This is a great low key film. Maggie Smith is wonderful in this off beat drama/comedy. She did this I believe after " The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie " but her performance is clearly up to that standard. It really is a very sweet love story with the ups and downs of a relationship between Maggie and Timothy Bottoms. His performance is also very good and kept very low key much like the film in general. I don't know why it is not available on DVD or VHS? I happen to have recorded it off of a Canadian Broadcast years ago. I have also tried searching a number of rental house to no avail. If Mr. Pakula reads this please find away to make this little gem of a film available to everyone. Thank You.
35 Reviews
A wonderful film for young adults and their elders ...
nancyjomo6 January 2006
This is a delightful film of coming of age, and coming to life. The one, a young man, suffocated by his blue-blood family, finds himself in the eyes of an older woman. And she, a not-quite-middle-aged spinster suffocated by her roles in life, is yearning for something to live for as she faces a final illness. He falls in love with her unaffected realism; and she with his boyish enthusiasm and unashamed wonder at the world. Together they struggle with what they see as a lack of tolerable options for such an odd couple; while learning more and more to depend on each other for much more than friendship. Together they discover Europe, and life, and each other, and themselves ... and bring us all a little more to life when they do.
Memorable Comedy!!!!
csmclean15 January 2006
Boo hoo- I can't imagine why this movie is not available..!! It truly lives up to the title-- covering love, pain and 'the whole damned thing' much in the way depth comedies like Harold and Maude or A Thousand Clowns (Jason Robards) did. I still remember certain humorous 'Maggie' scenes after 30+ years since my first viewing -- and had no idea I'd have any trouble finding the film to add to my comedy classics collection!! With Maggie in full bloom these days - even with the younger set (via Harry Potter), there is no excuse not to have one of her funniest available!! (The toilet paper stuck-on-her scene was great!) Timothy did VERY well,too-- just right, in fact and I remember this film and The White Dawn as two of his best films. Besides comedy and pathos and great scenery (eg Spain) there was a touch of Harold and Maude in this film. Maggie was cast as the endearingly disbelieving love object of Timothy Bottoms deepening devotion, and in certain scenes wherein his father tries to talk him out of the preposterousness of being in love with an older (and dying) woman, there are echoes of similar scenes between Bud Cort and those trying to dissuade Harold from the (supposed) foolhardiness/repulsion factor of loving Maude!)
A lost film that deserves resurrection.
WHORNER28 July 2004
This heart-tugging April-August romance cannot be equaled for the lush Spanish scenery, excellent photography, haunting music, and courageous humor. A young Timothy Bottoms was fresh from his excellent performance in THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, and Maggie Smith was in fine form portraying a spinster whose rose had lost its bloom. Her role is an excellent example of how a skilled, attractive actress enters a more mature, "seasoned" stage of her career. Both characters are slight misfits, fishes out of water on a cut-rate bus tour in the Spanish back-country who begin as antagonists but gradually draw closer. This is a tried formula, but in expert hands. It is a mystery why LOVE AND PAIN has never been marketed in any video format, or posted more prominently on the resume of either of its stars.
Unlikely Love Story GEM
wheezz2427 February 2008
I was thoroughly charmed by this movie when it first came out and have been recommending it for years. I can't understand why it hasn't had a video release. Maggie Smith is brilliant, hilarious and touching in this unlikely love story Gem. This movie is worth a viewing if only for the moment Smith comes out of a Port-A-Johnny with toilet paper stuck to her foot. Her physical comedy is unsurpassed. Timothy Bottoms performance as an angst-filled youth is right on. Bottoms, in my opinion, does not get enough credit for the wonderful actor he is. "Love and Pain..." is reminiscent of "Harold and Maude" though not quite as quirky. I hope we all get to view it on video very soon.
May and a short December
bkoganbing28 April 2020
An uptight Englishwoman and a rather socially clumsy American kid find a strange
attraction for each other in Love And Pain. Maggie Smith and Timothy Bottoms
are the strange pair of lovers and they've got little time left as Smith is on a last
holiday as she is dying of an incurable illness.
Bottoms is bicycling through Spain and when he meets Smith on a bus tour. On an impulse Bottoms ditches his crew and joins the tour Smith is on. Eventually Smith gives into him, but withholds any health information from Bottoms.
