The Family Way (1966)

Truly Dreadful Film

Excellent, a Must See

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

I remember back in the day the big buzz about The Family Way was it marked the adult film debut of Hayley Mills. After years of doing fresh scrubbed Disney productions, Hayley was going to do an adult role. And the big news was, it was about SEX. But when they went to see The Family Way, what Hayley's fans got was a touching life drama about a pair of newlyweds who can't seem to get the deed done. Hywel Bennett and Mills play the young couple and they are an appealing pair.Bennett and Mills like any other newlyweds would probably just like some privacy, but they can't get any due to family friends, especially Bennett's father who is played by John Mills. This is a most different Mills than what we saw in such films like Great Expectations, Tunes of Glory or Scott of the Antarctic. He's a working class guy from Lancashire, very coarse and rough in his ways, but in the end does show a kind heart.The game plan is for Hayley and Hywel to get married, spend the wedding night at Hywel's place and then take off for a honeymoon trip. What John Mills decides in a really brilliant move is to keep the party from the wedding reception going over at his place. And then Hywel's clod of a boss, Barry Foster, sneaks into the newlyweds room and loosens the screws of the bridal bed. All in the spirit of good clean fun, but it does spoil the moment and Hywel has a performance problem.Hayley's character is not all that different from those she played at Disney. She's a sweet young thing who's showing a bit of understandable sexual frustration. Especially after the newlyweds discover the travel agent absconded with their money along with many others. They're now forced to spend two weeks in the house with Bennett's parents. Doubly frustrating because Bennett's younger brother Murray Head is also around. If you'll remember five years later Murray Head was the lust object of Peter Finch and Glenda Jackson in Sunday Bloody Sunday. He's looking just as yummy in The Family Way.Apart from some brief shots of Hayley Mills's derrière which would not raise a ripple today, there's no nudity, no filming of the deed. In fact if it wasn't that it was Hayley Mills I doubt it would have made any noise even back then.Best performance in the film though is that of Marjorie Rhodes as Bennett's very wise mother. She suspects a problem, but has a great deal of difficulty just persuading her husband to just let things work themselves out. In fact during the course of the film she confesses an ancient indiscretion herself, showing she does understand far more than anyone realizes.Best moment in the film is Liz Fraser delivering a truly terrific put-down to Barry Foster who is her husband after he and Bennett duke it out and Bennett is fired. Has to be seen to be appreciated.The Family Way is one of the best British productions of the Sixties. Paul McCartney wrote the original musical score for the production and the film is shot on location in Lancashire giving it a real feel for the British working class. And it was interesting seeing those Beatle inspired fashions from back in the day.

Bittersweet comedy-romance starring Hywel Bennett as projectionist Arthur Fitton and his pretty wife Jenny Fitton (Hayley Mills) Unable to afford their own place, Arthur and Jenny are staying with Arthur's parents, Dad (John Mills) and Mum (Marjorie Rhodes) Arthur and Jenny are desperate to consummate their marriage, but the thin walls of the Fitton household make this impossible and Jenny is anything but in 'The Family Way.' Anxious to be 'of help' is Arthur's brother (Murray Head) and cinema boss(Barry Foster) Wilfred Pickles as Jenny's Uncle (an SRN) provides essential fatherly advice. Music 'Love In The Open Air' by Paul McCartney adds beautifully to the enjoyment of this film. British film-making at its best

Great movie! I agree with most of the reviews above and can't really add anything to them so I will comment on the soundtrack. Composed by Paul McCartney it contains one of the rarest, and in my opinion, one of the best McCartney compositions, "Love in the open air" played by George Martin. It's worth renting the video just to hear this song. Paul recorded his own version many years later but it doesn't match the original score.

A late entry to the British kitchen sink cycle, which suggests that if there was one thing that the upstanding, chapel going, gossipping classes disapproved of more than sex before marriage, then it was failing to fulfill one's conjugal duties afterwards. Which is unfortunate for a willing, but unable, Hywell Bennett and his virginal bride, portrayed by a divine Hayley Mills. Bennett is good, and Mills is suitably wide eyed and adorable, which in fairness is all the script really asks of her, but the film belongs to the senior cast members. John Mills, ironically portraying his real life daughter's father-in-law, succeeds in being comical and pathetic yet immensely noble, and Marjorie Rhodes is equally compelling as his wife, who loves, yet at times, quietly loathes him. The Family Way is a touching and amusing look at the social mores of Northern England circa the mid-sixties, and a chance to see Hayley Mills' bare bottom!