Tom Jones
Composite Score: 85.17
Starring: Albert Finney, Susannah York, George Devine, Rachel Kempson, Joyce Redman, Jack MacGowran, Diane Cilento, John Moffatt, Peter Bull, David Warner, Hugh Griffith, and Edith Evans
Director: Tony Richardson
Writer: John Osborne
Genres: Adventure, Comedy, History, Romance, Coming of Age
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Box Office: $17.07 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Tom Jones is the film adaptation of Henry Fielding’s novel of the same name, about the titular base-born Englishman and his escapades in 18th-century England. It follows Tom from when he was taken in as a baby by Squire Allworthy, to his young adulthood as a promiscuous bachelor, to his eventual love affair with the neighboring Sophie Western, to his ousting from Allworthy’s manor due to the scheming of his tutors and his benefactor’s nephew Blifil, to his eventual arrival and arrest in London and the reactions of those around him to each of the events. It stars Albert Finney in the titular role, for which he received an Oscar nomination, supported by fellow nominees (but in the supporting fields) Hugh Griffith as the lewd Squire Western, Diane Cilento as the free-living Molly Seagrim, Edith Evans as the uptight Miss Western (sister to the Squire), and Joyce Redman as the disgraced Jenny Jones/Mrs. Waters. In addition to its five acting nominations, the film also received a nomination for Best Art Direction and wins for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Picture at that year’s Oscars.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Tom Jones has gotten a reputation as being one of the worst Best Picture winners of all time, down there with The Broadway Melody, Cavalcade, Crash, and Around the World in 80 Days, mainly because of how poorly it has aged in terms of its morality. Yes, it celebrates breaking from tradition and an upending of the stuffy status quo, but most of that comes at the cost of Tom being a devout womanizer and still ending up with the girl. While it takes care to not really chide its more lascivious women, it still holds Sophie (the rich, chaste, educated woman) up as the ideal mate for Tom even as he lives out his days as a promiscuous man with some level of education and an endless series of conflicts following in his wake. It sets up a tough double standard for its male and female characters, celebrating men who do whatever they want and women who do what men expect them to, rather than what the stuffy women around them want.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Double standards aside for a second, Tom Jones actually is a fairly entertaining and otherwise modern film, offering fast-paced comedy, action, plotting, and character development against a backdrop of solid cinematography and production design. Does it occasionally feel like watching a 1960s version of Deadpool that’s a bit more aware of its audience’s sensitivities? Sure, but I think that’s part of what keeps it endearing. Yes, the jokes sometimes come at the cost of the drama and social commentary, but sometimes the social commentary comes at the benefit of the jokes, especially in the scenes with the much-celebrated supporting cast, each of whom offers some example for Tom or for the audience to either celebrate, villainize, or pity, depending on the situation. It’s a fairly concise film, considering its nature as a period piece based on a British novel, and that also keeps it feeling fresher than many of the other films in its bracket.
All told, Tom Jones offers a quality blend of comedy and commentary to keep its audience happy thanks to the supporting performances from its Oscar-nominated cast, which earned it a win for Best Picture and a place among the Greatest Films of All Time. Its double standard for the genders holds it back from being an unimpeachable classic, but the other bits of commentary and levity keep it easy enough to watch without getting too rough. It can currently be streamed via Max for anyone looking to check it out.
