Though Patty Duke is probably best known for her Oscar-winning work as Helen Keller in "The Miracle Worker", this extraordinary made-for-TV movie contains what is easily her finest screen performance. She is never less than believable as the frightened, immature, uneducated Southern girl who, pregnant with her lover's child and abandoned by both him and her family, takes refuge in a deserted seaside house. There, her solitary wait for the birth of her child is broken by the unexpected arrival of Al Freeman Jr., a black militant on the run for killing a white man. Their relationship, at first defined by mutual contempt and hostility, slowly evolves into a touching love story. The ending is unforgettable. Duke and Freeman share a wonderful chemistry and both were deservedly Emmy-nominated (Duke won; Freeman, regrettably, did not). Patty Duke was as talented as any leading actess of her generation and her work here confirms that.
Review of My Sweet Charlie
