Misunderstood. 1984. USA. Directed by Jerry Schatzberg. Screenplay by Barra Grant. With Gene Hackman, Henry Thomas, Rip Torn, Huckleberry Fox, Maureen Kerwin, Susan Anspach. DCP. 91 min.
A decade after their collaboration on Scarecrow, Jerry Schatzberg reunited with Gene Hackman for this adaptation of Florence Montgomery’s 1869 novel Misunderstood (bravely following Luigi Comencini’s heart-wrenching 1966 version). After filming in Tunisia with Hackman and Henry Thomas (fresh from his breakout role in the phenomenally successful E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), the studio replaced Philippe Sarde’s inventive soundtrack with a sentimental score and re-edited the film with a different ending, effectively sidelining the director. Nonetheless, Schatzberg’s tender gaze and respect for his collaborators shine through in the beautiful mise-en-scène, which captures the grief and yearning for affection in a family dealing with the sudden loss of a wife and mother.