Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
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A drunken man returns to his family's plantation, where secrets of the past and a hidden terminal illness threaten to unravel the family's facade.
The story
Late one night, a drunken Brick Pollitt breaks his ankle while attempting to recapture his athletic glory. He and his wife, Maggie, travel to his family's Mississippi Delta plantation to celebrate the 65th birthday of Brick's father, Big Daddy. While the family gathers, Brick remains depressed and distant, resisting Maggie's affections. Tensions rise as the family speculates on Maggie's childlessness. However, a private meeting reveals a shocking secret: Big Daddy is actually dying of inoperable cancer, a fact being kept from the rest of the family. Maggie desperately wants Brick to engage with his father, but he remains stubbornly resistant.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After Brick and Maggie arrive at the plantation, Big Daddy ignores the grandchildren and retreats to the house with Maggie. It is revealed that Big Daddy has inoperable cancer, a secret Brick shares with a heartbroken Maggie. As the party winds down, Big Daddy confronts Brick about his alcoholism. Maggie then reveals a past secret: she was jealous of Brick's best friend, Skipper, and considered having sex with him, but ultimately ran away. Brick, believing Skipper had slept with her, has spent years blaming her for infidelity and drinking out of guilt over Skipper's suicide. Later, Gooper and his wife Mae scheme to cut Brick and Maggie out of the fortune. Brick eventually confronts Big Daddy in a cellar, where they reach a reconciliation regarding their fatherhood. In the end, Maggie announces she is pregnant to Big Daddy. Although Brick knows she is lying, they agree to make the lie come true.
- First release year
- 1958
- Runtime (minutes)
- 108
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Richard Brooks
- Writers
- Richard Brooks · screenplay; James Poe · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Elizabeth Taylor · Maggie; Paul Newman · Brick; Burl Ives · Big Daddy; Jack Carson · Gooper; Judith Anderson · Big Mama
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- alcoholism; dysfunctional families; grief; mendacity
- Tone and mood
- intense; adult drama
- Premise and plot tags
- Southern Gothic; Family Drama; Period Drama
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1955 Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tennessee Williams
- Reception
- Well-received by both critics and audiences, the film was highly acclaimed for its performances, though some critics noted the removal of homosexual themes from the original play.
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Picture · Nomination; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor · Win (Burl Ives for The Big Country)
- Production trivia
- Lana Turner was considered for the part of Maggie before the role went to Taylor.; The film was MGM's most successful release of 1958.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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