Valentine's Day Musings: How i spent the day with Natalie Wood, Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro

So i was feeling lazy (again) this morning and decided to lounge (again) on the couch in front of my TV and decided i'd check what's on before i start with my day. It was about 11 already. I start my day late for the past couple of weeks (am in-between day jobs right now and am enjoying late nights and lazy mornings in bed) and my routine consists mainly of two things: food and TV. So i grabbed the remote, switched on the TV and changed the channel to the "MOVIE" network. I don't have cable. Don't ask. It's a matter of principle and also more like a protest against the poor quality of programming and service i experienced when i was still dazed by the idea of "having cable."

I forgot it was Valentine's Day today but with Facebook, i was reminded the instant i turned my iPhone on. Hey, I don't need to tell you i am single and happy. (Really, i am happy and contented. Really! Am sure! --- Now, am starting to sound desperate) so i approached the day like another ordinary day. Last night, i went to a neighborhood bar and overheard the bartender telling someone that today was just another SAD-turday for him. I couldn't agree more. But, really, i am happy! Hmmm.

I had to-go food from a Filipino wake I attended last night, so i had that for brunch. Nothing beats leftover Filipino food. I paired it with brown rice, a glass of room temperature water and some TV. My day is set.

I woke up thinking I would spend the morning to myself again but, no, it was not what my movie gods planned for me. The minute i settled myself on the couch and focused my attention on my oldish 40-inch TV, I was immediately struck by the sight of a very young (and handsome!) Robert Redford berating a very young (and very beautiful Natalie Wood) for something that she committed. Some dialogues had Mr. Redford's character accusing Ms. Wood's character of being a whore. Wow! That was powerful. I clicked on the INFO button on my remote and discovered that what was on was this 1966 Sydney Pollack film "This Property is Condemned" based on a Tennesse Williams play. I was instantly hooked. I may have missed the first hour or so of the movie but i felt it was going to be good --- and i was not disappointed.

The film is styled in classic melodrama with hysterical performances that's seemingly typical in every Tennesse Williams play. I could be wrong. Apparently, Ms. Wood's character was in love with Mr. Redford's character but her mom is trying to set her up with an old guy for the sake of some fortune. But then the mom's lover is secretly trying to seduce Ms. Wood's character. There's a crucial and tense scene inside a restaurant where Ms. Wood's character, her mother, her mother's lover and the old guy that's she's being setup are having some casual fun but what begun with cautious flirtations ended with an explosive revelation resulting to a haphazard wedding between Ms. Wood's character and her mom's lover who was portrayed by a very young (and surprisingly good looking) Charles Bronson.

The next morning, Ms Wood's character decides that marriage is not for her. She runs off with the money she stole from Mr. Bronson's character and their wedding certificate to go after Mr. Redford's character who is now based in New Orleans. When they met, they reconciled, professed their undying love for each other and planned on getting married. For an extended amount of time, we get to see the lovers enjoying each other but you know that there are still unresolved issues that need to be addressed. 

So the mother reappears and she forces Ms. Wood's character to reveal to Mr. Redford's character that she could not possibly get married again. That she's already married and that she has to return to her husband. This news catches Mr. Redford by surprise. She looks accusingly at Ms. Wood's character who couldn't help but be sorry for herself and the sad circumstance life has put her in. She explodes, runs away under heavy rain and disappears into the dark. 

The movie ended with a couple of teenaged children recalling the sad story of Ms. Wood's character. It's not a happy ending typical of a love story shown on TV on Valentine's Day. It was tragic, sad. And it was just perfect for me. Nope, not because i enjoy sad movies, i just like being real. Perhaps, if there's someone that i am in love with right now, I would have clung to the illusion that everyone deserves a happy ending. But, let's get real. 

Fortunately, the next movie shown on the same channel was the 1984 classic romance "Falling in Love" featuring two of my favorites, the marvelous actors Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro. You know how the movie goes. The characters end up together in the end. H-A-P-P-Y E-N-D-I-N-G, yes --- but if you consider the fate of the wife and husband their characters decided to leave, then you'd realize that in the pursuit of love, there is always some brokenhearted souls suffering unseen in the dark.

I planned on not watching it but i just couldn't help myself. Then, "Making Love", the Kate Jackson, Michael Ontkean and Harry Hamlin love triangle was also scheduled after "Falling in Love" but i decided i have enough of lovers and love for the day. So here i am blogging about how memorable my Valentine's day was. Memorable is a relative word. Hope yours was more "memorable." 

XXX

Raymond Lo