Movie

Petulia

1968 · 105 min

A wistful, fragmentary swirl of swinging-sixties San Francisco, drifting between tenderness and quiet dread like a memory you can't quite hold.

Tagline: People bugged by people will do extraordinary things.
Overview: Dr. Archie Bollen is having a midlife crisis. He's just divorced his wife and is establishing a new life for himself. One night, he catches the eye of Petulia Danner, a charming, free-spirited young woman. Petulia's vibrant personality hides her fear of her abusive husband, David, whose father is a powerful society figure. As Petulia and Archie's feelings for each other grow, they must decide what it is they truly want.

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How it feels

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Tone: melancholicstrength 3 of 3
cynicalstrength 2 of 3
romanticstrength 2 of 3
tensestrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: demanding, 4 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: love
identity
isolation
betrayal
trauma
Places: big city
hospital
home
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: nonlinear
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence mild
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	2
Horror	1
Humour	3
Realism	7
Romance	6
Tension	5
Darkness	6
Complexity	7
Emotional weight	7

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Where to watch in the UK

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Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres: drama, romance
Directed by: Richard Lester
Written by: Lawrence B. Marcus
Starring: Julie Christie, George C. Scott, Richard Chamberlain, Arthur Hill, Shirley Knight, Pippa Scott, Kathleen Widdoes, Richard Dysart
Music: John Barry
Cinematography: Nicolas Roeg
Runtime: 105 min
Country: United Kingdom, United States of America
Languages: Spanish, English

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Petulia

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