Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing

Columbia. Director Alan J. Pakula; Producer Alan J. Pakula; Screenplay Alvin Sargent; Camera Geoffrey Unsworth; Editor Russell Lloyd; Music Michael Small; Art Director Enrique Alarcon

Maggie Smith
Timothy Bottoms
Jaime de Mora y Aragon
Emiliano Redondo
Charles Baxter
Margaret Modlin

For almost three-quarters of its overlong running time, Love and Pain. . . etc works as a modest, affecting romantic comedy about two mismatched neurotics stumbling into love during a Spanish tour. But pic succumbs to a fatal attack of Love Storyitis, and goes down for the count.

Timothy Bottoms plays the shy, asthmatic son of a professor packed off to Spain for the summer. Bottoms joins a tourist bus where he is seated next to Maggie Smith, a jumpy lady of middle age who frequently bumps into her own shadow. For most of the film they trip over each other, explore the countryside and gradually accept a warmth and companionship that leads to a believable affair. Then Smith reveals she's dying.

Smith, as ever, is luminous, and Bottoms tackles a difficult role with ease. One only wishes the scripter had left well enough alone.

(Color) Extract of a review from 1973. Running time: 110 MIN.

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