The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1972)

Drama /
7.4/10

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds Storyline

From the Pullizer Prize winning play by Paul Zindel, this is the story of Beatrice Hunsdorfer and her daughters, Ruth and Matilda. A middle-aged widowed eccentric, Beatrice is looking for her life in the classified ads while all about her is the rubble of an unkempt house. All she needs is the right opportunity, she says puffing on a cigarette. Poorly equipped to survive the vagaries of modern life, she has nonetheless always managed to muddle through. Ruth, epileptic and making her way through the rebellious phase of adolescence, seems doomed to make the same mistakes as her mother. Quiet Matilda, on the other hand, seeks refuge in her animals and her schoolwork. “Jesus, don’t you hate the world, Matilda?” Beatrice asks her youngest daughter. The title of the film is also the subject of Matilda’s science project at school and serves as a metaphor for the way life affects each of us differently — how some are able to find opportunity in adversity and thrive and how some succumb when the burden becomes too heavy. This is the story of slowly drowning and grasping desperately for a lifeline only to find that there’s none there and you must save yourself. “No, Mama,” Matilda says, “I don’t hate the world.” (Nell Potts, who stars as Matilda, is the stage name of Eleanor Newman — Joanne Woodward’s real-life daughter. She also appeared as the young Rachel in *Rachel, Rachel*.)

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The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds Movie Reviews

Effect of brilliance in making an obnoxious character likeable.

In a year of excellent female performances on the big screen, someone had to suffer by being overlooked for an Oscar, and I can’t think of whom I’d leave out over Lixa (The deserving winner), Diana, Cicely, Maggie or Liv, but Joanne Woodward here is brilliant. Her character is probably the most unlikable of any of the characters of the other women, and her brush this is often off-putting and depressing in representing a widow with two children having to take in a boarder to make ends meet. When that border is Judith Lowry, the future Mother Dexter of ‘Phyllis”, there’s going to be some competition for attention. But Lowry, only grunting on occasion, playing a woman abandoned by her daughter, had the epitome of the pathetic effects of old age, booking on silently with anger at her daughter as she gets the impact of what’s happening. A glow on her face over the attention she is paid gives us a glimpse of her acceptance of what little happiness she can find.

As for the two daughters, they are very different, with the self-centered Roberta Wallach suffering from epilepsy on occasion, making fun of her mother in a drama class skit, and declaring her hatred of Lowry just because she’s old and helpless. It’s as if she’s really her mother’s daughter, unlike Nell Potts who takes Lowry for walks and takes her class projects seriously including one for science which is what the title is based on. Both young ladies provide real interesting characters, both embarrassed by their mother in one way or another, but in very different ways.

While the three supporting characters are all very interesting, they know they are taking a backseat to Woodward who was hotter than ever, getting great mature parts on screen, and always coming home with excellent reviews, even if the characters weren’t people that the audience would want to hang out with. That’s especially the truth about her character of Bernice here, a role played by Sada Thompson in his original production, Eileen Heckart on TV, and Joan Blondell and Shelley Winters in other theatrical productions. I’ve seen the abridged version with Heckart (which also co-starred Lowry) and this movie version is far more detailed. Not sure I could stomach this more than once, but it sure is fascinating viewing. Great direction by Paul Newman aides in Woodward giving another performance of total excellence.

compelling characters

Brash widower Beatrice Hunsdorfer (Joanne Woodward) and her daughters Ruth (Roberta Wallach) and Matilda (Nell Potts) live in a ramshackle home. Ruth suffers from epilepsy and is boy-obsessed. Matilda is an introvert and more taken with science. She does a school project to see the effects of radiation on her marigold plants in different ways. The three female characters have a complicated relationship.

Paul Newman’s directions are very plain. One can feel rusty grim and see the simple style. Joanne Woodward delivers the character broadly. Real life daughter of Newman and Woodward, Nell Potts, delivers her character in a quiet simple manner. These are compelling characters but the plot meanders around. There is a simple sad beauty to it all.

gamma rays have no effect like that of society

Paul Newman had previously directed Joanne Woodward and their daughter Nell in “Rachel, Rachel”, and he then directed them in “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds”, which casts Woodward as the irascible head of a dysfunctional family. Seriously, her character is a maniac.

The title refers to a science project by the younger daughter, and also serves as a metaphor for society’s effect on Woodward’s character. Any goal that she has will almost certainly get impeded by her instability. Basically, she and her daughters cannot fit in with the world around them. The older daughter’s (Eli Wallach’s daughter Roberta) epilepsy and rebellious attitude appear to be dooming her to repeat her mother’s life, while the younger daughter finds solace in her pet rabbit.

I’ve liked every role in which I’ve seen Joanne Woodward, and this movie is no exception. She plays the disgruntled Beatrice as someone who tries to do the right thing but whose flaws get in the way of everything. Her and Paul Newman’s daughter Nell (who now appears on the front of Newman’s Own products next to her father) is also really impressive as the idealistic younger daughter. This is a really good movie.

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