The Pitch: Ryan and Tatum O'Neal play characters in
the Depression era who are a less screwed up duo than they are in real life.
I knew Tatum O'Neal won an Oscar for her work in this, becoming the youngest competitive Oscar winner in history, so I was prepared to say patronizing things like "pretty good for a nine-year old". She's actually great regardless of age. Her command of that character makes it hard to believe she was actually that young. Ryan O'Neal was good too. That father/daughter familiarity added so much to the movie. I don't know how close they actually were at the time, but they are good enough in the film that I'd think they were together all the time. That probably wasn't the case though.
The black and white cinematography really works. Sometimes when films do that it feels like a stunt (See: Nebraska). This didn't at all. It fit the Depression era and, frankly, made aspects much more palatable. I don't know why, but I feel like Tatum would come off as precocious if the film was in color..
I don't have a bad thing to say about the film. It's funny. The story zips along at a good pace. The ending is sweet, even if, when you think about it, things cannot end well for those two down the line.
Verdict (?): Strongly Recommend
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