Peyton Place: Mark Robson

It was the film based off the novel that scandalized and captivated American society in the 50s.  It would go on to launch an incredibly successful spin-off television show.  And, at the time, it held the record for the most Academy Award nominations without a single win.  The film is Peyton Place.  And...it hasn't aged well.  Unlike the melodramas of Douglas Sirk, this film by Mark Robson shows its age in the worst imaginable way.  The performances are stilted (particularly from Diane Varsi, the film's main character and narrator), the screenplay is laughable, and it drags on and on to a point where you just want it to end.  That's not to say that the film isn't totally salvageable.  The film is the story of the moral hypocrisy and hidden secrets and scandals of a small New England town named Peyton Place.  The story is too complex and complicated to provide an adequate summary in the space of a few sentences.  But all that needs to be said is that it combines just about every soap opera trope one can think of into its 2+ hour run time.  It's a decent enough film...it's just too damn long.  And, quite frankly, it could have used a better director. 

6/10