Both Bottoms and Smith create some real and believable people in this film. The great location cinematography of the Spanish countryside helps a great deal with the telling of the romantic tale. I remember years ago taking a bus trip from Lisbon to Madrid and a lot of that Spanish countryside looked very familiar to me.
This is a wonderful and tender romantic film brought by players Maggie Smith and Timothy Bottoms and director Alan J. Pakula who tell the tale very well indeed.
Bottoms is bicycling through Spain and when he meets Smith on a bus tour. On an impulse Bottoms ditches his crew and joins the tour Smith is on. Eventually Smith gives into him, but withholds any health information from Bottoms.
Both Bottoms and Smith create some real and believable people in this film. The great location cinematography of the Spanish countryside helps a great deal with the telling of the romantic tale. I remember years ago taking a bus trip from Lisbon to Madrid and a lot of that Spanish countryside looked very familiar to me.
This is a wonderful and tender romantic film brought by players Maggie Smith and Timothy Bottoms and director Alan J. Pakula who tell the tale very well indeed.
Smith and Bottoms, what a pair.
alanbenfieldjr15 December 2017
I hear that Alan J Pakula was loved by his actors. I'm sure that's true and Love And Pain And The Whole Damn Thing made me notice, made me feel the love of Pakula for his actors. Here he has Timothy Bottoms in a performance of such beauty that I don;t understand why he vanished, specially after this film and The Last Picture Show. Maggie Smith builds, with Timothy Bottoms, a romantic crescendo more clear and tangible to us, the audience, than to them, those character walking at the verge of the abyss. Beautiful, smart and unforgettable.
Possibly the oddest couple since "Harold and Maude"...
Doylenf5 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
And just as funny, with two wildly eccentric characters finding comfort in each other through an improbable but funny series of circumstances which bind them together during a tour of Spain. They're the least organized of all the tourists, eventually getting away from the tour group to do some exploring on their own.
And they're not the only eccentrics in the story. There's a wonderful scene where MAGGIE SMITH gets advances from a man who fancies himself a bird whistler and whose idea of a courtship is to present himself at her hotel room with his favorite bird on his shoulder. "I like fish," she tells him after a wacky scene where she has to put up all of her resistance against his pursuit of romance. Another funny sequence has a titled nobleman living in a castle making the same sort of attempt to lure Smith into a romantic liaison.
But the film really belongs to the bewildering relationship between the repressed Maggie (who reveals later that she has a fatal illness), and the young man from a wealthy family of over-achievers who just wants to get away from family control over his destiny. He finds a kindred spirit in Smith but admits to her that she can be "a pain in the ass" at times. Both find themselves in a lot of foolish situations.
All of it is done with expert timing from both leads who turn in finely nuanced performances amid some hysterically funny scenes that will have you gasping for breath at the absurdity of it all.
Unfortunately, the script flounders badly toward the end and overall the story loses the satisfaction of some of the earlier moments in telling an unusual tale of a May/September romance. It could have used a bit more editing before release and never became a huge hit with the public.
The color photography in Verona and Madrid is gorgeous, and the story benefits from a sense of humor that never lets up as we follow their misadventures across the Spanish landscape in rain and shine. All of the supporting performances are first rate.
And they're not the only eccentrics in the story. There's a wonderful scene where MAGGIE SMITH gets advances from a man who fancies himself a bird whistler and whose idea of a courtship is to present himself at her hotel room with his favorite bird on his shoulder. "I like fish," she tells him after a wacky scene where she has to put up all of her resistance against his pursuit of romance. Another funny sequence has a titled nobleman living in a castle making the same sort of attempt to lure Smith into a romantic liaison.
But the film really belongs to the bewildering relationship between the repressed Maggie (who reveals later that she has a fatal illness), and the young man from a wealthy family of over-achievers who just wants to get away from family control over his destiny. He finds a kindred spirit in Smith but admits to her that she can be "a pain in the ass" at times. Both find themselves in a lot of foolish situations.
All of it is done with expert timing from both leads who turn in finely nuanced performances amid some hysterically funny scenes that will have you gasping for breath at the absurdity of it all.
