MovieChat Forums > The Way We Were (1973) Discussion > Who else was wierded out by that sex sce...

Who else was wierded out by that sex scene?

posted 19 years ago by forever_swirl
101 replies | jump to latest

When she took Hubbel home to her apartment and I realized he was just about to pass out drunk, I thought she'd just let him pass out in her bed and see him in the morning. Maybe they could have breakfast together, etc. Instead, she gets into bed with him and...OMG what the hell was she thinking?

Ok, she's known the guy for - what - five minutes? Sure, they had a couple of conversations and a dance in college, but then she didn't see him for ages. Suddenly, she's all ready to jump his bones. I just can't believe she crawled into bed with him and she let him screw her. I mean, she was all for it, but I just felt like she was slightly stalking him with that move. Nevermind the fact that he was never going to remember it all in the morning. (P.S. Am surprised that he even got it up since he was beyond smashed).

I guess I missed the bit where she didnt' like him in college to where she was ready to practically rip his clothes off. Couldn't she have at LEAST waited till he was sober to sleep with him? It just seemed uber creepy and pathetic to me - not the romantic way I'm sure it was supposed to be.

Any thoughts?

[–] all_falls_down 19 years ago

i think that this scene is one of the most important scenes in the movie . It shows how katie craves love and attention especially when she realises that hubble doesnt know that it is her she is with ! anyone who finds this scne weird doesnt understand her character.

[–] elizabethjlw 18 years ago

I thought it was powerful, to want someone so desperately and it made me cry watching her cry. It was all very tender. Can I ask, its yonks since I saw it but, was it Katie's first time?

Ben Stone: "There's a long road between coherence and competence."

[–] Isaac5855 18 years ago

That's a very interesting question...I don't know whether or not Katie was a virgin, but I don't think it's relevant. In my mind what was relevant was that Hubbell had been a fantasy in Katie's mind for years and she never forgot about him and finally getting in bed with him, even if he was unconscious, was probably something akin to the first time for her.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Isaac5855 18 years ago

That may have happened in the novel, but there was nothing in the movie that would indicate any kind of phsyical relationship between Katie and Frankie. What I got from the movie was that Frankie clearly had feelings for Katie which she did not reciprocate at all.

[–] octopussycat 18 years ago

Frankie?????????????Ewwwww!!!!!!!!!!Katie would never be that desperate.

[–] Isaac5855 18 years ago

Oh I agree, but I also think Frankie probably went to sleep every night with Katie on his mind and a picture of her under his pillow.

[–] polabaker 18 years ago

The sexual atraction between Katie and Hubbel began before the sex scene.
When she is walking carrying her books and he asks her to cross over to share
a beer. Then she asks him do you laugh all the time, and both of them crack up
laughing. Then Hubbel asks Katie to tie her shoe. The way he ties the shoe, and
how he slides his hand over the shoe is like he´s caressing her.
Before the sex scene takes place, we see them in a taxi Hubbel, Katie, the
guy from the radio station, and the girl the guy picked up at EL Morroco
nightclub. The guy literally threw katie and Hubbel out of the taxi cab, so
he can be alone with his chick.
The way Hubbel dropped his clothes on the3 floor,and slept on one side of the
bed indicates he wanted Katie on the other side of the bed. After making love,
and before leaving katie, hubbel makes a joke about ¨snoring¨. Katie replied
she likes ¨snoring¨. ¨snoring ¨here becomes a synonym for sex.
The chemistry between Barbra and Robert Redford is simply amazing. I read somewhere that Redford told the Director that he preferred not to be alone
with Barbra , and requested that a third person always be present. There is
a sexual magnetism seldom seen in films.

[–] Isaac5855 18 years ago

I agree that the chemistry between Streisand and Redford is undeniably steamy in this film.

[–] mhellerman 18 years ago

I may be way off in my thinking here, but we know through other B Straisand movies that she always felt (and plays the role of) girls that are very smart but not the kind that men find completely attractive or sexy as other women. This is also represented here, in how the "beatiful" but more shallow girls get the nice looking guys but she is invisible to most of them as a woman to look at until he comes talk to her.

