The movie was a mildly entertaining "made for t.v." love story with a handsome leading man, etc., but Timothy Dalton's character is such a cad. He is supposedly on his way to see the woman he loves (played by Sela Ward) and then because of one note from her takes up with a young woman in difficult circumstances (does not deliver the letter she asks him to post for her, essentially making her dependent on him totally) - and then takes advantage of her situation (sexually using her and then packing up and leaving). He proves himself over and over again to be a liar, cheat and cad. Then we are supposed to be happy that Sela Ward's character decides to forgive him and take him back in the end (even though she seems to be getting endless images of old Tim in bed with young Sophie!). Since it is based on an Edith Wharton novel, we can be sure the "working class" girl will not do well (although in this one she goes off to India with the old biddy, unlike Lily Bart in "The House of Mirth" who essentially dies of the neglect of everyone around her). This is obviously set in a previous time with different standards and expectations...but one would think that women in those days had brains and if so, Mr. Dalton's Mr. Darrow would be out in the cold (a la the ending of "The Heiress).
9 Reviews
a fanciful story
valky26 July 1999
> i recently saw "the reef" on channel 11 or some such ABC type, and i was > very enthralled in it. the film was rather melodramatic and occasionally > too fabricated to believe, but like it amused me as much as any day time > soap opera keeps most house wife's audiences. the story was nicely > complicated in all sorts of unrealistic ways, but i have to be thankful > because sometimes the realistic world is far too un-complicated.
Enjoyable adaptation of Wharton novel - for a tv movie, that is
bbmtwist8 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
PASSION'S WAY
Passion's Way is a television movie version of Edith Wharton's 1912 novel, THE REEF. "We're ships broken on a reef." The novel was panned by critics and Wharton herself regretted having both written it and published it.
The novel makes use of two human interactions of the period: taking appearances at face value; an unwillingness to communicate true thoughts and feelings. The author uses the fictional device of "coincidence" on which to structure her plot. Master authors such as Henry James can use this device expertly and judiciously, as he did in THE GOLDEN BOWL. Miss Wharton however uses it to the point of disbelief.
A bit about the plot - and with spoiler button pressed - as one cannot discuss this plot without laying it out fully. Anna Leath and Charles Darrow were drawn to each other in the past. She, afraid of passion, chose to marry a "safe" man rather than Darrow. Now she, a widow, and he meet again. He is to join her in France, but a lack of full communication on her part leads him to doubt her and, in his depression, he has an affair with a young American woman, Sophy Viner, in Paris. Sophy not only has wound up in the Leath household as governess to Anna's daughter, but she is betrothed to Anna's stepson, Owen. Coincidence upon unbelievable coincidence.
Thence forward it is a matter of lies upon lies and subterfuge so that no one guesses the truth. Of course, it all comes out in the end, and Anna must choose between a flawed Charles or no Charles at all.
The tv movie version, titled PASSION'S WAY, was filmed in the Czech Republic, a joint effort between that country, Germany, and the USA, in 1996, but not released to television until 1999. It is a well-done drama with good performances and good direction by Robert Ackerman. Timothy Dalton as Darrow and Sela Ward as Anna perform well and Alicia Witt is properly emotional and torn as Sophy. In but thirteen brief scenes Leslie Caron brings the proper piece of class and sophistication to a somewhat tawdry story. However, it is young Jamie Glover as stepson Owen, who steals the film. His character is the most emotionally hurt and torn, his engagement with Sophy destroyed by the lies and subterfuge of those around him. He gives a stunning supporting performance, worthy of an Emmy nomination.
The character of Darrow is difficult to like. He is a cheat, a liar and a coward, making much use of subterfuge. These traits cause his failure in being able to win over the audience's regard. This is in the Wharton writing, not in Dalton's fine performance.
The point of the film is to bring puritanical people off their pedestals and accept that life is an uneven, oftentimes dirty, mess, to learn to forgive and forget. "Life is a perpetual piecing together of broken pieces."
The film, which clocks in at 1:29:45 (not the 88 minutes posted on IMDB), is very murky and out of focus - this derived from the only dvd version available in the past (a PAL all region transfer). It is now only available on computer download, not as a saleable dvd.
One always wonders at sound edited bird song in these productions, where I heard two strictly New World birds (loon and mourning dove) on the tracks supporting the French countryside. But no matter.
Recommended to view once or twice, but of no great importance in either the Wharton film representations or in adaptations of literary classics.
Passion's Way is a television movie version of Edith Wharton's 1912 novel, THE REEF. "We're ships broken on a reef." The novel was panned by critics and Wharton herself regretted having both written it and published it.
The novel makes use of two human interactions of the period: taking appearances at face value; an unwillingness to communicate true thoughts and feelings. The author uses the fictional device of "coincidence" on which to structure her plot. Master authors such as Henry James can use this device expertly and judiciously, as he did in THE GOLDEN BOWL. Miss Wharton however uses it to the point of disbelief.
