Robert Altman didn't hit the big time until MASH in 1970. Most of his work prior to that was on television, though he did make a small handful of theatrical films. That Cold Day in the Park came the year before MASH. Sandy Dennis stars as a lonely socialite who spies a young man (Michael Burns) sitting on a park bench across the street. Presumably, he's homeless - he stays there even in the freezing rain. She invites him in to dry off. He seems to be a mute. The mystery behind him is intriguing, but, surprisingly quickly, it's dismissed as his secrets are revealed and are fairly banal. At first, I was disappointed. Soon, though, it becomes apparent that the audience's expectations about how this plot will develop are subverted. This film has kind of a middling reputation, but, while I wouldn't call it one of his absolute best, I don't think it should be ignored among Altman's oeuvre. His signature style may not have come until MASH - though the sequence at the women's clinic definitely is a precursor - but he would revisit similar story lines later on, most notably in Images, another of his most undervalued films. Anyone who's a fan of Sandy Dennis ought to check it out. She's fantastic in it. Olive Films has given That Cold Day in the Park a long overdue DVD/Blu Ray release (it's not the best looking Blu Ray I've ever seen, but it's more than acceptable). If you don't want to spend the money, there's also a decent-looking VHS rip on Youtube.
Review of That Cold Day in the Park
