Rating: NR
Genre:
Romance
Release Date: 02/04/2003
SubTitles: English/French/Espanol
Dubbed: English/French
Sound: DD1
Run Time: 105 Minutes
Distributor/Studio: Warner Home Video
Shelley Winters won an Academy Award for her searing performance as
Rose-Ann d'Arcy in
A Patch of Blue. The star, however, is not
Winters but
Elizabeth Hartman, cast as
d'Arcy's blind, sensitive daughter,
Selina. A venomous prostitute,
Rose-Ann treats both
Selina and grandfather
Ole Pa (
Wallace Ford) like dirt. Fortunately,
Selina finds a way out via the kindly
Gordon Ralfe (
Sidney Poitier), who befriends
Hartman and tries to open up doors for her previously closed by her selfish mother. Despite the objections of the bigoted
Rose-Ann and of
Gordon's brother
Mark (
Ivan Dixon), a bond stronger than physical love is forged between
Gordon and
Selina. Brilliantly avoiding gooey sentiment throughout,
A Patch of Blue was adapted for the screen by director
Guy Green, from the novel
Be Ready with Bells and Drums by
Elizabeth Kata.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide