SOAP DETAIL: THE PRINCE OF TIDES
Everyone has lists when it comes to actors and actresses, and one of those lists is the "love/hate" list; those who are hated and loved in equal measure. If she were working more today, Barbra Streisand would certainly top the list. Everywhere she goes - stage, screen, song, TV - she's been a huge success; selling millions of albums, making movies seen by millions, and doing concert specials on TV watched by millions. And she remains the only actress/singer to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony. She's also won two Razzies for worst actress, and has inspired as many critical brickbats as hosannahs. All of that was crystallized in 1991, when Streisand directed and starred in THE PRINCE OF TIDES, from the best-selling novel by Pat Conroy. The film grossed nearly $75 million and was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Nick Nolte, and Best Supporting Actress for Kate Nelligan - yet Streisand wasn't nominated for Best Director.
When those nominations were announced, there was a firestorm of controversy and argument. On one half, there were those who claimed once again how this was an example of Hollywood's discrimination towards women, particularly since Streisand had been nominated by the Directors Guild, which usually cinches an Oscar nod. On the other hand were those who said her omission had little to do with her being a woman and everything to do with being Barbra Streisand - cloyingly sentimental, egotistical, and relentlessly narcissitic. I'm one of the latter group, at least as far as disliking Streisand - except for FUNNY GIRL, her Oscar-winning role - so I was somewhat surprised to find THE PRINCE OF TIDES relatively restrained for Streisand, at least for about 2/3 of the way, till the inevitable sentiment kicked in.
The movie, like Conroy's book, is a soaper, but until the sappiness kicks in, mostly an honest one. It's told by Tom Wingo (Nolte), a football coach and English teacher in South Carolina whose life is slowly wasting away. Physically he's fine, but he's emotionally adrift from his wife (Blythe Danner) and daughters. Then he gets the news that his sister Savannah (Melinda Dillon), a writer living in New York, has attempted suicide again, and comes up to the city to try and help her. While there, he must parry with Susan Lowenstein (Streisand), Savannah's psychiatrist, who's sure Tom knows why Savannah's so troubled. Tom doesn't want to deal with his, or Savannah's past, partly because it's so troubled, and partly because it means going up against his mother Lila (Kate Nelligan).
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