History Film / Petulia

-->-- '''Creator/RogerEbert''', in his [[http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19680701/REVIEWS/807010301/1023 four-star review of the film.]]

!!Tropes

* CallBack: The shots of Archie and his kids running around The Presidio are very reminiscent of Richard Lester's breakthrough films ''Film/AHardDaysNight'' and ''{{Film/Help}}'', not to mention two of the birds at the penguin show being named [[Music/RingoStarr Ringo]] and [[Music/GeorgeHarrison George]].

* CloudCuckooLander: Petulia.

* TheSixties: A common audience response is that ''Film/{{Petulia}}'' doesn't feel like a film ''of'' the sixties as much as a film ''about'' or ''looking back'' at the sixties.

* UpperClassTwit: David.

->Richard Lester's "Petulia" made me desperately unhappy, and yet I am unable to find a single thing wrong with it. I suppose that is high praise.
--> '''Roger Ebert''', in his [[http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19680701/REVIEWS/807010301/1023 four-star review of the film]].

''Petulia'' is a 1968 film directed by Richard Lester, starring Julie Christie and GeorgeCScott. Recently divorced Dr. Archie Bollen (Scott) and newly married socialite Petulia Danner (Christie) are both dissatisfied with their lives. The problem is that neither knows ''what'' it is he or she wants. Archie had a perfectly loving marriage until he chose to end it - why, not even he can tell. Petulia creates around her a frenzy of activity to escape ''something'' in her life.

* DeadpanSnarker: Archie
-->'''Petulia''': I'm going to marry you, Archie.
-->'''Archie''': It's the Pepsi Generation.

-->'''Bob Weir''': Bye bye, mama.
-->'''Jerry Garcia''': Write if you get work!

* {{Dramedy}}: There are some funny moments in the film, but it has quite a few ''dark' moments as well.

* HotGuysAreBastards: Petulia's husband David.

-->'''Bob Weir''': See you later, mama.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: The [[http://reelsf.com/motel hotel built around a parking garage]] and Archie's [[http://reelsf.com/petulia-archies-apartment-interior modernistic apartment]] seem like they might have been sets constructed just for the film, but they're actual San Francisco locations that still exist today.

* UpperClassTwit: Petulia's husband David.

* TheSixties: A common audience response is that ''Film/{{Petulia}}'' doesn't feel like a film ''of'' the sixties as much as a film ''about'' or ''looking back'' at the sixties.

->'''Richard Lester's "Petulia" made me desperately unhappy, and yet I am unable to find a single thing wrong with it. I suppose that is high praise.'''
--> Roger Ebert, in his [[http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19680701/REVIEWS/807010301/1023 four-star review of the film]].

The two embark on an affair as a result of simply another one of those inexplicable impulses that mark Petulia's decisions. Their different personalities - Petulia's whimsical intensity and Archie's gentle passivity - gives both a fleeting understanding of what it is they lack. However, that very combination of impulsivity and lack of protest leads them to mutually reject that chance at a meaningful relationship.

''Petulia'' is a 1968 film directed by Richard Lester, starring Julie Christie and GeorgeCScott. Recently divorced Dr. Archie Bollen (Scott) and newly married socialite Petulia Danner (Christie) are both dissatisfied with their lives. The problem is that neither knows ''what'' it is he or she wants. Archie had a perfectly loving marriage until he chose to end it - why, not even he can tell. Petulia creates around her a frenzy of activity to escape ''something'' in her life. The two embark on an affair as simply another one of those inexplicable impulses that mark their decisions. Their different personalities - Petulia's whimsical intensity and Archie's gentleness - gives both a fleeting understanding of what it is they lack. However, on another fleeting impulse, they reject that chance to gain a meaningful relationship.

''Petulia'' is a 1968 film directed by Richard Lester, starring JulieChristie and GeorgeCScott. Recently divorced Dr. Archie Bollen (Scott) and newly married socialite Petulia Danner (Christie) are both dissatisfied with their lives. The problem is that neither knows ''what'' it is he or she wants. Archie had a perfectly loving marriage until he chose to end it - why, not even he can tell. Petulia creates around her a frenzy of activity to escape ''something'' in her life. The two embark on an affair as simply another one of those inexplicable impulses that mark their decisions. Their different personalities - Petulia's whimsical intensity and Archie's gentleness - gives both a fleeting understanding of what it is they lack. However, on another fleeting impulse, they reject that chance to gain a meaningful relationship.

[[caption-width-right:320: What lies behind that endearing kookiness? May be it's [[YouDoNotWantToKnow better not to ask...]]]]

[[caption-width-right:320: "I should explain about Petulia. She is a kook."]]
''Petulia'' is a 1968 film directed by Richard Lester, starring JulieChristie and GeorgeCScott. Recently divorced Dr. Archie Bollen (Scott) and newly married socialite Petulia Danner (Christie) are both dissatisfied with their lives. The problem is that neither knows ''what'' it is he or she wants. Archie had a perfectly loving marriage until he chose to end it - why, not even he can tell. Petulia creates around her a frenzy of activity to escape ''something'' in her life. The two embark on an affair as simply another one of those inexplicable impulses that mark their decisions. Their different personalities - Petulia's "kooky" intensity and Archie's gentleness - gives both a fleeting understanding of what it is they lack. However, on another fleeting impulse, they lose that chance to gain a meaningful relationship.

TheSixties: A common audience response is that ''Film/{{Petulia}}'' doesn't feel like a film ''of'' the sixties as much as a film ''about'' or ''looking back'' at the sixties.

[[caption-width-right:320:Those vibrant eyes? Too bad she'll be an EmptyShell by the end...]]

''Petulia'' is a 1968 film directed by Richard Lester, starring JulieChristie and GeorgeCScott. Recently divorced Dr. Archie Bollen (Scott) and newly married socialite Petulia Danner (Christie) are both dissatisfied with their lives. The problem is that neither knows ''what'' it is he or she wants. Archie had a perfectly loving marriage until he chose to end it - why, not even he can tell. Petulia creates around her a frenzy of activity to escape ''something'' in her life. The two embark on an affair as simply another one of those inexplicable impulses that mark their decisions. Their different personalities - Petulia's whimsical intensity and Archie's gentleness - gives both a fleeting understanding of what it is they lack. However, their impulsivity strikes again and they lose that chance to gain a meaningful relationship.

--> Roger Ebert, in his four-star review of the film.

''Petulia'' is a 1968 film directed by Richard Lester, starring JulieChristie and GeorgeCScott. Recently divorced Dr. Archie Bollen (Scott) and newly married socialite Petulia Danner (Christie) are both dissatisfied with their lives. The problem is that neither knows ''what'' it is he or she wants. Archie had a perfectly loving marriage until he chose to end it - why, not even he can tell. Petulia creates around her a frenzy of activity to escape ''something'' in her life. The two embark on an affair as simply another one of those inexplicable impulses that mark their decisions. Their different personalities - Petulia's whimsical intensity and Archie's gentleness - gives both a fleeting understanding of what it is they lack. However, their impulsivity strikes again and they lose that chance to gain a meaningful relationship.

''Petulia'' is a 1968 film directed by Richard Lester, starring JulieChristie and GeorgeCScott.

''Petulia'' is a 1968 film directed by Richard Lester, starring JulieChristie, GeorgeCScott.