MovieChat Forums > The Prince of Tides (1991) Discussion > Streisand as Lowenstein?!?!? NO WAY!!

Streisand as Lowenstein?!?!? NO WAY!!

posted 10 years ago by beaverkisser
5 replies | jump to latest

The novel was one of the best I've read and Conroy is a brilliant writer. That said, it deserves to be made into a believable film. Though very few films ever come close to faithfully covering the novel they're based upon, there are some things which just MUST be met, not only to honour the novel, but to make it believable. In this case--Susan Lowenstein!
According to the novel, she was breathtakingly beautiful--though in a subtle way. Right. So they cast Barbra Streisand as her?!? Though very talented, she is not even sublimely beautiful and needs all the help she can get from makeup to pass muster as a halfway attractive woman in her movies...

Nolte was perfect for Tom, but the usually-talented Melinda Dillon was terribly miscast as Savannah, who again, was supposed to be cheerleader-level gorgeous. Her performance was also "walked through", and had none of the depth that the character in the novel has.

But perhaps, the most annoying part for me was the mispronunciation of the name "Lowenstein". It should be "Low-en-stine", not "Low-en-steen". I can't believe that in an industry dominated by Jews, that the studio would let this happen in a film, unless it was a joke--as in the film "Young Frankenstein", where Gene Wilder kept "correcting" people by saying, "It's 'Franken-STEEN'".

Lastly, I think it should be remade as a mini-series which could cover the whole brilliant story of the Wingos.

[–] wylierichardson 10 years ago

Streisand essentially cast herself as the therapist. Remember she is also the film's director.

[–] pypsqweek 10 years ago

I read the book and saw the fi and I still enjoyed both. Didn't have a problem with Susan. I remember when the movie came out and Barabara was a very bankable star at the time.

[–] PacificHeights 10 years ago

The book was great. The movie ….. not so much. The casting was terrible. Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte were both terrible in this movie. Also, the screenplay made Susan a much more important character than she was in the book.

[–] PussyCrusher_Principal 9 years ago

Ha ha, I'm no expert, and maybe you can insist your name be pronounced however you'd like, but I agree, I've never heard the name Lowenstein pronounced the way it is in the film.

I've never read the book but I boughtStreisand as the therapist, in general. Some of the acting and writing didn't necessarily ring true to me but only minor things, not terribly important. I love Nolte usually but I didn't buy him as a Southerner.

[–] PussyCrusher_Principal 9 years ago

Although, in reference to your complaint that Barbar wasn't beautiful enough to be the therapist (although I'd disagree), IDK why, but Christine Lahti just popped into my head as a good Lowenstein. The film wouldn't have had quite the star power though.