Unfortunately, the script flounders badly toward the end and overall the story loses the satisfaction of some of the earlier moments in telling an unusual tale of a May/September romance. It could have used a bit more editing before release and never became a huge hit with the public.
The color photography in Verona and Madrid is gorgeous, and the story benefits from a sense of humor that never lets up as we follow their misadventures across the Spanish landscape in rain and shine. All of the supporting performances are first rate.
Romantic so romantic
viagra1-219 June 2000
Well it is a good movie for romantic people, Maggie Smith and Timothy Bottoms works well. The history is not like the common love history , she is older than him and both have lots of differences, but love is blind and they will find the happiness, althought the final is not so clear ( I expected to see them more like a marriage) if you are romantic, you'll cry and laugh with this movie.
By the way the travel through Spain is very romantic.
By the way the travel through Spain is very romantic.
Love Comes in Squirts
wes-connors5 September 2010
Awkwardly asthmatic Timothy Bottoms (as Walter Elbertson) goes to Spain on summer vacation. Wheezing on a bike, Mr. Bottoms leaves the trails and hops on a bus tour. He sits down next to attractive older Maggie Smith (as Lila Fisher). Ms. Smith squishes his "Mounds" bar and Bottoms squirts her with some mysterious liquid. Despite an age difference, the pair are kindred spirits, with much in common below the surface. And, as both are sex-starved, a "May/December" romance eventually develops.
The lovers are blissful - then, a tragic secret is revealed...
With director Alan J. Pakula and his co-stars at career peaks, it's surprising to find "Love and Pain (and the whole damn thing)" was not at least a moderate success during its hesitant 1972 release. It's features good performances and pretty Spanish scenery. Apparently, the film was recognized for its relative fault; compared to the output produced by the notable filmmakers, it was uncommonly dull. It is also intentionally interjected with comedy, with Smith sometimes appearing clumsy when she should be staid.
****** Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing (4/19/73) Alan J. Pakula ~ Maggie Smith, Timothy Bottoms, Jaime de Mora, Charles Baxter
The lovers are blissful - then, a tragic secret is revealed...
With director Alan J. Pakula and his co-stars at career peaks, it's surprising to find "Love and Pain (and the whole damn thing)" was not at least a moderate success during its hesitant 1972 release. It's features good performances and pretty Spanish scenery. Apparently, the film was recognized for its relative fault; compared to the output produced by the notable filmmakers, it was uncommonly dull. It is also intentionally interjected with comedy, with Smith sometimes appearing clumsy when she should be staid.
****** Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing (4/19/73) Alan J. Pakula ~ Maggie Smith, Timothy Bottoms, Jaime de Mora, Charles Baxter
33 Years Later, Still Not Available???
mwalker-4112 August 2006
This film remains alive in my memory in the form of its emotional impressions (the term "bittersweet" may be overused here but is completely appropriate) as well as the final chords of the soundtrack, which darkly underline the story's conclusion. I'm with everyone here astonished that this film's still not available for personal acquisition. It's not as if it was a misstep for either of the stars, something to be kicked under the rug; if anything it's akin to "Harold and Maude" (but not an imitation...the resemblance is superficial). I can still feel this film in my blood, though it must be 20 years since I last saw it.
I loved "Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing"
audreypawloski28 March 2009
This was one of my favorite movies. This is Maggie Smiths Best movie. I cannot understand why it is never on TV or allowed to be made into a DVD. I have written to Lifetime,TCM and others trying to get some network to play the movie. Does anyone out there know why this movie is never shown? I can't think of another movie that matches it in humor and tenderness. This is a PG movie but last time I asked for it in a video store they thought I was looking for an X rated movie and gave me a sheet of Xers. I first went to this movie because someone told me it was a great small movie and if I didn't see it now I would never get the chance. (he was right) I took his advice and had to drive around a flood area (there had just been a tornado) to get to see the movie before it left the area. I am so happy I got that chance but it would be great if others get to experience this film. This movie was wonderful!! And I will repeat Maggie Smith's BEST movie.
