Love With the Proper Stranger

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Love With the Proper Stranger

1963

1h 42m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

11 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Angie Rossini (Natalie Wood), an innocent New York City sales clerk from a repressive Italian-American family, engages in a short-lived affair with a handsome jazz musician named Rocky Papasano (Steve McQueen). When Angie becomes pregnant, she tracks down Rocky hoping he'll pay for her abortion. Rocky agrees to help, but after seeing the unsanitary abortion facility, he refuses to let Angie go through with the procedure and attempts to make her an honest woman.

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Variety Staff

Variety

03/26/2009

Fortunately the film survives these shortcomings through its sheer breezy good nature and the animal magnetism of its two stars.

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Tom Milne

Time Out

06/24/2006

Familiar in theme, but given a delightfully fresh flavour by Mulligan's atmospherically low-key direction, excellent performances from Wood and McQueen, and vivid location shooting in New York's Little Italy.

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Bosley Crowther

New York Times

05/09/2005

The picture itself is diverting, but weak on that main romantic point.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

10/06/2021

3/4

A bracingly mature film that tackles weighty issues in an intelligent and sober manner -- at least until the home stretch.

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Joan Didion

Vogue

03/16/2020

[Love with the Proper Stranger] seemed to me so curious a mixture of old-fashioned schmaltz and up-to-the-minute grubbiness that I could conclude only that I was the slightest bit over the hill.

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TV Guide

11/21/2016

4/5

Not perfect, but touching and adult; with fine work from the two leads, this is one of Mulligan's better films.

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2000's Barbie T

@Thedoll 1h

I was so scared when they went into that building, and when she went into the room and began to undress… I’m telling you she made it so believable that I felt as if I was in Angie’s own shoes.

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Mary S

@RT31692299 Jun 20

tedious, predictable

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C L.

@charleylang Jun 12

Loved the first half with beautiful acting and an engaging, dramatic tone, reminiscent of A Taste of Honey. Unfortunately, the shift to a Barefoot in the Park kind of energy in the second half felt a bit like whiplash, and ultimately made the film less, far less engaging.

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Blobbo X

@Blobbo Oct 26

A mixed bag, best when not take self too seriously. Good acting by lovely Natalie Wood and good interplay between her and McQueen. Nice shots, flavor early '60's NYC. Second half better than first; happy ending.

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delysid d

@RT67044741 03/06/2022

i'm a fan of steve mcqueen and peckinah films so i wanted to see this one. i actually didn't enjoy it, it's all about steve being a jerk to his girlfriend

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07/10/2021

Natalie Wood's 3rd and final Oscar-nominated role. Her hairdo is always falling down into her eyes, which is very annoying, as is her Jewish Bronx accent.

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Robert Mulligan

Director

Natalie Wood

Angie Rossini

Steve McQueen

Rocky Papasano

Edie Adams

Barbie

Herschel Bernardi

Dominick Rossini

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Synopsis

Angie Rossini (Natalie Wood), an innocent New York City sales clerk from a repressive Italian-American family, engages in a short-lived affair with a handsome jazz musician named Rocky Papasano (Steve McQueen). When Angie becomes pregnant, she tracks down Rocky hoping he'll pay for her abortion. Rocky agrees to help, but after seeing the unsanitary abortion facility, he refuses to let Angie go through with the procedure and attempts to make her an honest woman.

Director: Robert Mulligan
Producer: Alan J. Pakula
Screenwriter: Arnold Schulman
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Pakula-Mulligan
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 1963, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2012
Runtime: 1h 42m