History Film / NowVoyager

* {{Meganekko}}: Tina wears glasses and they help make her look cute and vulnerable.

An UsefulNotes/AcademyAward-winning 1942 film directed by Irving Rapper, starring Creator/BetteDavis, Paul Henreid, and Creator/ClaudeRains. A romantic weepie, ''Now, Voyager'' is probably a perfect example of the "woman's film" of the '40s.

->''"What man is suitable, doctor? She's never found one. What man would ever look at me and say, 'I want you'? I'm fat. My mother doesn't approve of dieting. Look at my shoes. My mother approves of sensible shoes. Look at the books on my shelves. My mother approves of good solid books. I'm my mother's well-loved daughter. I'm her companion. I am my mother's servant. My mother says! My mother. My mother! MY MOTHER!"''

The story centers around Charlotte Vale (Davis), a repressed Boston spinster whose tyrannical mother (Gladys Cooper) has driven her to the edge of nervous breakdown. Lisa, Charlotte's well-intentioned sister-in-law, feels something must be done. Enter the renowned Dr. Jaquith (Rains), who takes her to his sanitarium to begin her transformation. Part of her healing involves a South American cruise, where she meets the charming Jerry (Henried)...

This classic Hollywood melodrama was well-received at the time, and is seen as one of Davis' definitive films. The scene where Jerry lights two cigarettes and hands one to Charlotte became famous as a subtle way of implying an intimate relationship. The three stars reunited later for ''Deception''.

** One of the earliest examples. Bette Davis is first dressed down with glasses, frumpy hair, bushy eyebrows and an unflattering dress - only to get a glamorous makeover early on. However the physical makeover doesn't automatically make her life better; it's just one of the steps. It's also worth noting that the twenty-year-old Charlotte is shown to be quite pretty as well, meaning the makeover is bringing out the beauty she already had that had just been lost over the years.
** Tina as well, who's introduced with messy hair, thick glasses and braces on her teeth. For her party towards the end, the glasses and braces are gone and her hair is done in an updo.

* {{Bowdlerization}}: The novel made it clear that Jerry had a nervous breakdown similar to Charlotte's thanks to his wife's abusive nature. It isn't mentioned in the film, because of course the romantic male lead can't have mental health problems - but the subtext is still quite obvious to a modern audience.

** This is echoed in Cascade later, when this time it's Charlotte comforting the crying Tina.

* DrivenToMadness: Charlotte is here when the film begins. Her mother might not have done this deliberately, but as Dr Jaquith tells her

* EverythingsBetterWithSparkles: A good portion of Charlotte's post makeover outfits are dresses with sequins or glitter on them.
* EvilMatriarch: Mrs Windle Vale is a cruel old lady who is openly abusive to her youngest daughter. She isn't much kinder to her other relatives either.

* TheGlassesGottaGo: Dr Jaquith takes Charlotte's glasses off her nose and snaps them in two. Of course in this case it's implied that Charlotte has never needed them - or else they corrected her vision long ago - and her mother insisted on her wearing them to look more demure.

** June unfortunately pushes a lot of Charlotte's {{Berserk Button}}s early on, resulting in an outburst.

* LittleBlackDress: A more modest one than most examples, but Charlotte dons a nice one for dinner after arriving home - against her mother's wishes. It's plain, and the only ornament she wears are the camelias Jerry sent her.

* ServileSnarker: Dora, the nurse who tends to Charlotte's mother. She's more than a match for the old battleaxe (as Charlotte puts it: "Dora, I suspect you're a treasure.").
--> '''Mrs Vale:''' Dora, I want my head rubbed, my pillows fluffed and another of those hot toddies.

* TheShrink: Dr Jaquith, who runs a retreat for rich people suffering from depression.

* StaircaseTumble: The malevolent Mrs Vale pulls a tumble deliberately to guilt Charlotte.

* SweetAndSourGrapes: Charlotte can rely on getting a nice inheritance if she complies to her mother's wishes, so she's not written out of the will (though she says she isn't afraid to try making it on her own). Part of something mother approves of is an engagement to Elliot Livingston. [[spoiler: Charlotte doesn't go through with the marriage, which her mother disapproves of, but her mother dies shortly after. So Charlotte gets the inheritance after all]].
* ThereIsOnlyOneBed: Jerry and Charlotte end up in a variation of this situation in Rio, when they get put in the same cabin of a cruise ship.

* InnocentlyInsensitive: June unfortunately pushes a lot of Charlotte's {{Berserk Button}}s early on, resulting in an outburst.

* ServileSnarker: Doris, the nurse who tends to Charlotte's mother. She's more than a match for the old battleaxe.
--> '''Mrs Vale:''' Doris, I want my head rubbed, my pillows fluffed and another of those hot toddies.
--> '''Doris:''' (''completely deadpan'') Which would you like first?

