Pete 'n' Tillie

Pete 'n' Tillie
File:PeteTilliePoster.jpg Theatrical poster
Directed by	Martin Ritt
Produced by	Julius J. Epstein
Written by	Peter De Vries (story) Julius J. Epstein
Starring	Walter Matthau Carol Burnett
Music by	John Williams
Cinematography	John A. Alonzo
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release dates	December 17, 1972 (1972-12-17)
Running time	100 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$14,999,969

Pete 'n' Tillie is a 1972 American comedy-drama film starring Walter Matthau and Carol Burnett in the title roles. Its advertising tagline was "Honeymoon's over. It's time to get married."

Martin Ritt directed. Screenwriter Julius J. Epstein was nominated for an Academy Award for adapting the story from two novels by Peter De Vries: The Blood of the Lamb and Witch's Milk. Epstein later adapted another De Vries novel for the film Reuben, Reuben.

Plot

Pete Seltzer (Matthau) is introduced to Tillie Schlaine (Burnett) at a party. Her friends Gertrude and Bert are the hosts and attempting to fix her up.

Pete is a confirmed bachelor with eccentric habits. When he isn't doing odd motivational research for a San Francisco firm, he plays ragtime piano and makes bad puns. He periodically pops in and out of Tillie's life, going days without calling but showing up spontaneously at her door. When they finally make love, he learns Tillie is a virgin.

It appears Pete might still be seeing other women, but when he gets a promotion at work, Tillie announces it's time to get married. They do, then buy a house and have a baby boy. Pete's affairs, however, apparently continue, Tillie even needing to discourage one of his young lovers at lunch.

Years go by until one day 9-year-old son Robbie (Lee Montgomery) is stricken with a fatal illness. Pete tries to shield the boy by keeping him in what Tillie calls "a world of nonsense," but the inevitable death destroys Tillie's religious faith and ruptures their marriage.

Tillie abstains from sex while Pete turns to drink and takes an apartment. Tillie's depression is alleviated a bit by a friendship with Jimmy (Rene Auberjonois), who is gay but willing to marry her if that would make Tillie happy. Bert makes a pass at Tillie as well. When she and Jimmy conspire to make Gert (Geraldine Page) reveal her true age at long last, the result is a public brawl between the two women.

Tillie ends up in a sanitarium. Her life has come to a standstill until Pete turns up one day. When she sees the way their son's death affects him, after years of his hiding it, Tillie and Pete leave side by side.

Cast

• Walter Matthau as Pete
• Carol Burnett as Tillie Schlaine
• Geraldine Page as Gertrude Wilson
• Barry Nelson as Burt
• Rene Auberjonois as Jimmy Twitchell

Reception

The film grossed $14,999,969 at the box office, earning an estimated $8.7 million in North American rentals in 1973.

Awards and nominations

It was nominated for two Academy Awards, Julius J. Epstein for Adapted Screenplay and Geraldine Page for Supporting Actress.

Walter Matthau received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and won the 1973 BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for this and for Charley Varrick.

See also

• List of American films of 1972

External links

• Pete 'n' Tillie at IMDb
• Pete 'n' Tillie at AllMovie