Your favorite moment--mine is... - The Heiress (1949) Discussion

[–] vanityfair_713 15 years ago

I too really liked it when she stood up to her father...when she mentioned the bit about having been with him twenty years before she'd realized he didn't love her...brilliant.

Personally, I think I have too much bloom. Maybe that's the trouble with me.

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[–] onepotato2 15 years ago

I like when her father unloads what a dissapointment she's been.

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[–] gioconda 14 years ago

After seeing this movie at least 100 times, I just noticed a great bit in a scene I'd never focused on before.

After Morris has proposed and the two have been kissing passionately for the first time, Katherine escorts him to the door and Morris leaves. Just then, she looks at herself in the mirror. She is happy, swooning in ecstasy. She looks at herself and appears to be thinking "That gorgeous man loves me!" Then she catches a glimpse of Morris' gloves, and the camera pans down and she lovingly places her small hand on his larger gloves.

The look in her eyes when she sees herself in the mirror is killer.

The whole movie is an utterl masterpiece.

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[–] Ysis 14 years ago

My favorite is the end when she's finishing up her embroidery and her aunt asks her, "How can you be so cruel?"

Catherine replies, "I have been taught...by masters."

"Burn, Hollywood, Burn!"- from the incomparable album "Fear of a Black Planet" by Public Enemy.

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[–] Moon_and_New_York_City 14 years ago

I love the way she told her father off, "you couldn't love me...why couldn't you at least let someone else try".

and the whole scene with Morris and the doctor - how they kept dancing around each other without saying what was on their minds, until the blow up at then ends. "That was impolite", "you are impertinent", etc. it was just so well written and well acted.

"the best that you can do is fall in love"

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[–] Benihanahasnofunflare 14 years ago

de Havilland needs to step it up a notch in this pic.

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[–] delia19461 14 years ago

Benihana...what do you mean?

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[–] Benihanahasnofunflare 14 years ago

She plays her character as being weak, a result of being naturally timid. Not because she has a true compassion for others. Total misread; and changes the whole meaning and potential of the film.

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[–] whateveer 14 years ago

I love all the scenes with her father. He had some great lines.
I also like the scene that Catherine says to her aunt "I have been taught by masters." and OF COURSE when she leaves Morris outside.

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[–] deliaw1946 13 years ago

whateveer, visited this site as I am being lazy today, watching TV, and pulled out my DVD of this and enjoyed it after about a year. These are also my two favorite scenes. By the way, the scenes where he deserts her and the one where is ascening the stairs with the look of triumph on her face are not in the book. Very powerful, no?

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[–] happybkwrm 13 years ago

I loved all of the Catherine scenes the morning after Morris abandoned her.

Her curt, "No, Father" when he comes out to talk to her.
Her cool reaction to his announcement of his illness. "This is what *I* want, etc, etc."
The way she "finds her tongue" and tells him, in full detail, what a crappy father he was:

"It was not love that made you protect me, it was contempt."
"I lived with YOU for twenty years before I realized YOU didn't love me. I don't know that Morris would have hurt me or starved me for affection more than you did. Since you couldn't love me, you should have let someone else try!"

And the bluff with the will... wow.

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[–] Gary39115 13 years ago

Every scene in this film was wonderful, but my favorite line was when Catherine said, "I can be very cruel; I have been taught by masters." Sadly, truer words were never spoken!

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] PlatinumScreen 13 years ago

i loved the scene in the rain when they kissed. and for a moment i thought it was a young tom cruise standing there. montgomery clift from the side profile looked just like him!

*SPOILER BELOW*

and even though it wasn't a happy scene, i loved the scene at the end when morris came back and you could see her backbone turning to titanium. she knew that she didn't and couldn't trust him, and if she married him she would have a lifetime of nagging doubts waiting for the other shoe to drop. for a 1949 movie, that was a totally strong woman thing to do. most movies of that time (and even most movies now) would have had her running off with him into the night to get married.

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[–] scottythefield 12 years ago

"Catherine! [bang bang bang] Catherine! [bang bang bang] Catherine!"

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[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] TopFlight 8 years ago

The line, "Yes, I can be very cruel. I have been taught [slight pause] by masters." This line should be remembered by every cruel parent, and everyone who enjoys dishing out pain to children and other powerless people.

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[–] mdonln 8 years ago

TopFlight says > The line, "Yes, I can be very cruel. I have been taught [slight pause] by masters." This line should be remembered by every cruel parent, and everyone who enjoys dishing out pain to children and other powerless people.

I don't disagree with your conclusion; I think cruel parents should remember that line, but I do disagree with the premise on which that conclusion is based.

I don't agree that Catherine was taught to be cruel. That is downright absurd and untrue. Let's not forget her father tried very hard to make her a more social, savvy, and confident young woman. Through all his efforts though, he failed. She turned out to be who she was; a shy, retiring, awkward, and clueless girl.

