Moviecut—Dear Brigitte

Dear Brigitte

As others have noted, this movie is one of, if not Stewart's weakest efforts. His earlier family comedy "Mr. Hobbs Takes a vacation" -- a funnier film and one that did far better at the box office -- no doubt inspired him and the studios to come up with another similar vehicle for the aging star. But that's the problem. Stewart, who was only 58 when this was made, looks closer to 68, and that's even with his toupee on. He's just far too old to play the father of Billy Mumy, who was 11, but looks closer to 9 or 10. Jimmy Stewart was one of the greatest actors we ever had, but he just wasn't right at all for this part. It might have worked however, if he'd agreed to play his grandpa, instead of his father. Nice supporting cast of familiar faces though -- Glynis Johns, John Williams, the rubbery faced Ed Wynn, and last but not least, the inimitable Alice Peace, who almost steals the movie with her one scene. :)

Half a star for Jimmy Stewart at age 57 (though clearly too old to be a father of an 8-year-old), half a star for Glynis Johns at age 42 (she's perky and kinda fun), and half a star for a few shots of San Francisco at the beginning. There's not much else going for this one, folks. The script is awful. The use of the narrator (Ed Wynn) is awful. The boy who is a savant at math and who therefore can pick horse races is ridiculous. Yes it's a family film and meant to be light, but they can be so much better. It seems Director Henry Koster or the studio had a real dog on their hands, and tried desperately to liven it up with a next-door-neighbor artist who has his wife pose in the *, and the inclusion of Brigitte Bardot. Bardot's scenes are late in the movie, brief, and a snooze – so don't hang on to watching this for them (as I did). Bail early.

Read the book, "Erasmus With Freckles," and see how it compares to the movie, "Dear Brigitte." While I enjoy anything with James Stewart and have been a Bill Mumy fan for most of my life, I can honestly say this is one time when the book shines better than the film. I have no problem with the performances in the movie, mark you ... I merely don't like it when screenwriters take a good book and make a movie out of it that is very little like the original. The family is bigger and somewhat goofier ... and the boat (and the Leaf's neighbors) play a much larger role. I couldn't find Ed Wynn's character anywhere in the novel. Seems a shame to ruin such a good novel by turning it into this movie -- the movie's fine, it's just not the story originally told.

Fun James Stewart film about a professor whose son has a dream to meet superstar Brigette Bardot. The circumstances are pleasing and the film has wonderful moments of laughter and tenderness.

John Haase's novel "Erasmus With Freckles" gets a woebegone Hollywood makeover and, while it may look promising at the outset, it turns out to be one of the weakest films James Stewart ever starred in. Young Billy Mumy, a mathematical genius, spends all of his spare time writing juvenile love letters to French film actress Brigitte Bardot (though it isn't mentioned just how many of her pictures he has actually been allowed to see). Eventually, dad Stewart gets Mumy an audience with the siren (whose brief appearance is the only bright spot here). Movies about unconventional family broods have to include more than just hectic, noisy silliness to keep our attention; this adaptation doesn't even try for a sense of eccentricity in the content of character, nor does it expand on the central child's personality. It's meant to be heart-warming, non-threatening fun, yet it borders dangerously on bland, with nary a single funny scene. *1/2 from ****

Fairly good comedy featuring an ultra smart little boy who is used by swindlers for their own gain despite the over protectiveness of his father. Meanwhile, the boy is scheming to meet the famous French actress while his sister is anguishing over boys and proms. Typical 60's comedy.

In the 1960's this might have passed for wholesome family entertainment. Getting Fabian for a throw-away role was probably a good casting coup, and for comic relief you have Ed Wynn and Billy Mumy's 'Rain Man' routines. He is an IBM in sneakers, from which most of the plot develops. He secretly writes a love letter to Bardot every night and one day he gets a response in the form of an invitation to visit her in France. Billy and dad Jimmy Stewart go to Paris and have a meeting with Miss Bardot. She gives the little boy an autograph, a kiss and a puppy. Inoffensive little comedy that might give you a laugh or two. I like movies that reference real movie stars in their title, like "Being John Malkovich" and "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar" so this makes the hat trick for me.

I've always have had a soft spot for family comedies, when they are charming, witty, and engaging, and this fits the bill. Its a harmless, lovely entertainment. Jimmy Stewart is is good, warm mode as a father who finds that his son (an endearing Bill Mumy) is a math genius who can solve the hardest of equations in just seconds and also has the knack for figuring out horse races as well. True he's also colorblind and tonedeaf, but not even geniuses can have everything. Glynis Johns has a bit of a smaller part as Stewart's wife but she is as welcome as ever and knows exactly how to play a scene. The film receives its name from all the lett ers the boy sends to Brigitte Bardot, upon whom he has a case of a very youthful crush. Ms. Bardot actually appears toward the end, and her cameo is one of the high points of the film. This film might not be appreciated by cynics, nor by those wanting the height of sophistication, but as an example of cinematic comfort food, it is utterly enchanting.