The gentle, delicate, reflective drama The Whales of August (1987) brings two film legends together on screen for the first time. Based on the play by David Berry, who scripted the screen adaptation, it is a small, intimate story about two widowed sisters spending the summer together in the vacation home owned by Sarah (Lillian Gish) but sustained by the more affluent Libby (Bette Davis), who ...
The Whales of August (1987)
Screen legends Bette Davis and Lillian Gish united their iconic talents in director Lindsay Anderson's intensely emotional 1987 drama, THE WHALES OF AUGUST, ...
Rick's Cafe Texan: The Whales of August: A Review (Review #1501)
This review is part of the Summer Under the Stars Blogathon. Today's star is Bette Davis. The Whales of August unites two of film's great stars of the silent and sound era at the end of their cinematic careers. A bit stage-bound and slow, The Whales of August picks up and is worth a visit for those willing to go through some travel.
The Whales of August ***** (1987, Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Vincent
The Whales of August ***** (1987, Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Vincent Price, Ann Sothern) - Classic Movie Review 125. An incredibly sprightly 94-year-old Lillian Gish (who held the record as the oldest actor in a leading role), Bette Davis (aged 79) and Vincent Price (76) are wonderful in this exquisitely lovely, beautifully moving 1987 film.
The Whales of August (1987)
Find trailers, reviews, synopsis, awards and cast information for The Whales of August (1987) - Lindsay Anderson on AllMovie - A once-in-a-lifetime cast of veterans performs…
The Whales of August (1987)
Tisha Doughty arrives together with Mr. Beckwith (Frank Grimes) in a vintage car. Beckwith is a real estate agent who believes that Sarah may want to put her house up for sale. Sarah, much annoyed at the suggestion, eventually orders Mr. Beckwith out, determined not to sell.
MMI Review: The Whales Of August
The Whales Of August "Movie Magazine International" Review (Air Date: Week Of 11/20/87) By Monica Sullivan . Lindsay Anderson's "The Whales Of August", features one luminous piece of work by Miss Lillian Gish, in her 95th year, and four excellent performances by Bette Davis, 79, Vincent Price, 78, Ann Sothern, also 78, and Harry Carey, Jr., 66.
The Whales Of August 1987 (Bette Davis)
Director: Lindsay AndersonStars: Bette Davis, Lillian Gish, Vincent PriceGenres: Drama
The Whales of August streaming: where to watch online?
Currently you are able to watch "The Whales of August" streaming on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM Plus Amazon Channel, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel or for free with ads on Tubi TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads. It is also possible to rent "The Whales of August" on Apple TV, Amazon Video online and to download it on Amazon Video, Apple TV.
Movie Review: In 'The Idea of You,' a boy band is center stage ...
In the warmly charming rom-com "The Idea of You," Anne Hathaway plays a 40-year-old divorcee and Silver Lake art gallery owner who, after taking her teenage daughter to Coachella, becomes ...
Movie Review: In 'The Idea of You,' a boy band is center ...
In the warmly charming rom-com "The Idea of You," Anne Hathaway plays a 40-year-old divorcee who becomes romantically involved with a 24-year-old heartthrob in a boy band called August Moon
Review: Anne Hathaway steals the show in 'The Idea of You'
The May-December romance has been shrunk a little. In the book, the singer is 20. Given that Galitzine is 29 and the 41-year-old Hathaway is no one's idea of old, this is more like a July-Sep…
'The Idea of You' review: Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine star in
Destined for Amazon, it's a competent date-night or gals'-night movie for those who don't want to leave the house - Chardonnay optional, but recommended - which makes practical sense ...
'The Idea of You' Review: Surviving Celebrity
The event is at Coachella, and Daniel is set to take the teenagers but backs out at the last second, citing a work emergency. Solène reluctantly agrees to take them, and while at the festival ...
The Idea of You (2024) Movie Reviews
Based on the acclaimed, contemporary love story of the same name, The Idea of You centers on Solène (Anne Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mom who begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the lead singer of August Moon,
'The Idea of You' review: Anne Hathaway steals the show
In the warmly charming rom-com "The Idea of You," Anne Hathaway plays a 40-year-old divorcee and Silver Lake art gallery owner who, after taking her teenage daughter to Coachella, becomes romantically involved with a 24-year-old heartthrob in the boy band August Moon. They first meet after she mistakes his trailer for the bathroom. There are a few hundred things about this premise that ...
Whale Fall: Elizabeth O'Connor on island harshness and beauty
In 1938, on a small, isolated island — it's only 3 miles long and 1 mile wide, a 5-mile boat ride off the Welsh coast that stretches to 10 in bad weather — 18-year-old Manod looks after her ...
Movie Review: In 'The Idea of You,' a boy band is center stage but Anne
In the warmly charming rom-com "The Idea of You," Anne Hathaway plays a 40-year-old divorcee who becomes romantically involved with a 24-year-old heartthrob in a boy band called August Moon

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