The Way We Were
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The Way We Were is a 1973 film which tells the story of a Jewish woman who marries a WASP following World War II, at the height of McCarthyism; their political differences eventually drive them apart. It stars Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Bradford Dillman, Lois Chiles, Patrick O'Neal and Viveca Lindfors.
The movie was written by Arthur Laurents and David Rayfiel (uncredited) and directed by Sydney Pollack.
Plot
It tells the story of a young idealistic girl, Katie (Barbara Streisand), who falls in love with young Hubbel (Robert Redford). They have immense differences, with her, a Marxist, an anti-war girl, and he, a laid-back trouble-maker.
She is drawn to him because of his writing, which she finds fascinating and captivating. He admires her conviction and her determination, as well as her belief in the ability to change and influence those around her.
Years go by and they meet again, now she works in the radio station, and he is a WASP, having fought in World War II. They fall in love and gets married. However, this is despite their political differences. Katie is intolerable of the political jokes Hubbel's good friends makes. She finds them insensitive and ignorant, treating politics as a joke.
Katie also finds Hubbel's writing brilliant, but is displeased when Hubbel seeks a job as a script-writer in Hollywood. She found it too compromising of him, to waste his talent. Despite her frustration, they move to California anyway. Hubbel becomes a successful playwright, but Katie's political views remain buried.
She gets pregnant with a girl, and finally they decide to part. Katie's political views and her marriage cannot co-exist, so she chooses to dedicate her life to her causes, of disarmnament and world peace. Her simplicity in her political belief and her strong love for Hubbel come to too big a clash, and she gives up Hubbel.
Tagline: Streisand and Redford together!!
Awards
It won Academy Awards for Best Music, Original Dramatic Score and Best Music, Song (Marvin Hamlisch, Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman for "The Way We Were"), and was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Barbra Streisand), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design.