Misunderstood (1984) User Reviews

Nice re-make!

[srmccarthy · 7/10 · 24 November 2000]

This is one of the rare American re-makes of a foreign movie I have ever seen that I can really appreciate! I should have expected as much with the cast including Gene Hackman, Henry Thomas & Huckleberry Fox! Of course the acting is GREAT, but SURPRISE! -->> The story is almost identical to the original Italian "Incompreso".

Some new material is introduced & some of the original is excluded! I can't tell the new material (without spoiling the movie), but to all who have seen "Incompreso", the worst exclusion (and it hurts) is the tear jerking camera scene. I recommend this movie to anyone who likes touching movies.

A shadow of the original

[Atreyu_II · 7/10 · 11 June 2010]

'Misunderstood' is an adaptation of a novel by Florence Montgomery but most of all a remake of Luigi Comencini's masterpiece 'Incompreso'.

This review is destined to evaluate 'Misunderstood', so here it goes. It's certainly not a bad movie if judged without comparing to the original. However, when compared to the original, it seems artificial in many aspects. The gorgeous Italy is replaced by Tunisia (in North Africa), the settings look unnatural and unrefined, the house looks crude, the scenes seem forced and lack authenticity, the actors lack emotion in their roles (including Henry Thomas, who was brilliant in 'E.T.'), many detailed scenes were removed or modified and there are additional scenes that don't quite fit in the plot. Not even the uncle saves the movie. Here the uncle is a very serious man who rarely laughs, he has nothing to do with the playful uncle from the original.

The ending feels somewhat vague comparing to the original and far less emotional too but also leaves you wondering if Andrew survives or not. It ends suddenly and we never really get to know the answer to this question.

Gene Hackman is okay but nowhere near as good as Anthony Quayle. Huckleberry Fox is adorable but not in the same league as the kid of the original. Same for Henry Thomas in comparison to the boy of the original.

If you love your Dad,...see " The misunderstood" with him

[djrbad · 4 November 2008]

I went to see this movie with my Dad 3 times with in one month in 1984 Bangkok, Thailand. The theater gave Moviegoers starch handkerchiefs as free gifts. At first time, I have no my own. I have to used it. It is really hurtful. When I get out of the theater, I almost could not open my eyes, have to hold my dad hand and hide my face to his arm. I hear giggling then glance at woman face with red eyes and nose. She is laughing with her friend, complaining how hard the handkerchief is.

The misunderstood is a very good family movie. My dad and I got good feeling from this movie. After that we never misunderstand to each other because this movie tell us that we have to talk and listen to each other, forgive and forget. Only love is not enough. We have to understand each other and believe in our love and bond.

This movie should be shown again all theaters around the world and nominated for academy award 2009.

Odd setting and stifled performances make for an uncomfortable family weeper...

[moonspinner55 · 2/10 · 15 May 2011]

Two young brothers, motherless and now relying on their workaholic father, try getting closer to their only surviving parent while stationed in Tunisia. Director Jerry Schatzberg, working from a listless screenplay by Barra Grant via Florence Montgomery's novel, never shakes the lead out, and the picture is stillborn as a result. Henry Thomas, one of the most intuitive child actors of this era, doesn't match up well with Gene Hackman; the two are supposed to be estranged, but there's no connection between them even at the finale. A depressing experience, with the curious location not helping matters. * from ****

The Greatest Tearjerker.....Ever!

[beulahbailey · 10/10 · 15 October 2005]

I have been enjoying this film for 20 years and it makes me cry buckets every time.....but in a good way - the feeling of release is immense.

Gene Hackman's performance is superb but it's Henry Thomas who is the star; forget E.T., this is real acting. While I admit that the plot-line of two young children losing their mother is depressing, it is sadly a fact of life and I think the film more than adequately portrays the sudden devastating impact on the both the surviving parent and the children. Moreover, it shows the lesson to be learned by all workaholic fathers at how important a hands-on role is to their children and themselves. As an English nanny, I have seen and experienced the sadness all too often.

Women - watch and weep. Men - watch, weep and learn! This film should be on DVD NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Misunderstood a boys story

[brothersdinsdale · 10/10 · 2 May 2008]

I saw this movie on its release in 1984. I had much the same relationship with my Dad as the boy in this story, so it touched a raw nerve. When you have an experience like this boy, and you can closely identify with him the storyline takes an on an extremely emotional roller-coaster ride, and needless to say I broke down at the end of the film. I have just connected to the internet and I have been searching for this film for the past 20 years. Now I finally have a copy and I'm going to watch it with my wife and Daughter. Needless to say I have a very close relationship with them because I made sure things with my kids would be different. I never got close to my Dad.

