That'll Be the Day (1973)

Nostalgic films such as Grease present a sugar-coated, candy-colored vision of life in the 1950s; That'll Be the Day offers a more realistic take on the era, and the picture it paints of a British youth from that time is both depressing and exhilarating. Much of this territory has been trod before in the years since the film was released, and so it has lost some of the freshness that initially made it appealing; but it maintains a certain honesty and simplicity that many viewers will appreciate. That said, others will be put off by a lead character who is at times selfish and inconsiderate of others. Fortunately, David Essex is so engaging that he manages to overcome these important and necessary flaws; he provides the solid anchor that the film needs, yet does so in a natural manner that is relatively free of self-conscious "leading player" dramatics. Rosemary Leach is equally fine as his mother, and Ringo Starr is surprisingly good as his Teddy Boy friend. Claude Whatham directs sensitively but unobtrusively, letting viewers draw their own conclusions about the characters rather than forcing a point-of-view on them -- which will admittedly bother some viewers. Day is not a picture for everyone, but those who like it will probably like it a lot. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide