Bittersweet Love
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion picture |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Founder | David Miller (director), Adrian Morrall (screenplay), D.A. Kellogg (screenplay) |
| Products | Romantic drama film |
Bittersweet Love is a 1976 American romantic drama filmed in DeLuxe Color and Panavision, directed by David Miller, with a screenplay by Adrian Morrall and D.A. Kellogg. The cast features Lana Turner, Robert Lansing, Celeste Holm, Robert Alda, Scott Hylands, and Meredith Baxter-Birney.
Plot
After being stood up by his original date, Michael Lewis encounters Patricia Peterson, and they quickly develop a romantic connection. Discovering Patricia is expecting a child, the couple weds in an intimate ceremony held in Canada, close to Michael’s relatives.
Following the wedding, Patricia’s parents, Ben and Claire, return from overseas and uncover that Claire had a brief liaison with Michael’s father at a USO dance years before. This revelation reveals that Michael and Patricia share a biological parent, making them half-siblings and complicating their relationship amid the pregnancy.
Though Patricia contemplates terminating the pregnancy late in term, she ultimately opts against it but remains uncertain. Throughout the pregnancy, the couple distances themselves from their social circles. Patricia’s mother encourages her to reconsider abortion or adoption; however, Patricia refuses to conceal the family secret any longer. Michael investigates the genetic risks associated with incestuous offspring.
When Patricia delivers a healthy baby girl named Amy, family tensions escalate. A celebratory dinner deteriorates when Patricia experiences a breakdown during an intimate moment with Michael. They separate afterward, with Michael leaving the home and Patricia raising Amy on her own. Reflecting on their situation, Patricia describes their relationship as "Brother and sister. Strangers."
Cast
- Lana Turner as Claire
- Robert Lansing as Howard
- Celeste Holm as Marian
- Robert Alda as Ben
- Scott Hylands as Michael
- Meredith Baxter-Birney as Patricia
- Gail Strickland as Roz
- Richard Masur as Alex
- Denise DeMirjian as Nurse Morrison
- John Friedrich as Josh
- Amanda Gavin as Judy
- Jerome Guardino as Psychiatrist
External links
- IMDb
- AFI film
- TCMDb