Spoiler

[emmeline01 · 10/10 · 27 February 2007]

I take exception to the person who posted the snarky review that the Mom dies, the dad can't fill her shoes & nothing much else happens. I feel that the pivotal moment of the film is after the boy falls & his dad actually requests his schoolbooks to help him with his essay. The essay goes something like this "My dad is my favorite person he always understands when I'm sad..." The dad reads the essay & the boy explains he can't finish it. The young boy says "You never listen, you never understand." The courage it took for him to actually tell his father that and the courage for the father to actually listen & cry and say he was sorry that's monumental. Any child/adult who's had problems with their parents just melts at that moment. All of the little wounds that this boy must endure build up. This is what makes a childhood. If you're told all of the time you're not important. It really kills your soul.

My husband & I watched this & he cried because he misses his own family. I cried because I never really had a family to miss. I don't know which is worse. Being a million miles away from the loving family that you know or growing up never being connected or understood by those in your household? This movie is powerful. If you prefer not to watch movies that make you cry then I don't recommend it. I don't understand why this doesn't come on cable? I had to buy a copy of the VHS tape.

A Much Overlooked Movie

[gueuler · 9/10 · 2 April 2002]

A well-cast movie that shows Gene Hackman (Ned)- and especially Rip Torn (Will) - portraying believable Americans in a believable situation in Tunisia. As Americans we tend to suppress our emotions and ignore the deep feelings of our children. I was very moved by this film. Rip Torn's talk with Gene Hackman about the grief and feelings of Henry Thomas (Andrew), and how Hackman has misunderstood Andrew's grief and his behavior, shows some especially fine acting by Mr. Torn.

Definitely see the movie. A 9 out of 10.

This movie touched my heart.

[honest-abe · 9/10 · 1 May 2001]

This is a wonderful story about the relationship of a father and his son. It shows the difficulties which a family can face when confronted with a tragedy. Anyone with a feeling for family and love in their heart would enjoy this movie.

Outstanding Movie!!

[JHallisy · 9/10 · 13 June 2006]

I have seen this movie countless times and it never gets old. This is definitely one of Gene Hackman's most touching and best performances ever! Henry Thomas also gives a brilliant performance as his son, Andrew. Beautifully directed by Jerry Schatzberg, this movie illustrates everything a movie should be. You just cannot find great movies like this anymore. Although a tearjerker, this movie is true to life and makes an important statement about life and love. Why this movie is not available on DVD is incomprehensible. It should be in every family's movie collection. This movie, I believe is out of print, but if you can find it, BUY IT!! You won't be disappointed.

Misunderstood

[Coxer99 · 26 May 1999]

Contrived and sappy story, which is also difficult to understand. Mom dies. Dad can't fill her shoes... and nothing else after that. Hackman fills the father role with as much strength as he can muster with the lifeless script provided for him. Youngsters Thomas and Fox are engaging in the film through the poignant relationship they create.

Value What You Have

[barry-waterfield351 · 9/10 · 19 August 2014]

I have not seen the film 'Incompreso' which covers the same storyline as Misunderstood, but I have read Florence Montgomery's original book and I can say that this film is fairly faithful to the original although set in modern times as opposed to Victorian England. It is basically a story about two boys and their relationship with father following mothers death. Father very much takes the older boy,Andrew,here played by Henry Thomas, for granted, whilst obsessing over his younger 'delicate' son. Then tragedy strikes and predictably,father lives to regret his neglect. Very much a tear jerker, I never the less have it mind that two endings were intended, one where Andrew survives and one where he does not. In the book he dies and this is the correct ending in my view. Very much an object lesson for parents, it is virtually impossible to take in the ending without crying.

