Widower Harry Keach is a construction worker who was raised to appreciate the importance of working for a living. He takes a dim view of his sensitive son Howard's lackadaisical lifestyle and has a strained relationship with his daughter Nina as he does not approve of her husband. When Harry is fired from his job, his life changes drastically as he is made to focus on the relationships around him.
Acting
Newman doing more with silence than most do with monologues.
Direction
His second feature—flawed but deeply personal filmmaking.
Director
Paul Newman
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Newman directed this during his 'serious artist' phase, between The Verdict and Nobody's Fool. He was clearly working through his own complicated fatherhood.
The film was a notorious bomb—Newman supposedly took the failure personally and rarely spoke of his directing career afterward.
US
