Now, Voyager

Now, Voyager is all about Bette Davis. She owns the screen, and is so believable in a role that any other actress would have made sappy that it's tempting to say she was born to play it. Davis makes her ugliness beautiful; she spent a career doing so, and this is a film about a character who does so. The other characters in the movie can only gape at her. She projects vulnerability yet spunk, tenderness yet tremendous resolve. How can you not love her?

The melodrama is actually quite captivating, especially the relationship between Davis' character and her mother. It gets a bit sappy towards the end but provides appropriate closure for Davis' character arc. I'd give it a higher score but I found the ending rather creepy instead of romantic.

Bette Davis wasn't a great actress; nor was she a mediocrity protected by an inflated reputation. She was a weird actress. Very unattractive, not even remotely seductive (esp. when she's "performing" seduction), and always with a sense of aristocratic entitlement encasing her performances, she was only great when playing the shrew or the insufferable brat. Sympathetic roles betrayed her, as here, where she's an ugly duckling who's granted not just the moon, but the stars (and an extra cig).

Epic Hollywood fable on the transforming power of love and kindness. Obviously has no connection to reality but as make-believe it's really enjoyable. And you gotta love that ending.

A satisfying weepy melodrama, not brilliant but the kind of thing you enjoy whiling away a couple of hours with. Bette Davis is terrific, although her performance isn't really a "transformation" at all: she's a dowdy, anxious spinster one minute and a self-assured gal about town the next. The film deals with psychiatric difficulties while rejecting the Freudian nonsense that was so fashionable at the time. Also interesting that it condones a romance flourishing outside an existing marriage.

Although it, perhaps, spells out its message a little too clearly in the last act, this is a rock-solid studio picture with memorable characters.

"Now, Voyager remains a highly narcotic, swoon-inducing romance in the Bette Davis canon." - Jeremiah Kipp

I love this movie Bette's transformation from a old spinster to a lady of her age is amazing. and the story is enjoyable as well

Enjoyable melodrama, with Davis and Henreid perfectly cast. The character of the mother offered what was in certain moments a terrifying performance. Rapper brings a bit of visual flare to the proceedings (one early shot from behind a chair being especially expressive), while the film contains possibly the best use of cigarette smoking I've ever seen.

Kind of lost me somewhere along the way. Bette Davis still rules, though.

# 576

My god, Davis is so amazing. She takes an otherwise sappy, mediocre melodrama and owned every scene of it until it was transformed into a powerfully emotional movie. There are tears streaming down my face, I haven't cried this hard during a film for years. She portrays so much vulnerability and pain and yearning and hope that I find it hard to believe that anybody couldn't be moved by it. God bless you, Bette, you were magnificent.

Classic weepie. Well done if you like this sort of thing.

513

Cinema

Great chick picture. Romantic, sad, funny, triumphant, and touching. Bette Davis may have been a real rhymes-with-witch but she was priceless

Marvelous. One of the most progressive movies ever made.

I'm not a fan of transparent Melodrama but this film manages to hold interest. An outstanding ending (almost) makes up for its trying pace.

Of course it's a soaper, but a wonderfully good one, in large amount because the opening scenes (with Gladys Cooper's chilling turn as an absolute Monster) are a powerful set-up for what follows. Davis and Henried are fantastic. The atmosphere is fantastic. This is exactly what Hollywood did so well in the early '40s, and only a small part of what they fail at so abysmally today. I really enjoyed this one.

Lindo final

A "forbidden romance" story that really showcases Bette Davis' range of acting. She starts out as a "fat lady in the ugly dress"; she's dominating the movie at the end. The story meanders a bit in the middle and gets a little convoluted in the end, trying to avoid the standard Hollywood ending for these types of melodrama. The rest of the cast is impressive (the mother is unforgettable) and help give the movie its emotional heft.

Powerful story, wonderful to engage.

"The untold want, by life and land ne'er granted, Now, Voyager, sail thou forth, to seek and find."

a woman sinks into depression because of her oppressive mother, so a psychiatrist comes over and sends her to a psych ward. sounds interesting. actually the institution works amazingly, and then she goes on a boat trip and experiences romance and blah blah blah. the final half hour was nearly unbearable, with a child performance that has to rank up there with the worst. oh well.

Not too bad, but too melodramatic. Bette Davis' character was annoying as hell (and Bette Davis doesn't play sympathetic well), but Jerry was a pretty likable dude.

Excellent film.

Classic Bette Davis - fantastic.

Oh Bette

It's a very interesting and sympathetic depiction of adultery for 1942. Davis' performance is wonderful, as always.

This movie sucks

You need to be in a melodrama concentrating mood for this one.

Now, Voyager is a Hollywood swooner with Bette Davis and Paul Henreid in a melodrama to end all melomers.

567

Now, Voyager (1942) might be a somewhat meddling melodrama, but.... Bette Davis. The gal was an institutional force!

Steiner's score commands the proceedings in a way that few have, the seeming struggle for control of the film between it and Bette Davis a more interesting conflict than any actually occurring.

#619

Paul Henreid oozes class