I remember seeing this ABC Movie of the Week when I was 14, and it seriously creeped me out. Initially it gave me nightmares, and it left its mark on me for the next three decades. The concept of "hope given, then taken away" haunted me mercilessly as I experienced the realities of adult life. However, upon seeing
the film again recently, with many more years of life experience behind me, it struck me as obvious and disappointing. This made-for-TV cheesefest still has merit in some of the twists and turns of the plot, and several of the actors turn in creditable performances. Cloris Leachman and Lloyd Bridges stand out as the doomed couple who have finally found true love, and Ed Asner is believably prickly as the disgruntled, avaricious businessman. However, Moses Gunn's labored, deadpan delivery begins to grate after a while. Anne Francis, clad in a bland shift dress that literally makes her blend in with the wallpaper (kudos to the costume designer for this one), plays a whiny, drug-addled housewife who should elicit sympathy but comes across as simply annoying. The supposedly deep revelations perceived by Robert Reed's disillusioned priest ring shallow and lacking in substance. I enjoyed seeing it again and reflecting on the differences between my perceptions as a teenager and as an adult, but the movie as a whole mirrors its resort setting: Elegant on on the exterior, but sadly lacking once you check in.
September 27, 2010