Character examination driven movie
jordondave-2808520 October 2023
(1973) Love And Pain (And The Whole Damn Thing) DRAMA
A very plot less film co-produced and directed by Alan J. Pakula about a student of college, Walter Elbertson (Timothy Bottoms) building a "rapport" notice the quotation marks on rapport with a much older lady, Lila Fisher (Maggie Smith) while both vacationing through Spain! Some of the highlights of this film is the instrumental musical score, especially by an acoustic guitar orchestrated by Michael Small, and the chemistry with it's two actors which seem genuine enough to pull this film off. Demands viewers patience, particularly with the two characters of Timothy Bottoms and Maggie Smith.
A very plot less film co-produced and directed by Alan J. Pakula about a student of college, Walter Elbertson (Timothy Bottoms) building a "rapport" notice the quotation marks on rapport with a much older lady, Lila Fisher (Maggie Smith) while both vacationing through Spain! Some of the highlights of this film is the instrumental musical score, especially by an acoustic guitar orchestrated by Michael Small, and the chemistry with it's two actors which seem genuine enough to pull this film off. Demands viewers patience, particularly with the two characters of Timothy Bottoms and Maggie Smith.
"You're a pain in the ass, but I love you!"
moonspinner5528 March 2013
Asthmatic young man from New York, having humiliated his celebrated author-father by falling asleep during his college exams, is sent on a bicycle tour through Spain; there, he meets a British spinster (in and out of her spectacles), and the two forge a fumbling friendship which eventually turns to uncertain romance. Modest, moderately engaging comedy-drama written by Alvin Sargent is awfully derivative (Sargent's work defies the term 'original screenplay', with nearly everything here borrowed from a similar source). The Spanish travelogue is certainly nice, but the plot is a pinch of "Summertime", a dash of "Love Story", and the list goes on. Timothy Bottoms was most likely cast after wooing an older woman in "The Last Picture Show" (it worked before, let's try it again!). Unfortunately, the callow actor doesn't quite match up with elegant but sharply-etched Maggie Smith (and, since it's been established he's a purveyor of nudie magazines, we have to wonder what the attraction for him is in this mature, tightly-wound lady). They are quite a pair: he wheezes, she whistles--an irony we can perceive for ourselves, but which Sargent feels the need to articulate to us. Producer-director Alan J. Pakula guides the relationship along at a snail's pace; perhaps Michael Small's lushly romantic score caused the filmmaker to pad the running time with back-and-forth looks that last a lifetime. ** from ****
The test of time!
badpuppy210 March 2002
After viewing Love and Pain nearly thirty years after it's initial release, I felt that this film had certainly passed the test of time. This sometimes overlooked film is an excellent vehicle for Maggie Smith in a dramatic role; even more believable than her classic, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Initially the film appears to be a very clever, dry comedy, accented by Maggie Smith's prim and proper British morals pitted against Timothy Bottom's portrayal of a rich, but socially awkward American student. From the hysterically funny camping-trailer scene to the bitter-sweet twist at the end, Love and Pain is a timeless treasure worthy of a place on your video shelf!
A curiosity
marcslope2 November 2020
Alan Pakula's followup to "Klute" and predecessor to "The Parallax View" and "All the President's Men," this picturesque mismatched romance is virtually a two-hander, one that doesn't make a great deal of sense. Timothy Bottoms, a surly college kid with an inferiority complex handed down to him by his Pulitzer Prize-winning father, can't get his life into motion, or doesn't want to, so he runs off to Spain and joins a tour where he's thrown up against prim thirtysomething Maggie Smith, a proper English lady with a dark secret. The character's a little like Deborah Kerr's repressed virgin in "Separate Tables," and while Maggie acts the hell out of her, it's not a romance we're particularly rooting for, or believe. The monosyllabic Bottoms does learn to love, but he doesn't learn anything else, he remains a jerk. The Spanish countryside, lovingly photographed by Geoffrey Unsworth, is quite gorgeous and atmospheric, the music's nice, and Pakula keeps the slender story moving along. But it remains a love story that's hard to love.
great Maggie
SnoopyStyle17 December 2023
Underachieving awkward Walter Elbertson (Timothy Bottoms) is the blacksheep of his successful family. He runs away from a regimented bicycling tour in Spain and encounters repressed Englishwoman Lila Fisher (Maggie Smith). She keeps rejecting the advances of a bird-calling Spaniard. She does eventually open up to Walter.
