A surprisingly challenging film about what happens when devoutness to a religion collides with the realities of the world.Dorothy Maguire is the Quaker mother who wants to do the thinking for her young adult children, misguidedly wanting to prevent temptations from entering their lives rather than equipping them to deal with them when they do. Gary Cooper is the more reasonable father who doesn't see why pleasure and religious faith have to be mutually exclusive. Then a little thing called the Civil War directly affects them, and they have to decide when to stick to their beliefs and when to modify them for something bigger than themselves.Overall the movie is still a little light for my tastes and doesn't flesh out these questions as complexly as I might have preferred. But still, I was expecting a cornball, wholesome family film and so was pleasantly surprised by what I got instead."Friendly Persuasion" garnered six Academy Award nominations but won none: Best Picture, Best Director (William Wyler), Best Supporting Actor (Anthony Perkins), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song (warbled by Pat Boone), and Best Sound Recording.Grade: A-

There is a richness of the old Technicolor which makes every frame an oil portrait. Combine that visual beauty with Tiomkin's lush score, and you have a motion picture masterpiece. The film provides not only a lesson in the lifestyle of a Quaker family in Indiana, it reveals the personal impact and heartbreak of the American Civil War. It was hard for a young man to adhere to his family's pacifist beliefs when he knew his friends were going off to war to defend the very place he called home. Civil War buffs unwittingly romanticize this national trauma which took the lives of over 600,000 young men. This movie brings it down to a personal level. Although filmed closer to Hollywood, the story takes place in Jennings County, Indiana. Although the soil of the Hoosier State was very lightly touched by battle, the fear of invasion was real. The little town of Vernon, mentioned in the movie, is still much the same as it was in the 1860s.

Spare me some of these critics - read 'em blue eyes vs. brown eyes; Cooper disliked the film/he liked it but not the way he looked in it; Perkins did not like McGuire/he did like McGuire. The most ridiculous claim was from the right wingers flapping their wings. Speaking of that, it should be mentioned that Samantha the goose was one helluva scene stealer. Four honks.I thought the movie was a beaut. I live in an area that was an early Quaker settlement, and there are still two active Friends churches. Needless to say the 'thou' and 'thee' are out of fashion, but the warmth remains.My only puzzlement is that the family, whose house still stands and is a tourist attraction were, like all Quakers, anti-slavery, but the family did own four slaves.Back to the movie. Cooper, the fightin' hero of "Sgt. York," does a complete turnaround as a pacifist poppa, and he does so wonderfully, telling his story not only by his words, but by his facial expressions.Perkins was perk-fect as the son of Cooper and McGuire. I wonder what Coop and Perk talked about between takes - hopefully not sexual preferences."Friendly Persuasion" told its story quite well, and is particularly enjoyable if you just watch and enjoy, instead of watching for things gone wrong. That is very un-friendly.

Friendly Persuasion is directed by William Wyler, is based on the novel by Jessamyn West and stars Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire and Anthony Perkins.The film takes a hard hitting look at violence and ways to avoid it.Should we all learn to love each other and not resort to violence or is violence the only answer in certain situations?Southern Indiana 1862.A peaceful Quaker family farm their lands and struggle with the knowledge that soldiers fighting in the Civil War are heading towards them.Farmer Jess Birdwell(Gary Cooper)his wife Eliza(Dorothy McGuire),eldest son Josh(Anthony Perkins),daughter Mattie(Phyllis Love)and youngest son Little Jess(Richard Eyer)must choose between being passive and hoping for peace,or violence to bring about peace.Dimitri Tiomkin's score is sweeping and fitting,and singer Pat Boone performs the title song Friendly Persuasion(Thee I Love).Cooper who is best known for his cowboy roles is completely convincing as the gentle Jess.There's fine support from Robert Middleton as Sam Jordan, a friend of Jess who takes great delight in challenging him to a horse race on the way to church.Also Joe Fluellen is excellent as Enoch the family farm hand.