Dr. Sloper liked Morris and thought highly of him but he was right to be cautious. By his own admission, Morris said he went through an inheritance, idled his way through Europe, had no job prospects, and no skills. What was Sloper to do, turn his only child over to such a man? As Sloper said, Morris was not in the category from which one would choose a son-in-law. Catherine just cared about his looks.

Morris, who she now hates, gave her love and confidence. She did get hurt in the process but I wouldn't say he was ever cruel towards her. I didn't think anyone was ever cruel to Catherine; unless you call being honest and looking out for her best interests cruel.

The fact she made that statement says more about her than the people around her. It tells me she never really got it. She often misread the situations she was in because of her own inability to figure people out. She misread the guy at the dance who said he'd return then when she realized what he'd done she judged Morris by those same standards and did not wait for him; only to be shocked when he returned.

She misjudged the maids motives because she thought people were dishonest and manipulative even though she had known her for years and the maid insisted she was paying her a legitimate compliment. It's possible she misjudged the intentions of others as well; including both Morris and her father. That's the true tragedy in all this.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

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[–] happybkwrm 8 years ago

Her father tried to turn her into her mother's clone. He didn't give a damn about her.

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[–] mdonln 8 years ago

happybkwrm says > Her father tried to turn her into her mother's clone. He didn't give a damn about her.

I didn't get that impression. I thought Catherine's father wanted her to be all she could be; to live up to her full potential. I think that's what most parents; at least the ones who care, want for their children.

I suppose some people think ideal parents just let their children 'be' and do whatever they want but I feel that amounts to a dereliction of duty. Those kids may grow up physically but they're usually lost; mentally and emotionally stymied. They have no sense of self and continually search for meaning in their lives; rarely finding it. It's also the reason society is fractured; too many lost souls.

Dr. Sloper did his best but he was unsuccessful in helping Catherine reach or even move in the direction of her potential. That's why she ends up living a miserable, lonely, unfulfilled life. She has no one to blame but herself; her father did all he could.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

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[–] happybkwrm 8 years ago

Oh, please. He wanted a copy of his wife. Catherine was never going to be the dazzling extrovert he wanted; she has other strengths he refused to see.

When he died and she was free of him, she could live the life she wanted. There is nothing wrong with being a homebody or spinster.

And it's not 'helping' to constantly trash someone and compare them to their dead sainted mother.

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[–] mdonln 8 years ago

Doylenf says > Your favorite scene?

Like many have said, I loved the entire movie but this scene stands out because of what I believe it represents.

A little background and then the scene

At the party, just before meeting Morris for the first time, Lavinia has just rescued Catherine from waiting endlessly for the guy who has ditched her on the sidelines. They move to the dance area and sit down on a bench. Lavinia tries to get Catherine to stop fumbling with her handkerchief and appear poised.

As usual, Lavinia starts talking about her beloved dead Reverend husband. She looks up toward the sky (heaven), and says, 'do you suppose he's watching over me tonight?' to which Catherine responds, 'that depends on where he is aunt.'

Catherine never cracks a smile but as soon as Lavinia realizes what she's said and whips around to look at her, Catherine covers her face coyly with her fan to hide a giggle. When she lowers the fan her face is serious again but you can see the remnants of a mischievous little smile on her face.

Her aunt seems incensed and insulted at first but then she has to smile too. She has to admit that was a good one on Catherine's part. Catherine made and joke and was teasing her aunt a bit.

Why it's my favorite scene

It's my favorite scene because it shows that Catherine had it in her all along. She could be charming and funny. This is my favorite scene but we see little glimpses of Catherine being 'normal' throughout the movie. She could have fun; she could care about her appearance; she could be tough; she could make conversation; she could get a joke; she could be joyful, should could play hard to get, etc.

Catherine had a lot of untapped potential but seemed to need someone like Morris to coax it out of her. He made her feel comfortable being herself because he showed her she was not alone in feeling awkward at times and not knowing precisely what to say at every moment or how to say it. Being in love feels good because it reminds us we have to love ourselves. We see ourselves through our beloved and feel love for ourselves. Saying we love a certain person usually means we like how we feel in their presence and we like who we are when we're either with them or because of our association with them.

What I would call true love is being grateful to and for that person; wanting them to experience the gift they've bestowed on us; and wanting the best for them. Otherwise, if it's just about how they make us feel, the love is purely selfish; it's only about us, not the one we claim to love.

That's why holding on to a love is often wrong. We may get hurt but if we're doing what's right by that person we should be okay because we love that person that much. You want your love to be happy even if it means they may have to move on.

Woman, man! That's the way it should be Tarzan. [Tarzan and his mate]

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[–] bron-tay 8 years ago

This is not the only scene where Catherine reveals her ease and wit. ("Then you have deceived me, Aunt. You told me that you and the Reverend lived on love alone.") This explains her dramatic transformation into the woman she becomes; these qualities were dormant all along but they never came out as long as her confidence was suppressed by her father, who endlessly compared her to the brilliant wife he lost when Catherine was born. Once she has freed herself from her father's oppressive influence, she comes into possession of herself.

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Please put some dashes above your sig line so I won't think it's part of your dumb post.

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