''Friends'' is a 1971 British-French

teen Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the te ...

romance film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

directed and produced by

Lewis Gilbert Lewis Gilbert (6 March 1920 – 23 February 2018) was an English film director, producer and screenwriter who directed more than 40 films during six decades; among them such varied titles as '' Reach for the Sky'' (1956), ''Sink the Bismarck!' ...

and written by Gilbert,

Vernon Harris Vernon Harris (26 February 1905 – February 1999) was a British screenwriter. He often worked with the film director Lewis Gilbert. Harris was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his script for film ''Oliver! (film), ...

and Jack Russell. The soundtrack, with music composed by

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

and

Paul Buckmaster Paul John Buckmaster (13 June 1946 – 7 November 2017) was a Grammy Award-winning British cellist, arranger, conductor and composer, with a career spanning five decades. He is best known for his orchestral collaborations with David Bowie, Sha ...

and lyrics written by

Bernie Taupin Bernard John Taupin (born 22 May 1950) is an English songwriter, singer and visual artist. He is best known for his long-term collaboration with musician Elton John, a songwriting partnership that is one of the most successful in history. Tau ...

, was released as John's ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...

'' album, and John's recording of the title selection charted when released as a single in the United States.

Plot

Neglected 15-year-old English boy Paul Harrison, living in Paris with his wealthy businessman father, befriends an orphaned 14-year-old French girl named Michelle Latour who has recently arrived in Paris to live with her cousin. However, Michelle finds the situation in her cousin's

Montmartre Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...

apartment to be disturbingly unwholesome. Together, Paul and Michelle decide to run away. They travel to the idyllic marshlands of the

Camargue Camargue (, also , , ; oc, label= Provençal, Camarga) is a region of France located south of Arles, between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône delta. The eastern arm is called the ''Grand Rhône''; the western one is the ''P ...

where Michelle has a very small cottage to which she and her recently deceased artist father periodically escaped from their home in

Arles Arles (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Arle ; Classical la, Arelate) is a coastal city and commune in the South of France, a subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the former province of ...

. Paul and Michelle settle into the house, become lovers, have a baby and play at being responsible adults. Along the way, they each discover many of the troubles of family life. The couple's adventure ends when the police finally find Paul and Michelle.

Sequel

In the 1974 sequel, ''

Paul and Michelle ''Paul and Michelle'' is a 1974 drama film directed and produced by Lewis Gilbert, whose story Vernon Harris and Angela Huth dramatized. It is a sequel to the 1971 film ''Friends (1971 film), Friends,'' by the same director and with the same lead ...

,'' the young family has been reunited, and Paul must cope with not only Michelle's new love interest but also the difficulties that he faces balancing work, college and family.

Cast

* Sean Bury as Paul Harrison *

Anicée Alvina Anicée Alvina, also known as Anicée Schahmaneche (born Anicée Shahmanesh or Anicee Schahmane ( fa, انیسه شاهمنش; 28 January 1953 – 11 November 2006) was a French singer and actress. Early life and career Alvina was born at Boulog ...

as Michelle Latour * Ronald Lewis as Mr. Robert Harrison (father of Paul) *

Toby Robins Toby Robins (March 13, 1931 – March 21, 1986) was a Canadian actress of film, stage and television. Robins starred in hundreds of radio and stage productions in Canada from the late 1940s through the 1960s, working with such performers as Jane ...

as Mrs. Gardner *

Joan Hickson Joan Bogle Hickson, OBE (5 August 1906 – 17 October 1998) was an English actress of theatre, film and television. She was known for her role as Agatha Christie's Miss Marple in the television series ''Miss Marple''. She also narrated a number ...

as Lady in Bookshop *

Pascale Roberts Pascale is a common Francophone given name, the feminine of the name Pascal. The same spelling is also an Italian form of the masculine name ''Pascal'', and an Italian surname derived from the given name. Pascale derives from the Latin ''pasc ...

as Annie *

Sady Rebbot Sady Rebbot (27 April 1935 – 12 October 1994) was a French actor. He appeared in 68 films and television shows between 1959 and 1994. He starred alongside Anna Karina in the 1962 film ''Vivre sa vie''. Partial filmography * ''Rue des prai ...

as Pierre

Reception

The film was nominated for a

Golden Globe Award for Best English-Language Foreign Film Golden Globe Award for Best English-Language Foreign Film was a Golden Globe award that was split from Best Foreign Film in 1957. It was discontinued in 1973. Winners * 1948 – ''Hamlet'' * 1955 – '' Richard III'' * 1957 – ''Woman in a Dress ...

at the 1972

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

. It was also nominated for a Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture at the

1972 Grammy Awards The 14th Annual Grammy Awards were held March 14, 1972, and were broadcast live on television in the United States by ABC; the following year, they would move the telecasts to CBS, where they remain to this date. They recognized accomplishments ...

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

awarded the film a one-star rating, heavily criticizing it for its portrayal of teenage sex: "The archness of their 'innocence' toward sex is, finally, just plain dirty. And the worst thing is that the movie seems to like it that way."

Gene Siskel Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune''. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted a series of movie review programs on television from 1975 until his d ...

of the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' also gave the film one star and called it "a saccharine story" that teases the payoff of the two characters sleeping together until "the audience are made to feel like Peeping Toms." Arthur D. Murphy of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' agreed and found the film's plot "requires a sensitive adult mind" but "lacks by a wide margin the requisite treatment, more often than not being patronizingly voyeuristic." Howard Thompson of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' called the film "rather exasperating" until the "deeply touching finale" when it finally makes its point about pure love with the birth of the baby. Brenda Davies of ''

The Monthly Film Bulletin ''The Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991, when it merged with ''Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with a ...

'' wrote that producer-director Gilbert "sometimes seems to be inviting guffaws rather than sympathy. The story itself is riddled with improbabilities, and the dialogue seems out of touch with the contemporary teenage idiom." Anicée Alvina, however, was singled out by Davies for praise as an actress with "an alarmingly precocious charm, and she manages to survive the most embarrassing situations with aplomb." Kevin Thomas of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' wrote a positive review, calling ''Friends'' "a film of rare tenderness and charm" with "winning performances" from both leads. Scott Murray, writing for ''

Senses of Cinema ''Senses of Cinema'' is a quarterly online film magazine founded in 1999 by filmmaker Bill Mousoulis. Based in Melbourne, Australia, ''Senses of Cinema'' publishes work by film critics from all over the world, including critical essays, career ...

'' in 2005, challenged the largely negative critical reception to ''Friends''. He believed that the movie's greatest strength was "its evocation of Arcadia, that magic, protected place where life may be lived as the rest of us can only dream."

References

External links

* {{Lewis Gilbert 1971 films 1970s romance films British coming-of-age films British romance films Films directed by Lewis Gilbert Films set in France Films shot in France Paramount Pictures films 1970s coming-of-age films 1970s teen romance films Teensploitation 1970s English-language films 1970s British films