SO, now she is MORE sexy, she has her harid done, her nails done, etc. She finds him. He is in bed. He yells when he hears the water boiling thinking that he is in the army. It is menacing when he shouts but oh so sexy... she is HOT (can't you guys believe that she is HOT for him!) and she may think she will have NO other opportunities to be with him than this one... so she let's herself go into it. THEN when the relationship (sex!) lasts 3 seconds she gets dissapointed. MAybe she thought he would fall for her... why not?

Remember that this movie is also coming in a time when woman start saying "I am sexual, I can have sexual feelings, etc". Direct descendant of the use of hte pill, etc. (I mean, in real life, in 1973) not in the period of the movie... so it was quite forward for that time but a woman COULD have sexual feelings for real, not for self-pity!

ALSO, please remember the underlying theme of Barbra's movies where being a Jew many times means not being part of the mainstream WASP america. In hte movie she IS Jewish, but he is a WASP (right?) - the curly hair, seems to be one constant in her movies as well (and me - jewish girl with curly hair- know of this) so she is turning into more "mainstream" by ironing her hair... but I guess that under all that she is still aware that in "normal" circunstances this guy would have never considered her for a real girlfriend or wife.

I am still watching the movie, so I may need to change my mind or change this post after I see it all!

:-)

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] mariesrogue 18 years ago

LOL .........That was funny!!!! I was also grossed out when he puked in her bathroom and was thinking that at the time. I would made him rinse his mouth out, lol and got to business.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] mariesrogue 18 years ago

Exactly

[–] ssweet6 18 years ago

I believe Katie's one weakness in life is Hubbel....as strong as she is when it comes to him she can deny nothing....this is a scene about her vulnerability when it comes to this one man.....would that have happened with any other man in a uniform....no. It is about her love for Hubbel.

She loved him in college and the moment she saw him in the bar it was love all over again....what about their last dance in college....he felt it but she was not his type....she felt it and knew she was not his type--nor was he her type.

He had a sexual act that night and she made love. After the fact was sad..."You knew it was me right Hubbel." She wanted to believe that so bad...

[–] iseepinkelefants 18 years ago

I thoguht the same things, I was like "WTF is she doing, creepy", but after reading the posts I finally get it. Although that scene and the scene where she begs him to come over after they broke up are hard to watch. She's so pathetic and sad, which is weird because she comes off as such a strong women, a little too strong. They kind of went to extremes with her. From being this strong independent woemn where I was yelling at the TV "just shut up you're losing him"!, to begging for him. I was a lot more sympathetic to Redford in this movie. Not that I hated Katie, it was just from one extreme to the other.

Although it was a great movie. I had been hearing about if for years and TCM showed it and it was really good. I only wish Robert Osbourne had made some kind of intro to it. The time frame was a little confusing. It spanned years in the beginning and then a few short months at the end. It would've been nice to have a year or something pop up on the screen every now and again. I understand they put the culture references in there to do that for you, but what if you didn't know when FDR died or when the Communist witch hunt took place? But it was a great movie.

You can't come in here, this is my mastabatorium!

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Californiagirlx7 17 years ago

I thought it was kind of strange too, it seemed like she was trying way too hard to get him to love her and Hubbell used her in return

[–] indie0385 17 years ago

I was totally creeped out too. Just imagine if the places were switched and the girl was passed out drunk and the guy did that.

[–] blueboy777 17 years ago

I just thought it was gross and disturbing when she grasped his head with her freakishly long, spider-lady fingers. Blech-gross! Seriously, why is Barbara famous as an actress? She has always given me the creeps. I wouldn't give her the time of day if someone put an Uzi to my head. Yuck!

[–] vanityfair_713 16 years ago

I agree with most of the posters--this scene shows Katie’s desperation more than anything. It did give me slight pause though, if only because the scene was quite unexpected. I had seen the movie before, and for some reason I thought it was a re-inserted deleted scene. I thought it was a good scene, if only because of the end, but when I went to watch it on VHS I assumed it wouldn’t be in. So I kept saying to my sister… “and here they cut. No…here….er…here?” It was…hm, I suppose awkward would be the best way of putting it.

He said it's all in your head, and I said, so's everything--
But he didnt get it.

