That Cold Day in the Park – Arrow

Director: Robert Altman
Screenplay: Gillian Freeman
Based on a Novel by: Peter Miles
Starring: Sandy Dennis, Michael Burns, Susanne Benton, David Garfield, Luana Anders, Edward Greenhalgh, Rae Brown
Country: USA, Canada
Running Time: 107 min (theatrical) 114 min (extended)
Year: 1969
BBFC Certificate: 15

That Cold Day in the Park, released in 1969 and directed by the great Robert Altman, is often considered the start of a loose trilogy of subtly gothic, female-centered films made by the director. The other two films are Images and 3 Women.

That Cold Day in the Park is also considered Altman’s first truly personal film. He’d been working in TV and on industrial films since the 50s and had also directed a few feature films, but these were largely just director-for-hire jobs or TV movies. That Cold Day in the Park, on the other hand, was an independent production that feels much more in line with the style he would adopt as his film career progressed, leading to him being considered one of the great American auteurs.

It wasn’t long until critics and audiences appreciated Altman though. He would follow up That Cold Day in the Park with M*A*S*H just one year later and that was a smash hit and much beloved by critics. It instantly put him on the map and kick-started his collection of classics made during the 70s.

Without the same box-office clout or critical acclaim, That Cold Day in the Park disappeared though and has largely been ignored when discussing the director’s finest work. Over time, however, as Altman’s cachet grew, people started to give it a second try and the film has its supporters now.

A label keen to champion the film is Arrow Video, who are releasing That Cold Day in the Park in a 2-disc Limited Edition Blu-ray. I hadn’t seen the film before, so requested a copy to review and my thoughts follow.

That Cold Day in the Park opens by introducing us to Frances Austen (Sandy Dennis), a wealthy woman residing in a luxurious Vancouver apartment. Though regularly hosting get-togethers with her late mother’s friends, Frances finds herself isolated and yearning for connection. One day, she spots a young, seemingly mute man (named ‘The Boy’ in the credits and played by Michael Burns) sitting alone in a park during a downpour. Driven either by pity or an underlying desire to fill the void in her life, she impulsively invites him into her apartment, offering him warmth, food and new clothes.

Frances’ act of kindness quickly spirals into an unhealthy obsession though. She believes the young man will become her permanent companion, even resorting to locking him in a room to prevent him from leaving. This claustrophobic situation is challenged when the man escapes and reveals his encounter with Frances to his sister (Susanne Benton) and her boyfriend (David Garfield, credited as John Garfield Jr.). Their involvement introduces a layer of chaos and raises questions about the young man’s true desires and circumstances, particularly as he continues to return to the apartment.

That Cold Day in the Park is an unusual film that starts out like an intimate drama then gets gradually darker as it moves on, culminating in quite a shocking final act. The inability to be able to pigeonhole the film, with it not clearly fitting into any genre, seems to be one of the reasons audiences and critics weren’t initially drawn to it. However, this is one of the reasons I liked it.

I found That Cold Day in the Park’s unusual nature fascinating, particularly its characters. Frances is most intriguing. She’s desperately lonely, imprisoned by her wealth and obsessive domesticity. She has a weird relationship with her mother’s friends, still inviting them over and staying connected to them, even though they’re considerably older than her. Frances is also contrasted with the boy’s sister, who is her polar opposite, living in a houseboat, freely engaging in and discussing sex, and this further enhances the idea of the film being about repression.

The central relationship is curious too. Frances locks the boy in his room at night but he continues to be drawn back to her and keeps up his mute charade (he talks with other characters, just not Frances). Also, her endless mothering of this non-communicative young man makes them a strange match.

There’s a weird relationship between the boy and his sister too. She teases and flirts with him, giving a strange sexual tension between the pair.

Unusual details like these help this largely subdued film remain deeply engrossing. There’s also a strange sequence where Frances goes to the gynecologist to get checked and possibly fitted with a diaphragm when she hasn’t established or even discussed a sexual relationship with the boy.

Without wanting to spoil it, the end of the film is an aspect that seems to put off some viewers. Whilst my initial feeling about the denouement was that it didn’t work, the more I’ve thought about the film, and it certainly stuck with me, the more I feel its twist was actually built up very effectively. It’s a shock, for sure, and the climax building to it is bizarre, but it is earned, if only after mulling it over for a while.

Though this is more of an intimate film focusing on two characters and not one of his large ensemble pieces, Altman does get a couple of brief moments to display his unique knack for weaving a complex, naturalistic web of dialogue in scenes featuring several characters. The aforementioned gynecologist scene is an impressive moment, in particular, and also shows off DOP László Kovács’ skill for shooting unusual, lengthy master shots.

The cast is excellent too, most notably Sandy Dennis. She does a lot with subtle facial expressions to portray the troubled mind beneath her placid surface nature. She helps the character remain sympathetic, even when she does some questionable things.

Johnny Mandel’s score is also betwitching. It has a haunting, melancholic beauty, much like Frances.

Overall, That Cold Day in the Park is a curious, poignant drama that later takes a dark and unexpected turn. That new path may switch off some but I didn’t feel it detracted from what is a beautifully made and performed film. Perhaps not Altman’s best but it certainly belongs in the upper tier of his impressive oeuvre.

That Cold Day in the Park is out on 8th April on Blu-Ray, released by Arrow Video. It is also now available to stream on ARROW. The film looks good, with natural, pleasing colours and clear details. I watched the extended version of the film and, in that, the added material looks quite rough – faded with some damage, though it’s watchable enough. If you’d find that distracting, you might want to stick with the theatrical version.

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