While his acting debut in The Silver Chalice wasn’t particularly well received, Paul Newman’s first motion picture as a director, Rachel, Rachel, went so far as to be nominated for several Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay (From the novel A Jest of God by Margaret Laurence), and Best Actress.

The film stars Joanne Woodward (The Three Faces of Eve, and also Newman’s real life spouse), as the title character, a thirty five year old school teacher who spends her free time caring for her aged mother (Kate Harrington) as her own life ticks away. As she begins her “last ascending summer” without ever having lived for herself, she is enticed to try new things by her coworker Calla (Estelle Parsons) and a visiting childhood friend (James Olson).

The performances in this film are outstanding, especially Joanne Woodward, who manages to slip an amazing amount of subtle reactions into an otherwise reserved and internal character. The camera work is also well executed, lending some extra insight into the protagonist’s state of mind. Editing is also used to bring Rachel’s imagination and memory to life, cutting between shots of what Rachel does and what she wants to do, or having her enter a door as an adult and then switch to a memory of her childhood once she’s inside. Occasionally these directorial tactics seem a little heavy handed, especially in scenes where Rachel is particularly distressed or nostalgic. The film is also pretty slow to start, especially since, as a psychological drama, most of the interesting action in the film takes place in Rachel’s head, subtly revealing itself through Joanne Woodward’s expressions.

The film also has special features, though those are limited to a theatrical trailer and an early, and silent, behind the scenes look, seemingly aimed at fans of the original book.

Rachel, Rachel is a deliberately paced psychological drama with lots of subtle (and not so subtle) emotions, so it really isn’t going to appeal to action fans. However, if you’re ready for an intense internal roller coaster, or have an eye for great performances, then it is definitely worth a try.

ComicsOnline gives Rachel, Rachel 4 out of 5 random flashbacks.