Gene Hackman would not have been my choice as father mainly because he seems incapable of closely relating to Andrew at the climax of the story. He's hard enough throughout the film but cannot come round sufficiently at the very end.Father, in the Montgomery story, is clearly heartbroken,as I would be if it were my son, but Hackman doesn't seem able to show this degree of emotional release. There is,to a degree,an element of poor direction here, the closing scenes are somehow remote.The film really belongs to Henry Thomas as Andrew. It is impossible not to warm to him and empathize with the double sadness of loosing mother and coping with a distant and cold father.He cannot seem to do anything right. He cries out for love and understanding but he doesn't get it,yet he is courageous in the manner of boys that age(12). The ending here is vague but I believe the storyline calls for Andrews to pass away, without this the film looses some integrity.I feel we should not always expect to leave the theatre whistling a happy tune. This is a film that teaches a valuable lesson and not all lessons are particularly easy.

Question about the end - Contains spoiler

[ApJSms-1 · 9/10 · 23 May 2007]

(also may contain spoiler for the movie Incompresso)

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

Does Andrew die in the the end? Hackman says to his son (as I remember) "you've got to get better" and his son says something like "I will." I think I read a review or something somewhere that in Incompresso, the son dies in the end and if this movie is a remake of the 1966 Italian then I would think he doesn't make it. By the way, does anyone know if Incompresso is not in English and one would have to watch the DVD with subtitles? Also, what scenes are different and where can one get Incompresso? How would you rate it compared to Misunderstood because IMDb has it quite a bit higher.

Thanks

Grab the tissues

[shelleyamcqueen · 10/10 · 6 July 2021]

I watched this movie when it was released. It was heartbreaking but I think it was due to my own relationship with my parents.

Sometimes you just want to be heard and loved.

Will be a favourite forever.

Laughing at myself for blubbering throughout this sweet masterpiece.

[mark.waltz · 9/10 · 5 April 2022]

Thank you Michael Hoppé for creating a musical score that added so much sentiment to this beautiful film that it really brought out every single emotion I've held in for years. This is a film that reminds the audience that they are indeed human, that emotions are real and that loss of a beloved one is one of the greatest tragedies that human beings face at any age, especially when it a child facing what they don't understand. For Henry Thomas, losing his mother as him confused, and his only companion is his older brother, Huckleberry Fox, since their father Gene Hackman is too grief-stricken to really deal with consoling his children. At several times throughout the movie, Thomas sees the beautiful spirit of his mother, the gorgeous Susan Anspach, and indeed, she does look like an angel.

This film could have easily been maudlin and overly sentimental to the point of annoyance, but the script is a combination of light pathos, a lot of humor (especially in dealing with an all too enthusiastic governess who goes too far), and how young boys will be boys regardless of the situation. Hackman is excellent, playing a father who is alternately stern and concerned, and when he is forced to face his unintentional neglect, he finally sees into the soul of the children he's been avoiding in helping. Set in Tunisia, the film shows how local natives aide the boys with dealing with the realities of death in a way that Hackman would never understand, and it's very touching to see the bond that is created by different nationalities towards an innocent child. Films rarely make me run out of tears, but this one came close. By the end, I was completely drained. That's what Hollywood magic is supposed to do, and this is a little sleeper I'll never forget.

Gripping, poignant tale of a child's need to be seen and understood...

[piipahtajafi · 9/10 · 16 November 2021]

Like many others out there, I too saw this film as a young university freshman and it left an indelible mark on me. The story, the acting, the cinematography, and the beautiful music score all contribute to an extremely well-crafted emotional drama. Andrew is a young boy, who, like his younger brother Miles, suffers from the loss of their mother. Only difference is, Miles has the affection and attention of his father while Andrew is left to cope alone with his feelings as the older brother. Even if you are not going through a period of sadness in your life, I fully recommend this movie as a powerful catharsis in dealing with pent-up emotions, especially grief. The father (well played by G. Hackman) is far from being a tyrannical despot, and his behavior reminds us that to be of help to others, one must first see her/his own pain.

Needs to be on DVD/Streaming

[alissajdrew · 10/10 · 31 July 2016]

This is one of the saddest and, in my opinion, most important father/son stories ever made. I wish they would put this out either on DVD and on ultraviolet for streaming so that everyone could buy a copy to watch. Total tear-jerker! SO GET IT DONE!!

Huckleberry and Rip Torn as well as the others (Hackman and the ET hid (: were) awesome. The locations are wonderful; the cultural view is compelling too.

The story could not have been written any better. I can't NOT cry every time I watched this movie as a kid. Please put this out there, cause I don't want to pay the 100 plus dollars for a VHS from amazon.

Only one left if anyone can spend that much. Let alone own a VHS player.

This movie is too good, too important to remain unavailable!