Movie Review: "Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff" (1978, Vinegar Syndrome)

...this ardent and open-minded viewer, in engaging a review of the film you are about to be privy to, haplessly found himself at the indelible horns of a frustratingly interesting dilemma; having recently partaken of the controversial and rarely seen 1978 exploitation drama, "Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff" (...also known as "The Sin" and "The Shaming", in alternate theatrical re-release and broadcast cable venues), this viewer had afterwards placed the crust of director Marvin J. Chomsky's powerhouse of a film, and it's viscerally daring subject matter, on a mental display stand...indeterminately and indecisively circling the whole of the film...poking and prodding...the arduous challenge being, trying how best to approach it from an objectively critical standpoint. In the course of better understanding...historically, as well as literary, considering the source material, which this film is based (...in this case, the best selling novel of the same name, by author William Inge, who previously penned "Come Back, Little Sheba", "Bus Stop" and "Picnic")...this viewer especially could not help but feel thrice parallel divided and segmented, in the sense of desiring to be a fly on the wall on multiple levels, with regards to both the time & place of the film's events, the time & place when this movie itself was released, and finally, the ensuing aftermath thoughts of having viewed the film, in the midst of today's social climate. Amusingly enough, much like the film's evasive advertising campaign, this viewer has thus far avoided delving into exactly how provocatively powerful, traumatically explicit, emotionally distressing, and overall compellingly thought-provoking this film is. And at some point, dammit, one has to stop trying to say it, or stop trying to say around it, and just come out and say it, right?? So, enough of this pussy-footing, big-toe-testing-the-waters lolly-gagging; let's jump head first into these provocative waters, shall we...??

...we open these proceedings of cautionary intrigue, in the 'Americana' flavored, fictional town of Freedom, Kansas, in the year 1954 (...an ironically contradictory name for the town, considering the shackling prejudicial and racial tension of the time). Dedicated schoolteacher Evelyn Wyckoff is in the throes of agonizing mental and emotional distraught. Nearing the cusp of 40 years of age, and experiencing a severe mid-life crisis, Evelyn has never been with, nor has never known the touch of another man, and as such, has been diagnosed by her physician with early menopause. Oh-so subtly suggesting that she procure a lover, Evelyn's doctor also recommends that she seeks mental and emotional solace, under the observation of a psychiatrist, in the next town. Keeping her physical and psychological treatment under wraps from her friends and associates, to the best of her ability, Evelyn reluctantly, though resignedly proceeds, as recommended by her doctor. Traveling to and from the neighboring town, to her appointments, Evelyn becomes smitten to a handsome and flirtatious bus driver, Ed, whom she encounters on her bus trips; as wayward conversation, during the bus trips, turns to progressive and reciprocating intimacy, Evelyn becomes much more happier, elated and self-assured with herself. All of that ecstatic glee and self-assurance is traumatically shattered...right on the cusp of prime opportunity, at which time, Evelyn recklessly decides to relent to Ed's charms, and his propositions...when she suddenly finds out that he is married, and has children...

...returning to her dull and monotone vocational routine...now 'down in the dumps', and wrought with severe depression, to add to her already deliberating distraught...Evelyn finds herself inexplicably plagued upon...in her very classroom, no less...by an impulsive, demanding and crudely flirtatious young black high school student and football player, Rafe...working after school hours, cleaning classrooms. Insistent of Evelyn, that she 'meet' with him, after her class, each and every day, his initial advances upon her...unswervingly and unrelentingly invasive, brutal & savage...are naturally repelled by the trapped Evelyn. However, fearing the shame, disgrace and humiliation of being ousted, far more than her fear of Rafe, Evelyn continues her abusive affair...even relenting, surrendering and reciprocating to his commandant advances...abusive degradation, mistaken for love...in an affair destined to end in absolute degradation, suffrage and tragedy. In the end, what will become of Evelyn...??

...without mushrooming into a literary study on the overall social reflections and controversial remplifications, which might...or rather, without a doubt, WOULD stir incisive commentary into play, having keenly viewed this film (...and indeed, such a study would be so easy to undertake, and become embroiled in...but not here, so relax, OK), it still becomes quite clear, as to how viewers might become multi-parallel segmented, in considering how one feels, in the ensuing and deeply affecting wake of this daring and unconventional film. Factoring in an applicable line of thinking, based upon the social climate of the setting of the film, the social climate of when the film was originally released to the general public, and the social climate existing in these present times, one might well observe how much things have changed...as well as how much things haven't changed, from then to now. So many differences, with regards to racial turmoil, social acceptability, fears and morality...setting opposing viewpoints apart, during the time which the movie is set...the gap between the viewpoints, seemingly narrowing over the years...eventually, passing through each other, and separating once again, with differences continuing to thrive in between, and all sides retaining an established and underlining measure of hypocrisy...or at least, that's one of several points of view amongst the masses, right??