[–] Imdb11168 16 years ago

excuse me - if a girl i liked in college comes over and lies down nude in my bed, there is only one thing i would do. Guess women like to think they are different, so thats they are here all over this thread impressing each other with their virtues

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] hopelessromantic89 15 years ago

Like I totally understand the implications of the scene and what we were supposed to get from it, but i'm not gonna lie, it REALLY weirded me out! lets turn the tables on this scene: if Katie was the one lying in bed naked and passed out from a night of heavy drinking, and Hubble, who was sober, got completely naked and started touching her (even if it wasn't sexually) and started rubbing up against her, EVERYONE would have a problem with it! Whats with the double standard?

Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] hopelessromantic89 15 years ago

Like I understand why she would do it, but that doesn't change the fact that you would have to be just a littttleee bit crazy to do that...

Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] ck1-5 15 years ago

You've made the same statement twice now; what's your point? I've got every right to sleep naked in my bed, too, but what does that fact have to do with choosing to crawl into bed naked with a drunk guy that you knew peripherally in college several years earlier, and just happened to run into in a nightclub?

[–] Naoyusimi 15 years ago

What?! Let's REALLY reverse the situation:

Katie gets really drunk and gets naked and gets into Hubbell's bed. He climbs in, then Katie rolls over and starts nuzzling him. She rolls over further and gets on top of him, kissing. Though he knows it's probably wrong, he has always wanted her and doesn't resist. When they're done and she's passed out again, he realizes she didn't even know it was "Hubbell"; he was just a warm, naked male body in bed with her. He's sad.

[Scene End.]

Your version is distorted.

BTW, everyone is saying Katie was naked, and I think she was still wearing a slip or got into a nightgown (easily lifted up, I know). Also, I can understand her wanting to sleep in her own bed--did anyone catch how SMALL that apartment was? Plus, her chance to at least live *part* of her college fantasy and sleep next to her dream man. I don't think she got in with the INTENTION of having sex with him.

[–] ck1-5 15 years ago

No, you're probably right....."I think I'll strip down (and I'd say she was nude, because the way she was selfconsciously holding the bedcovers tight to her bosom, I'd call that an allusion to nudity) and get in bed with this also nude inebriated guy that I've had a crush on since college in hopes of NOT having sex". My few years old post on page one of this thread gives the reason for my theory.

[–] Naoyusimi 15 years ago

It's a good theory with good reasoning . . . I just don't know if I agree, if it's correct.
I'd have to see the movie again to really determine.
The sarcasm was unnecessary, though.

[–] ck1-5 15 years ago

Don't take it personally; I'm sarcastic by nature. I'm glad that you acknowledge my theory, though.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] ck1-5 15 years ago

For God's sake, is that the only statement you can make about this subject? You've said it three times now! I suppose that if you go home tonight to find some guy you used to know passed out in your bed, your only reaction to the situation will be to say, "Well, it's MY bed!", strip, and jump in next to him!

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] tellerofthetruth 15 years ago

He got on top of her and stuck it in - did you forget that?

She shouldn't have got in bed with him, but she let him use her. She didn't get on top of him and grind him or anything.

Langella, Winslet, Ledger, Henson

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] Luxn 15 years ago

I'm replying in flat mode, not to one particular post.

BUT - OMFG - how can anyone say that scene ruined the film or made her look cheap? Katie fell in love with Hubbell in college...in fact they both fell a little in love with each other. Katie hated that she found Hubbell so attractive IMO so she fought against it. He was the epitome of 'decadent and disgusting' - to her at least.

When she saw him again in the bar, she was older, more confident, and as usual, not afraid to reach for what she wanted. This night didn't happen after a couple of convos in college, it happened after years of being in love with him.

And yes, he was drunk enough that she realised he didn't know who he was with. And in the scheme of things, she was right to bring him home. They fell in love and had an exciting, challenging and happy life together for much of the film.

"I was never good at 'should'...and don't intend to train myself, either"

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] harland-ncl 12 years ago

how come he was lying on one side of the bed instead of in the middle? She could have left the top sheet between them for decency's sake. But of course this is only a film.

[–] hodie 12 years ago

She did it because she knew she might never get another chance.

"Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?"