After Harold and Maude (1971), the age difference here is no problem. Maggie Smith is an amazing woman and sexy at her age. I do wonder about Timothy Bottoms. He either has to be more nerdy or has to be more energetic. He has the face of a Greek statue, but he's trying to act weak. He should play the hunk who falls for the inappropriate older woman. I see where this is supposed to be. He is drawing her out and she is making him a man. That would be edgier with an even younger man. It is a compelling relationship and the scenery is amazing. I like them but it could be better.
After Harold and Maude (1971), the age difference here is no problem. Maggie Smith is an amazing woman and sexy at her age. I do wonder about Timothy Bottoms. He either has to be more nerdy or has to be more energetic. He has the face of a Greek statue, but he's trying to act weak. He should play the hunk who falls for the inappropriate older woman. I see where this is supposed to be. He is drawing her out and she is making him a man. That would be edgier with an even younger man. It is a compelling relationship and the scenery is amazing. I like them but it could be better.
Boy argues with dad/meets older woman/she resists, then (wisely) gives in.
sj225524 May 2005
I've been looking for a copy of this wonderful movie for several years. I can't imagine why it's never been released on VHS or DVD. Saw it originally in '73, caught it again on some late night movie channel. Haven't seen it since, but the memory lingers on. I STILL have a crush on Timothy Bottoms, thanks to this sweet and romantic movie! Maggie Smith is also wonderful--such a great actress.
This is a charming story with fun little vignettes (Maggie Smith exiting a "loo" unknowingly trailing toilet paper stuck to her heel) and clever dialogue throughout, set against a trip through beautiful scenery by bus and bicycle.
This is a charming story with fun little vignettes (Maggie Smith exiting a "loo" unknowingly trailing toilet paper stuck to her heel) and clever dialogue throughout, set against a trip through beautiful scenery by bus and bicycle.
Where Can I get a Copy?
anastasioj6 November 2006
In the 70s I saw this film a number of times. Every time it was be re-released in a theater, I'd take another friend of mine to view this real treat. Maggie Smith was wonderful as the repressed endearing woman embarking on the adventure of her life. I have been looking for years in video stores and on the internet to find it. I thought once Alan Pakula had died there would be a resurgence for all his movies. But, it has been nowhere to be found. I highly recommend it, and welcome hearing form anyone who knows where I May obtain a copy. There must be a problem with distribution rights. I remember many scenes - the one with the bird at the hotel and the one where Maggie Smith attempting to walk dignified has the camera panning at her shoe, where she is dragging some toilet paper. Does anyone know if it is ever shown on AMC or TMC?
If it were not for beautiful scenery & sets, rating would be lower.
jaybob15 September 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This 1973 film directed by Alan J Pakula & written by Alvin Sargent (two top names in film) has finally been released to DVD.
I could have waited another 36 years to see it.
It was made in Spain & the cinematography & settings are excellent, This is the only reason the rating is this high.
The script is atrociously bad, 16 minutes into the film it is telegraphed that Maggie Smith has a deadly illness.
SPOILERS AHEAD.
We first meet Timothy Bottoms (he was 22 at the time) as an aimless college student about to go off & find himself in Spain. Of course they meet,Maggie has a bad first impression (thts a cliché isn't it),
They fall in love & shortly after fall in bed with each other (another cliché). They are two of many clichés,including a tiny trailer that leaks in a' downpour.
I do not like telling spoilers BUT the script is so bad,it is my duty to tell.
The acting by both Maggie & Timothy is first class.
It is a shame they are in a third class film. The film is a very long 110 minutes, The rest of cast are either very minor or 2 cameos by two Spanish stars.
Again I say beautiful sets & scenery with good acting by the 2 stars.
Ratings: ** (out of 4) 63 Points (out of 100) IMDb 5 (out of 10)
I could have waited another 36 years to see it.
It was made in Spain & the cinematography & settings are excellent, This is the only reason the rating is this high.
The script is atrociously bad, 16 minutes into the film it is telegraphed that Maggie Smith has a deadly illness.
SPOILERS AHEAD.
