John and Mary (1969)

John and Mary comes across as quite dated when seen today; for some that will be too big a hurdle to overcome, for others it may add to their interest in and appreciation of the film. Certainly, John and Mary succeeds in capturing some of the zeitgeist late '60s society and late '60s American moviemaking. As a time capsule of either or both, it is quite interesting. As timeless drama, however, the film is less effective. It's a bit too self-conscious; one gets the feeling that the creators were trying too hard to create something "new" or "different." Commendably, director Peter Yates decides to relate the tale in an unhurried manner, letting the film proceed at its own pace and opening up the possibility that the audience can simply be drawn into a study of two characters. Unfortunately, these characters and their problems are not interesting enough to warrant this approach, and after a while it simply emphasizes their shallowness. Fortunately, Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow are on hand, both offering very honest, affecting performances that indicate a depth to the characters that is not to be found in the writing, and make much of the movie work better than it should. As a character study, John and Mary is quite flawed, but it succeeds as a showcase for two talented actors. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide