The movie follows the book beautifully, with the requisite changes to make it fit ( I do not agree with them all). Jones' performance, especially during the first half of this long movie is sharp and refreshing. If one had any doubts about Jill Saint John's acting ability, this early role would easily dispel them ( again, reading the book first is a must). The cinematography holds one's interest, even when the action slows down. This film is not for one who needs blood and sex every other scene, but how such a classic film as this has been largely forgotten is more of a comment on our 21st century culture than on the qualities of this gem. Be prepared for a thoughtful study and adaptation of Fitzgerald's work, not immediate gratification ( although Jones and saint John do provide sufficient eye candy, as should Jason Robards for the ladies ) .

I had wanted to see this version for many years, as I love the novel, but I didn't expect it to be very good--and my expectations were met! The actors are fine, but the screenplay tampered with Fitzgerald's story in both major and minor ways, and didn't make it better. It's not really worth giving spoilers, but I'll just say that the movie is worth seeing if you just want to satisfy your curiosity, as I did. A much more faithful and better-quality adaptation is the 1985 Showtime miniseries, but I'm not sure if it's available anywhere. Regarding that version, I thought Mary Steenburgen, an actress I generally love, was miscast as Nicole, but Peter Strauss (as Dick) and the rest of the cast were very good. BTW, since I'm a Fitzgerald junkie, I'll share some background: Fitzgerald created Dick and Nicole as an amalgam of two couples: his friends Gerald and Sara Murphy, wealthy American expatriates in France; and himself and Zelda. The Divers' glamour, wealth, and charisma derive from Gerald and Sara, their neuroses from Scott and Zelda. (BTW, Zelda was not a millionairess, as one reviewer said--her family in Alabama was comfortably middle-class, not in the millionaire category.)

An American doctor in the 1930s marries the mental patient he has been treating, but life together in the South of France proves to be an unsettling mix of emotional highs and lows. F. Scott Fitzgerald's epic novel, the last book he had published before his death, is most likely unfilmable; this glossy, indifferently-made adaptation has so little depth that it barely seems to give the source material a chance. Jason Robards continually snarls and flashes his teeth as Dr. Richard Diver (whom everyone ridiculously keeps referring to as 'Dick'); Jennifer Jones is the unstable wife he has 'cured'; Joan Fontaine is Jennifer's decadent sister; Jill St. John is a flirtatious actress out to stir up trouble in paradise. No one involved has the vaguest idea how to approach the material, least of all director Henry King, who allows his cast to visibly flounder. In a dated subplot, Robards, who has been treating a young homosexual, is accused by the boy's father of having similar inclinations, to which Robards responds like a rabid dog. It's too ludicrous to take seriously, and yet too limp and meandering to be passable as camp. The locales are nice and the Oscar-nominated title song is a big plus. Otherwise, an awfully long 'Night'. ** from ****

The great 20th century American novelists all created books that were difficult to transfer to the big screen successfully. Hollywood had better luck adapting the short stories of Faulkner and Hemingway to the motion picture medium than with their master works. Fitzgerald was no exception. None of his masterpieces was a total success when rewritten as screenplays, even when directed by such skilled artisans as Henry King. Only John Steinbeck's works were ready-made for media exchanges. But who would place him on the same creative sphere as Faulkner, Hemingway, and Fitzgerald? "Tender is the Night" has its moments of greatness, in particular toward the end and who can fault the acting of such a stellar cast. One distraction for this viewer was the failure of the director and cinematographer to capture on film the essence of The Jazz Age the way Fitzgerald did in his novel. This version of "Tender is the Night" has the 1960's written all over it from the clothes worn to a jet-set aura rather than the Lost Generation expatriate ambiance of the Fitzgerald masterpiece. Even the music is more 1930's swing than 1920's jazz. The only saving grace in the music department is the original score provided by virtuoso composer Bernard Herrmann.All that remains of Fitzgerald is the bare bones story of the cosmopolitan Divers, focusing on Dr. Dick Diver, played with élan by Jason Robards Jr, a psychiatrist, married to Nicole (Jennifer Jones), who has suffered a mental breakdown. The good doctor becomes both a husband and an analyst to his mentally unbalanced spouse. On the French Riviera just before the stock market crash of 1929, Dr. Diver, near middle age, meets and falls for a rising starlet, Rosemary Hoyt (Jill St. John). As the plot thickens, Dr. Diver slides into a maelstrom of drunken escapades until he hits rock bottom. The story somewhat parallels Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda's own experiences, though Fitzgerald claimed it was based on friends Gerald and Sara Murphy's struggles.By all means read the novel before watching this screen adaptation. I recommend the film only as a supplement to the book, perhaps Fitzgerald's best work.