A bit about the plot - and with spoiler button pressed - as one cannot discuss this plot without laying it out fully. Anna Leath and Charles Darrow were drawn to each other in the past. She, afraid of passion, chose to marry a "safe" man rather than Darrow. Now she, a widow, and he meet again. He is to join her in France, but a lack of full communication on her part leads him to doubt her and, in his depression, he has an affair with a young American woman, Sophy Viner, in Paris. Sophy not only has wound up in the Leath household as governess to Anna's daughter, but she is betrothed to Anna's stepson, Owen. Coincidence upon unbelievable coincidence.
Thence forward it is a matter of lies upon lies and subterfuge so that no one guesses the truth. Of course, it all comes out in the end, and Anna must choose between a flawed Charles or no Charles at all.
The tv movie version, titled PASSION'S WAY, was filmed in the Czech Republic, a joint effort between that country, Germany, and the USA, in 1996, but not released to television until 1999. It is a well-done drama with good performances and good direction by Robert Ackerman. Timothy Dalton as Darrow and Sela Ward as Anna perform well and Alicia Witt is properly emotional and torn as Sophy. In but thirteen brief scenes Leslie Caron brings the proper piece of class and sophistication to a somewhat tawdry story. However, it is young Jamie Glover as stepson Owen, who steals the film. His character is the most emotionally hurt and torn, his engagement with Sophy destroyed by the lies and subterfuge of those around him. He gives a stunning supporting performance, worthy of an Emmy nomination.
The character of Darrow is difficult to like. He is a cheat, a liar and a coward, making much use of subterfuge. These traits cause his failure in being able to win over the audience's regard. This is in the Wharton writing, not in Dalton's fine performance.
The point of the film is to bring puritanical people off their pedestals and accept that life is an uneven, oftentimes dirty, mess, to learn to forgive and forget. "Life is a perpetual piecing together of broken pieces."
The film, which clocks in at 1:29:45 (not the 88 minutes posted on IMDB), is very murky and out of focus - this derived from the only dvd version available in the past (a PAL all region transfer). It is now only available on computer download, not as a saleable dvd.
One always wonders at sound edited bird song in these productions, where I heard two strictly New World birds (loon and mourning dove) on the tracks supporting the French countryside. But no matter.
Recommended to view once or twice, but of no great importance in either the Wharton film representations or in adaptations of literary classics.
how to make a sow's ear from a silk purse
madmur218 March 2006
This is an adaptation of an Edith Wharton work, whose writing is amazing. Sadly, this movie never shakes the feeling that these 20th century movie people don't grasp the 19th century repression and desperation Wharton's work depicts. Ward and Dalton aren't so bad, but Alicia Witt's wooden performance made me wince. She was supposed to be playing the restless element of the story, but she stood like a stick the whole movie long, and I never believed a word out of her mouth. When she asks Sela Ward "Why can't I move you?" near the end of the film, I couldn't help but answer: "That's what I've been wondering for the last hour and a half!!!"
bad, bad, deliciously bad
mmoore32525 August 2003
This was one of the worst films I have ever seen - VERY made for TV - but it was still very entertaining. I'm surprised that I watched the entire film, but then again, not really, because I love Timothy Dalton, and he is watchable in even bad films.
I agree - bad movie.....but LOVELY Timothy Dalton
arminta31 January 2006
Slow-moving ponderous movie with terrible acting on the whole - but lovely locations & clothes to admire, and, of course, Timothy Dalton, who does a compelling job, as always. I wanted to laugh out loud at the voice-overs - so silly!! But Dalton is always worth watching, even in bad movies, a wonderful actor, older now, but still very handsome and masculine. This movie is worth viewing only to see him....and he seems like he wandered into a bad dime romance novel, poor fellow. Your time would be better spent watching Mr. Dalton in 1970's "Wuthering Heights" or the early 1980's BBC version of "Jane Eyre". Poor Sela Ward, so lovely, but so wooden.... surely she's been better in other movies.
Rotten for such a build up
folsominc28 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I'm going through a Timothy Dalton phase and frankly this movie fell flat.
It's plot sounded very interesting which is why I paid $3.99 to rent it. However, besides the random thoughts of the characters there is not enough information to illustrate for a movie what is really happening in the people's lives. Many of the circumstances and decisions were left up to the viewer's imagination. It was less better than a silent film.
The heroine's reasons for not getting with the hero 10 years before were utterly ridiculous. The fact that he still wanted her was like you always want what you can't have. After they had conjugal relations it is a wonder he didn't drop her.
The only good reality in this film is a fact she couldn't stop imagining him and the other woman together. That is the only real natural human response in this whole movie.