* BeautifulAllAlong: One of the earliest examples. Bette Davis is first dressed down with glasses, frumpy hair, bushy eyebrows and an unflattering dress - only to get a glamorous makeover early on. However the physical makeover doesn't automatically make her life better; it's just one of the steps.

* ParentalSubstitute: Charlotte takes on this role for Tina. It fulfils a lot of psychological needs for all parties concerned.

An AcademyAward-winning 1942 film directed by Irving Rapper, starring Creator/BetteDavis, Paul Henreid, and Creator/ClaudeRains. A romantic weepie, ''Now, Voyager'' is probably a perfect example of the "woman's film" of the '40s.

->''"What man is suitable, doctor? She's never found one. What man would ever look at me and say, 'I want you.'? I'm fat. My mother doesn't approve of dieting. Look at my shoes. My mother approves of sensible shoes. Look at the books on my shelves. My mother approves of good solid books. I'm my mother's well-loved daughter. I'm her companion. I am my mother's servant. My mother says! My mother. My mother! MY MOTHER!"''

The story centers around Charlotte Vale (Davis), a repressed Boston spinster whose tyrannical mother has driven her to the edge of nervous breakdown. Lisa, Charlotte's well-intentioned sister-in-law, feels something must be done. Enter the renowned Dr Jaquith (Rains), who takes her to his sanitarium to begin her transformation. Part of her healing involves a South American cruise, where she meets the charming Jerry...

Oscar-winning 1942 film starring Creator/BetteDavis, Paul Henreid, and Creator/ClaudeRains. A romantic weepie, ''Now, Voyager'' is probably a perfect example of the 'woman's film' of the 40s.

Bette Davis plays Charlotte Vale, a repressed Boston spinster whose tyrannical mother has driven her to the edge of nervous breakdown. Lisa, Charlotte's well-intentioned sister-in-law, feels something must be done. Enter the renowned Dr Jaquith (Rains), who takes her to his sanitarium to begin her transformation. Part of her healing involves a South American cruise, where she meets the charming Jerry...

[[quoteright:182:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nowv_9340.jpg]]

->''What man is suitable, doctor? She's never found one. What man would ever look at me and say, 'I want you.'? I'm fat. My mother doesn't approve of dieting. Look at my shoes. My mother approves of sensible shoes. Look at the books on my shelves. My mother approves of good solid books. I'm my mother's well-loved daughter. I'm her companion. I am my mother's servant. My mother says! My mother. My mother! MY MOTHER!''

* PrettyInMink: Charlotte's new glamours wardrobe includes a mink coat.

* TheGlassesGottaGo: Dr Jaquith takes Charlotte's glasses off her nose and snaps them in two.
* GrandStaircaseEntrance: Played with once, when Charlotte is dowdy and overweight, played straight the second time, after TheMakeover.
* LiteraryAllusionTitle / TitleDrop: The title is a quote from a Creator/WaltWhitman poem, which Dr. Jacquith reads and then gives to Charlotte.

* ParentalSubstitute: Charlotte takes on this role. It fulfils a lot of psychological needs for all parties concerned.

* SheCleansUpNicely: Charlotte after she gets rid of the frumpy look.

* PrettyInMink: Charlotte has a mink coat.

This classic Hollywood melodrama was well-received at the time, and is seen as one of Davis' definitive films. The scene where Jerry lights two cigarettes and hands one to Charlotte became famous as a subtle way of implying an intimate relationship. The three stars reunited later for ''{{Film/Deception}}''.

* HollywoodPudgy: Charlotte, who is described as overweight, is portrayed by the svelte Bette Davis (albeit in an unflattering dress).

ButtMonkey: Charlotte's status at the beginning of the film. Her niece's teasing leads to this outburst:

* ButtMonkey: Charlotte's status at the beginning of the film. Her niece's teasing leads to this outburst:

Oscar-winning 1942 film starring Creator/BetteDavis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains. A romantic weepie, ''Now, Voyager'' is probably a perfect example of the 'woman's film' of the 40s.

* DisposableFiance

* GrandStaircaseEntrance: Played with once, played straight the second time.

* TheMistress: Played with.
* MyBelovedSmother: A particularly malign example.

* ThereIsOnlyOneBed: Jerry and Charlotte end up in a variation of this situation in Rio.
* TheShrink: Dr Jaquith
* TrainStationGoodbye
* TroubledChild: Tina.

Oscar-winning 1942 film starring BetteDavis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains. A romantic weepie, ''Now, Voyager'' is probably a perfect example of the 'woman's film' of the 40s.