Sons and Lovers (1960) on Netflix
Paul Morel, raised in an East Midlands coal-mining town, wants to be an artist. His father Walter, a miner who drinks heavily, mocks the ambition; his mother Gertrude holds on to him.
- Netflix3.5/5
- IMDb7.1/102,016 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes67%
Trailer
Plot summary
Gertrude Morel is unhappy in her marriage to Walter, who works in the coal mine, drinks heavily, and sometimes turns violent. She places her hopes on her son Paul, who has artistic talent and wants to make his living that way; Walter scorns the idea. Paul's wish to escape to a different life is held back by his mother's possessiveness. He also knows Miriam Leivers, a local girl, and wants their intellectual friendship to turn physical; Miriam is torn between her feelings and her mother's belief that sex is sinful.
Cast
Show all 15 cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Sons and Lovers (1960)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- American producer Jerry Wald bought the rights to Sons and Lovers in the 1950s and planned to film it in the US with Montgomery Clift as Paul Morel and Marilyn Monroe as one of his girlfriends. After Clift dropped out, Wald approached James Dean, whose death put the project on hold for years, after which Wald moved it to Britain.
- The part of Clara Dawes was offered to Joan Collins, who turned it down because her then-fiancé Warren Beatty thought the script was "crap". The role went to Mary Ure, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for it.
- Dean Stockwell was given the role of Paul Morel at the insistence of producer Jerry Wald, who hoped that putting an American in the cast would increase the film's box-office appeal in the United States.