By the end of the film you could tell there was much more chemistry between him and the governess than him and the stiff heroine. The governess, at least, expressed deep love for him which is sacrificing your own happiness for the one you love. And he still seemed mightily attracted to her. He should have ran off with their governess.
The whole film was a major disappointment and I would like my $3.99 back!
It's plot sounded very interesting which is why I paid $3.99 to rent it. However, besides the random thoughts of the characters there is not enough information to illustrate for a movie what is really happening in the people's lives. Many of the circumstances and decisions were left up to the viewer's imagination. It was less better than a silent film.
The heroine's reasons for not getting with the hero 10 years before were utterly ridiculous. The fact that he still wanted her was like you always want what you can't have. After they had conjugal relations it is a wonder he didn't drop her.
The only good reality in this film is a fact she couldn't stop imagining him and the other woman together. That is the only real natural human response in this whole movie.
By the end of the film you could tell there was much more chemistry between him and the governess than him and the stiff heroine. The governess, at least, expressed deep love for him which is sacrificing your own happiness for the one you love. And he still seemed mightily attracted to her. He should have ran off with their governess.
The whole film was a major disappointment and I would like my $3.99 back!
Sluggishly paced - but some beautiful eye-candy aspects
av_m10 July 2022
I'm giving this a 8 just to bump up its overall average a bit.
This production was more than just made for TV thing - the settings are quite beautiful and the costuming exquisitely and meticulously "period".
I thought Timothy Dalton and Sela Ward were quite good; indeed the director and camera crew framed Mr. Dalton in each and every of his scenes quite ravishingly handsomely. However, they effected their skills somewhat less effusively on Ms. Ward's portrayal, partly, I think because perhaps it was their interpretation of the original Edith Wharton story that Ward's character was meant to be a somewhat older and only sedately attractive woman, thus squandering Ms. Ward's natural beauty on screen, although that does nevertheless shine thru in certain scenes.
The problem is the supporting characters - Leslie Caron is rather too dithering as the matriarchal figure in the cast, and the two "young adults" in their performances are quite amateur or, perhaps, ill-directed. Alicia Witt maybe needed to be a bit more conniving and trashy to really be interesting.
But perhaps worst of all was the pacing of the film - which I think was meant to be Fin de siècle stately, but was just boringly slow, and practically ground down to a halt by a weighty full orchestral scoring fading in and out.
All that said, tho, it's a somewhat pleasant piece of eye candy thanks to Mr. Dalton, Ms. Ward, the costuming and the sets - I watched it twice and enjoyed it for what it is both times.
This production was more than just made for TV thing - the settings are quite beautiful and the costuming exquisitely and meticulously "period".
I thought Timothy Dalton and Sela Ward were quite good; indeed the director and camera crew framed Mr. Dalton in each and every of his scenes quite ravishingly handsomely. However, they effected their skills somewhat less effusively on Ms. Ward's portrayal, partly, I think because perhaps it was their interpretation of the original Edith Wharton story that Ward's character was meant to be a somewhat older and only sedately attractive woman, thus squandering Ms. Ward's natural beauty on screen, although that does nevertheless shine thru in certain scenes.
The problem is the supporting characters - Leslie Caron is rather too dithering as the matriarchal figure in the cast, and the two "young adults" in their performances are quite amateur or, perhaps, ill-directed. Alicia Witt maybe needed to be a bit more conniving and trashy to really be interesting.
But perhaps worst of all was the pacing of the film - which I think was meant to be Fin de siècle stately, but was just boringly slow, and practically ground down to a halt by a weighty full orchestral scoring fading in and out.
All that said, tho, it's a somewhat pleasant piece of eye candy thanks to Mr. Dalton, Ms. Ward, the costuming and the sets - I watched it twice and enjoyed it for what it is both times.
Edith Wharton spoilt
callalou111 February 2012
I suppose that to even attempt to enjoy this 'made for TV' production, a knowledge of Edith Wharton's works and the novel way in which she thought, given the age in which she lived, would be a great advantage. Then, if that knowledge was a given, Passion's Way, or The Reef (her novel) might have worked well had it been a British production and not an American one. The cast is OK with the exception of Timothy Dalton who plays Charles Darrow and cannot decide whether to be an American or an Englishman as his accent drifts from one side of the Atlantic to the other. For the rest, the production is very much let down by careless attention to detail. It is often the case in American productions that approximations of geographical locations are deemed to suffice and, whilst that might fool an American audience, it will not cut the mustard with the inhabitants of Europe who know full well their Paris from their Prague. These shortcomings were evident from the first few moments of the film. The novel (and this movie) explores the harm that is done when an unwise action causes ripples to spread out from it like a stone dropped in the middle of a pond, creating chaos for those who are innocently caught up in its maelstrom. This production really fails to convey that which is a pity. It does no justice to Edith Wharton's writing at all.
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