PLAY IT AS IT LAYS (1972)

If you're in a good mood when you decide to pop PLAY IT AS IT LAYS into the old DVD player and give it a watch, then prepare to be depressed when it's over. If you happen to be depressed to begin with, then get ready to go right over the edge into the pit of existential despair. Directed by Frank Perry, this is one of those early 1970's films that glory in showing us the emptiness and pointlessness of American life. And this particular story takes place in Hollywood/Los Angeles, which means emptiness is enthroned as a form of art. As if all of this weren't downbeat enough, the second most important location is Las Vegas. Need another Zoloft yet?

Tuesday Weld stars as Maria Wyeth, a B-Movie actress whose life has taken a dark turn. Her marriage to self-absorbed director Carter Lang (Adam Roarke) is crumbling. Their young daughter is mentally disturbed and institutionalized. Maria becomes pregnant from an adulterous affair, has an abortion, and gets a divorce. As her life spins out of control in a series of one night stands and increasingly erratic behavior, her only mainstay is her unhappy gay friend BZ Mendenhall (Anthony Perkins). BZ finally decides to kill himself and invites Maria to join him. She refuses, but does nothing to stop her friend from carrying out his suicide. After BZ's death, Maria is confined to a mental hospital.

The screenplay by Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne is based on Didion's novel of the same name. While the film is largely an endless talk fest populated by cliched, one dimensional characters, it does have many effective moments. Perry's directing style consists of jump cuts and very brief scenes that seem to reflect the disjointed mindsets of the characters, especially Maria. The film opens with Maria telling her story as she walks the grounds of the hospital. Everything we see depicted in the film is her point of view, the story as she remembers it. While the story is indeed dark, the relentless California sunshine provides a bizarre visual contrast, Maria spends much of her time driving her gorgeous yellow Corvette. The film is devoid of music, except for what we hear occasionally on her car radio.

Anthony Perkins is excellent as the tragic BZ. He and Miss Weld had worked together two years  previously in a low budget gem entitled PRETTY POISON and the two have marvelous chemistry between them. Also featured are Tammy Grimes, Ruth Ford, Eddie Firestone and Diana Ewing. Tyne Daly has a few lines as a journalist. And handsome, tough guy actor Tony Young appears as handsome, tough guy actor Johnny Waters, who has a fling with Maria.

The primary reason to appreciate this movie is its beautiful star. For those of us who revere Tuesday Weld not only as the most enigmatic of screen goddesses, but also a truly gifted actress, PLAY IT AS IT LAYS is almost the ultimate Weld experience. She is in practically every scene, with one lovely close-up after another allowing us to gaze at her expressive face. She gives a very good performance as the troubled movie star. It's tempting to believe that Miss Weld is acting out scenes from her own life. After all, she was pushed into a modelling career by her mother at the age of three and had a nervous breakdown when she was nine. She started in films when she was barely in her teens and lived a somewhat troubled life. And yet, she survived. My DVD edition of PLAY IT AS IT LAYS includes an interview Miss Weld did on The Dick Cavett Show in 1971. She speaks with honesty about her early life and the difficulties she experienced. She also exudes the same warmth and sincerity that she brought to so many of her performances. Tuesday Weld hasn't made a film since the early 2000's. I hope she has found peace in her life. And I hope she knows how many of us still love her.