The Way We Were is a 1973 heartbreaking movie. Even if you might not like romantic movies, this one would stay in your head for longer than you might guess. Sydney Irwin Pollack directed ‘The Way We Were’ just to break our hearts with the ending. The movie tells you about love and how it comes and destroys you no matter how hard you try. They say one-sided love is painful, but I think a one-sided relationship is worse. Take the example of Katie and Hubbell. They were perfect in their fields, young, attractive, liberal enough to respect differences. They had the same college; she was an activist, he was an excellent athlete; she was brave, and he was the one who would look for the easiest in every matter. Oh, to fall in love with a coward! Katie must be wishing she knew how coward Hubbell was before falling for him.
However, they were not dating in college. Ironically, they had a bittersweet encounter each time. Hubbell was dating Carol Ann back then, and Katie, well, she didn’t have time for anything absurd. They meet again. It was an unexpected incident. They met at a party after a long time, after World War II, and they fell in love. Nevertheless, maybe only Katie fell.
The Way We Were Movie Plot
At the college, Katie is a Marxist Jew, encouraging others to stand against global hatred. Hubbell is a careless man in love with Carol. He’s the “main character” in the college. He is an athlete, writes impressively, talks sweetly, looks good, and doesn’t lose his temper. In short, he is just perfect! Katie surely idealizes him, but they share different views. Somehow they feel a heat between them, but none of them address the matter.
Years later, by the end of World War II, Katie is now working in a radio station. She is still an activist who is very open to putting her opinion on any political topic. Hubbell, on the other hand, is now a Naval officer. The weird turn is Carol is married to J.J. now. J.J. has been Hubbell’s best friend since college. Anyways, they talk, and Katie brings him home. She lives alone, and they sleep together. Hubbell was drunk, and the next morning he seemed totally unbothered by what happened last night. Katie, however, is now expressing her love for him.
Hubbell doesn’t seem the type of man Katie deserves, and he could see that, but Katie’s efforts could make the stone grow feelings. Soon they get married and live happily for a while. Katie gets offended by the jokes Hubbell’s top-standard friends crack about political matters mostly. Hubbell did try to remain patient, but he broke up with Katie one time. However, the couple makes up the same night. It felt like an invisible force is bringing them close and close despite all the odds.
Katie appreciates and encourages Hubbell’s writings. He starts to write again and becomes a screenwriter later on. They move to Hollywood, but the differences remain the same until the time of McCarthyism. Katie became silent. One could feel the lady being sad through the screen; it was that painful! But the unfair part followed after this painful change. Hubbell was having an affair with Carol, even though Katie was pregnant, and he was fully aware of it. Carol and J.J. divorced a little time before Hubble, and she got back together. Katie had to see it all, silently! And when she confronts him, asking, “Are you still a nice gentile boy?” To which the man replies, “I never was”. And at that moment, Katie realized she always idealized him, but he was never that good.
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‘The Way We Were’ Ending Explained
Katie finds out that Hubbell cheated on her with Carol. On confronting, she realizes he was never the man she thought of. It was she who kept looking at the goods and ignoring the ugly parts of him. Hubbell was never a gentleman. She still asks him to stay until the baby is born, and he stays. They have a baby girl, which she names ‘Rachel,’ after her mother. Even the baby’s love couldn’t bring them together. Looking through my eyes, when Katie stopped making efforts, their relationship fell apart.
And again, after years, Katie is distributing flyers written “BAN-THE-BOMB” in front of a luxurious hotel. Fate brings them together again. This time Hubbell has a well-dressed woman next to him, probably his girlfriend, and Katie is married. They meet and talk, she is who she was, and he is now a screenwriter of some television show. Katie offers him a drink and invites his lady too. Hubbell politely declined the invitation. They still had a thing. That feeling to be together was still there, stronger than ever, as if it grows with time. How ironic is this, people lose interest when they stay together for a long time, and this impossibly different couple still feels the attraction.
They successfully avoid the urge even though that’s what they want. Hubbell asks about Katie’s husband and their baby, Rachel. By the way, he asks, it’s quite clear that he never tried to contact even his baby. Katie is not mad at Hubbell, she is smiling, but the pain is clearly visible in her eyes. Hubbell broke her!
The movie is now out of dialogue after “See you, Hubbell”. Katie stands on the other side of the road, very well aware of him not being worthy of having her yet wishing they could be the way they were.
Hubble Was Never A Gentleman
He had a girlfriend when he danced so intimately with Katie in college. He made out with the lady in a drunken state and didn’t even bother to address the matter. Hubbell couldn’t be strong enough to make efforts for Katie while she was ready to change her entire existence just for his company. He cheated on her when she was carrying their baby. How more miserably could he present masculinity? And even when we see him at the end, he holds no regret, no embarrassment. He has “moved on”. Pathetic!
The Cast Of The Movie
The Way We Were features Barbara Streisand as Katie Morosky and Robert Redford as Hubbell Gardiner. We also see Bradford Dillman as J.J., Hubbell’s best friend. Next, we have Lois Cleveland Chiles as Carol Ann, Hubbell’s college girlfriend, and J.J.’s wife. The couple divorced later in the movie.
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