Babs Ruined the Story

This movie is great and stayed very true to the novel.
Pat Conry, the author of the novel, wrote the screenplay and was involved all the way. He stated that Barbra gave him the best gift ever by making this beautiful movie.

Guess you're a Streisand hater who doesn't want to give her the credit she deserves?
Yes, she played a blonde Lowenstein while she had black hair in the book. So what? It happens all the time. Meryl Streep's Francesca Johnson in Bridges of Madison County, for example, is different than the Francesca in the book.

Streisand was fantastic in this film....she captured Lowenstein perfectly! You have no idea what you are talking about. Perhaps if you weren't a Streisand hater you would see things differently!

I agree with you, and I'm even a Barbra fan. I watched the movie for the first time in a while last night, and when it ended all I could think was, "Wow. They left out about 70% of the story." I felt the scenes with Lowenstein were very faithful to the novel, even the dialogue. But Barbra cut so much of the family stories that Savannah does not really have a purpose in the story other than Tom's impetus for going to NYC, and Luke is completely left out! I was furious when Savannah tells Tom she's writing a new book of poetry called The Prince of Tides and dedicating it to...Tom!! In the novel, The Prince of Tides is a book of poems written prior to her suicide attempt--and it's all about and dedicated to Luke. Tom sees the book in Lowenstein's office when he first goes there.

And about Pat writing the screenplay: he was fired half-way through. Pat didn't care, but that still affects the movie big time.

In all fairness, though, there is no way The Prince of Tides could fit into a two hour movie. The only way to do justice to it would be to make a miniseries. This movie, although seriously flawed, does TRY to capture the book and does succeed in catching the overall sentiment. It's very well-cast, too. But it leaves out so much. Oh well.

Streisand was fantastic in this film....she captured Lowenstein perfectly!


Perhaps if you weren't a Streisand hater you would see things differently!

Haven't read the book yet but it felt obvious watching the film that the love story element had been beefed up, at the detriment of the more compelling story of the Wingo's growing up, specifically the time they were attacked at the house and the aftermath. I'd be interested to know how this happened, if I'm right that is.

Well, there is no way Babs could have filmed the book. She took out the parts that did not concern her, and turned it into a love story.

And being the director it just seemed so self-serving to have the cameras gaze at her legs, her hands, etc.

It made for a decent movie, but any fan of the book would be very unimpressed.

I actually thought Babs did pretty well as Susan Lowenstein. And I am NOT a fan of Babs Streisand at all.
I loved the book, and while I agree the movie could have been a much better adaptation, it was decent.
I just wish it hadn't turned completely into a way-over-the-top-in-realism fantasy love story. There was NO emphasis on Savannah anymore.



"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."

When I watch The Prince of Tides, I think of the sunday newspaper with the eight-page glossy magazine advertising Macys. Here is BS advertising sheets, here she is advertising perfume.