I've been writing on these boards off and on for the past couple of years or so, and forgot entirely about writing something for this film until today, when I was looking up Alan Bates on IMDb. I immediately fell in love with "A Kind of Loving" when I saw it one night in 1987 while a graduate student in Austin, Texas. I was crashing at a friend's house during my last few months in school, since I couldn't afford my own apartment any longer, and she only had about four channels. I happened to catch this film, after missing only about the first two minutes, on the local ABC station in the wee hours of the morning, and it stayed with me ever since. I ABSOLUTELY fell in love with it...the look of it, its utter Englishness, Alan Bates' face, the quiet story, its reality, its sensitivity...everything. I managed to catch it again a year or so later when I returned to Chicago, luckily on a cable station, with no commercials. And, I taped it, on two different machines at the same time, since I didn't know if it would ever be shown again (the internet hadn't really yet been invented and I didn't even have a computer at that point...so, no amazon, no search engines, no genuine chance of ever catching this newfound classic for me...I had to make two copies of it while it was showing).
I don't believe I had ever seen a "kitchen sink/angry young man" film, much less really heard of the genre at that point. But this film introduced me to the whole period, and I rather like many of them. But in my opinion, this one is absolutely the best. As another reviewer on IMDb commented here, Vic Brown's character is probably the most sympathetic among various "angry young man" protagonists. Though some may feel that this film is outdated and that the characters are in a way too innocent (perhaps for their ages), it is a very charming, sensitive, realistic, and empathetic portrayal of young-adult love. As dark and dreary and claustrophobic as many of the scenes are, I somehow fell completely in love with England, the 60's (well, I've always loved almost everything from the 60's, even though I can really only enjoy them vicariously, since I was born during this decade), and certainly, Alan Bates. He is a stunner in this film and, as I soon found out, in all his films. This film prompted me to rent or buy anything of his I could find (check out "A Whistle Down the Wind"...a different film altogether...not a kitchen sink drama...but wonderful).
But far aside from his good looks, this story is so poignant. You so feel for the characters of Vic and Ingrid, and even her on-the-surface-witch of a mother. Their reactions are so realistic throughout. Even Vic's initial reaction to ignore Ingrid after their first few dates, then offer to marry her after her predicament, is so touching. You can see that these young souls are choosing a path that they think is the "right thing to do", but in the process, are giving up, before your very eyes, all their dreams. The look of sadness on both of their young lovely faces as they trod through many of their days, living with her mother (GREAT portrayal by Thora Hird...and BOY did she look like my paternal grandmother...my mother couldn't believe it when she saw the film), and their attempts to find happiness in their situation and make the best of it are just a bit heart wrenching. Their arguments were so realistic. For instance, Ingrid's insistence that they live in a "nice place", having been accustomed to living in a cushioned environment by living with her mother in her family home juxtaposed with Vic's wanting to just get out and find something of their own, no matter how low-rent the home might be....it just reinforces the fact that people shouldn't even bother getting together, much less have children, until they're ready....both financially and emotionally. I just saw a long, struggling road ahead for them...but you certainly hope it all works out. They are two young souls sideswiped by a most major event imposed upon them long before they are ready to handle it, but they muddle through it.
Alan Bates and June Ritchie deliver first-rate performances from start to finish, and are accompanied by a wonderful supporting cast. I also loved the little bits of music, typically used as a transitional element. I remember a little transitional scene in which Alan Bates is simply running across the street as the quiet music score, including the lead melody of a single flute, plays in the background. With backdrops that range from dreary urban streets to the "nicer" section of town homes in which Ingrid lives to the wonderfully hilly and misty English countryside, I simply fell in love with everything about this beautiful, thoughtful, quiet, and touching story. I need to get it on DVD before my tapes wear out. It's one of my two favorite films, with the other one being "The Pumpkin Eater" (another English classic, from 1964, but not a kitchen sink drama...check it out as well).
Find "A Kind of Loving", and enjoy.
I don't believe I had ever seen a "kitchen sink/angry young man" film, much less really heard of the genre at that point. But this film introduced me to the whole period, and I rather like many of them. But in my opinion, this one is absolutely the best. As another reviewer on IMDb commented here, Vic Brown's character is probably the most sympathetic among various "angry young man" protagonists. Though some may feel that this film is outdated and that the characters are in a way too innocent (perhaps for their ages), it is a very charming, sensitive, realistic, and empathetic portrayal of young-adult love. As dark and dreary and claustrophobic as many of the scenes are, I somehow fell completely in love with England, the 60's (well, I've always loved almost everything from the 60's, even though I can really only enjoy them vicariously, since I was born during this decade), and certainly, Alan Bates. He is a stunner in this film and, as I soon found out, in all his films. This film prompted me to rent or buy anything of his I could find (check out "A Whistle Down the Wind"...a different film altogether...not a kitchen sink drama...but wonderful).
But far aside from his good looks, this story is so poignant. You so feel for the characters of Vic and Ingrid, and even her on-the-surface-witch of a mother. Their reactions are so realistic throughout. Even Vic's initial reaction to ignore Ingrid after their first few dates, then offer to marry her after her predicament, is so touching. You can see that these young souls are choosing a path that they think is the "right thing to do", but in the process, are giving up, before your very eyes, all their dreams. The look of sadness on both of their young lovely faces as they trod through many of their days, living with her mother (GREAT portrayal by Thora Hird...and BOY did she look like my paternal grandmother...my mother couldn't believe it when she saw the film), and their attempts to find happiness in their situation and make the best of it are just a bit heart wrenching. Their arguments were so realistic. For instance, Ingrid's insistence that they live in a "nice place", having been accustomed to living in a cushioned environment by living with her mother in her family home juxtaposed with Vic's wanting to just get out and find something of their own, no matter how low-rent the home might be....it just reinforces the fact that people shouldn't even bother getting together, much less have children, until they're ready....both financially and emotionally. I just saw a long, struggling road ahead for them...but you certainly hope it all works out. They are two young souls sideswiped by a most major event imposed upon them long before they are ready to handle it, but they muddle through it.
Alan Bates and June Ritchie deliver first-rate performances from start to finish, and are accompanied by a wonderful supporting cast. I also loved the little bits of music, typically used as a transitional element. I remember a little transitional scene in which Alan Bates is simply running across the street as the quiet music score, including the lead melody of a single flute, plays in the background. With backdrops that range from dreary urban streets to the "nicer" section of town homes in which Ingrid lives to the wonderfully hilly and misty English countryside, I simply fell in love with everything about this beautiful, thoughtful, quiet, and touching story. I need to get it on DVD before my tapes wear out. It's one of my two favorite films, with the other one being "The Pumpkin Eater" (another English classic, from 1964, but not a kitchen sink drama...check it out as well).
Find "A Kind of Loving", and enjoy.