...invariably, controversial and discussion-demanding questions assuredly arise, in the midst of reflecting upon viewing this film, which in turn, reciprocatively reflect certain time & place social behavioral comparisons, existing even in today's provocative newspaper headlines. Given 'fly on the wall' observations, of the film's depicted place and period in time, of the film's original theatrical release, as well as today's social arena, one cannot help but ask...Would Rafe...clearly one of dubious and unscrupulous character, and somewhat misdirected underlining motivations...be looked at differently, if he was a white student?? Would Evelyn feel any more, or any less shameful, if the young janitor was white, rather than black?? Is it more than a bit hypocritical, from a moral standpoint, that Evelyn was so agreeably open and fearless to the propositions of Ed, the 'married, with children' bus driver (...also of dubious and unscrupulous character, possibly not that far removed from Rafe, if one considers his possible underlining motivations)...and yet, so fearful of what would be thought of her by her peers, if her relations with Rafe were discovered?? Even at the end of the movie, with Evelyn's physician abruptly saying, "...look, I know that I said that you should find someone; but I didn't mean...", as objective as a physician SHOULD be, was he referring to Evelyn's affair with a teenager...or a black teenager?? And all of this, is just for starters...assuredly giving multi-faceted and multi-leveled definition, as reflective of the poignantly alternate-titled of the film, "The Sin"...

...One of acclaimed actress Anne Heyward's final, and most provocative roles in her career (...with 1967's "The Fox", and 1972's "I Want What I Want", being two more of her most unconventionally standout performances), her courageous portrayal of the anguished and tumultuous Evelyn, is embraceably believable and compelling; one cannot help but place one's self in her shoes, and relate to her dilemma, in one way or another. Equally courageous and provocative, young actor John Lafayette...who has since woven a respectable career in television...is almost chameleon-like, in his minimal, though quite commanding role as Rafe. One might even consider that the character was perhaps played by two different actors, when John shows an initially passive, slightly seductive facial facet...and moments later, become a wide-eyed, frenzied, sexually-driven brute. Donald Pleasance himself, exhibits his own influential and manipulatively seductive ways, in the slightly weasel-like, 'method to his madness' role as Evelyn's psychiatrist; however, if such verbal seduction gets his patients to open themselves up, so that he can help them...hey, whatever works, and all power to him, right?? Coming off as distinctly chauvinist and deceptive, Earl Holliman (...TV's "Police Woman", "The Thorn Birds", "Sharkey's Machine", etc.)...as Ed, the bus driver...nonetheless also affords his own brand of seductiveness, with his ruggedly handsome visage and irresistibly alluring charm. And supplementing the proceedings, as Evelyn's close friends and associates, Ronee Blakley (..."A Nightmare on Elm Street"), Dorothy Malone (...TV's "Peyton Place", "Rich Man, Poor Man", etc.), Dana Elcar, R.G. Armstrong and Carolyn Jones (...TV's "The Addams Family", etc.). With Robert Vaughn as Evelyn's doctor, who although affording a respected and trusted characterization, seems to give an ever-slight wink of self satisfaction, with regards to his profession, as a gynecologist...

...all due credit to the powers that be at Vinegar Syndrome, for their efforts in restoring this rare classic, but still retaining a slightly washed out palette, as far as the print, which seems to complement and further accent the film, with it's already instilled sense of gritty Americana. The film's alluring score (...a very welcome extra, in this Blu-Ray/DVD combo package), with it's haunting sense of tension, turmoil and tragedy, was applicably and effectively wrought by Academy Award winning composer, Ernest Gold (..."Exodus", "A Child is Waiting", "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", etc.). For completists, and those looking for a bit softer, and somewhat less brutally visceral tone (...the violence, the nudity, etc.), the Vinegar Syndrome's multi-disc Blu Ray/DVD package comes with the alternate cut of the film, poignantly entitled as previously mentioned, "The Sin"...

...every once in a while, a film of a most distinctively exploitative flavor comes along, which proves not a particularly pleasurable viewing experience, and in the case of "Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff", this viewer suspects that a 'pleasureable viewing experience' was not the intent of the filmmaker (...though, let it be said that to say that the film isn't any good, would be doing the film a great and unkind injustice). Nonetheless, "...Wyckoff" is, without a doubt, a very unflinching, effectively powerful and compelling film...not to be ignored, and assuredly not to be forgotten. Hey, no one ever said that the truth...even when rendered exploitatively...is always pretty, right??