We first meet Timothy Bottoms (he was 22 at the time) as an aimless college student about to go off & find himself in Spain. Of course they meet,Maggie has a bad first impression (thts a cliché isn't it),
They fall in love & shortly after fall in bed with each other (another cliché). They are two of many clichés,including a tiny trailer that leaks in a' downpour.
I do not like telling spoilers BUT the script is so bad,it is my duty to tell.
The acting by both Maggie & Timothy is first class.
It is a shame they are in a third class film. The film is a very long 110 minutes, The rest of cast are either very minor or 2 cameos by two Spanish stars.
Again I say beautiful sets & scenery with good acting by the 2 stars.
Ratings: ** (out of 4) 63 Points (out of 100) IMDb 5 (out of 10)
Loved this special little movie
annieorozco15 July 2006
I loved this movie. Maggie Smith and Timothy Bottoms were wonderful and it was both comic and poignant. It was definitely a sleeper, but I thought it was a very special and different take on a love story. Maggie Smith remains one of my favorite actresses and Timothy Bottoms was able to carry off this May/September love story. I saw this movie twice when it was first released with a friend in San Francisco. We've talked about it many times and made attempts to find it on tape or DVD. It's been over 30 years since we first saw it and I consider it one of those really special films. Has anyone been able to obtain a copy or know whether it may be released on television again? I would also love to be able to purchase a VHS or DVD copy.
Too romantic, but oh my
Bram-519 February 1999
Yes, it's too romantic. Yes, it's a fairy tale. But it's so lovely. Timothy Bottoms is a loser on a bus trip through Spain where he meets his female counterpart, Maggie Smith. Of course, she's older than he is, but they soon find out they're kindred spirits. This movie is a dream. I, of course, am a romantic, so I loved it from the moment I first saw it, when I was just a kid. If you're a romantic, you'll love it too.
All about Love, Mature Love of Two Lonely People
JLRMovieReviews13 December 2016
Timothy Bottoms is a lost and shy young man with no apparent direction or aspirations, not liking college or getting along with or even being understood by his father. He is forced to go on a biking tour across Europe, with a friend of the family being the teacher/chaperone for the trip, but Timothy abruptly leaves the tour and jumps on a bus full of people on their own tour excursion. He befriends Maggie Smith, who has her own problems. They make quite a couple with their own insecurities, but they form an alliance, slowly, very slowly. When one gets closer, the other draws back. Both give very sincere and thoughtful performances. The ending is rather unexpected, but then again what I did expect to happen, realistically? A viewer's appreciation of this film will develop more, with each viewing, as we see a mature look at love, loneliness and real life and shows Maggie Smith and Timothy Bottoms at their restrained best.
reverse May and December love story, absolutely wonderful
bernie25 December 2006
I saw this movie many years ago and fell in love with it. I wish I could find it on VHS or DVD, It would make a great present to myself and my friend whom I saw it with. Any hopes for its release? I do have a very bad copy which was recorded from a cable station showing. Is it perhaps available under its original title "The Widower"? I only just recently learned that it was under another title. I have not seen the movie under its title The Widower so I do not know if it is exactly the same as Love and Pain or if there were changes made before its release. Perhaps Alan Pakula Productions could be persuaded to re-release this wonderful film? I'm sure if a vote was taken there would be a great number of people willing to purchase the film, making it profitable for Columbia Pictures.
A masterpiece of mood in romance
ustinovquinnconnery6 June 2014
This is a romance but a story told in a special way.
The camera, and we the viewer, are not observers watching a sequence of events, as is usually the case with American cinema. Rather, as the characters unfold and interact on their travels in Spain, we are sharing the moods of the characters as they dance before our eyes. The hero from America and the heroine from England by chance find a common life and love in the moods of Spain and the moods of European cinema.
Look at the picture on screen and feel the mood; then in your mind link that to the words and events.
A masterpiece much misunderstood.
The camera, and we the viewer, are not observers watching a sequence of events, as is usually the case with American cinema. Rather, as the characters unfold and interact on their travels in Spain, we are sharing the moods of the characters as they dance before our eyes. The hero from America and the heroine from England by chance find a common life and love in the moods of Spain and the moods of European cinema.
Look at the picture on screen and feel the mood; then in your mind link that to the words and events.
A masterpiece much misunderstood.
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