Hugely ahead of its time in many ways, this film by Roy Boulting is another British product of note from the swinging sixties, this time concerning a young couple who run into problems trying to consummate their marriage. Hywel Bennett and Hayley Mills play the newlyweds, who have to move in with her parents (and their thin walls!).

The parents are played by Marjorie Rhodes and the wonderful John Mills. Another strong name in the cast is Wilfred Pickles as Uncle Fred, who offers impromptu advice to young Hayley on her predicament.

As well as treating the subject with humour as well as sensitivity, the film touches on a number of other subjects - the sexuality of more than one of the male characters, the possibility of unspoken infidelities in the past, and so on. In this alone the film stands apart from others of its time.

All involved are very good indeed (including Murray Head as the younger brother; Barry Foster; Diana Coupland; and Liz Fraser). There are laugh out loud scenes (John Mills: 'He walked through here like it was a public lavatory'; and the scenes near the end as the couple presumably succeed to the strains of booming classical music, the street gossips assembling approvingly in the yard below) alongside the more serious ones.

A very good film indeed.

I saw this movie as a young college student not long after it first came out. Hayley Mills was one of my favorite actresses at the time. Pretty well all girls of my era idolized, envied, and wanted to be just like her. She's a lovely lady still, beautiful accented voice, and wonderful actress. It was a thrill of a lifetime when I saw her on the London stage in 1975 in A Touch of Spring; she's even lovelier in person than on screen. Hayley's perfect here, sort of bubbly, sweet, wide eyed, and eager in the role of the young bride, Jenny. By the way, just as a point of interest for those who might not know, she married (though later divorced) this film's much older director, Ray Boulting, who was 33 years her senior.

This movie tells the story of the marital difficulties of two young newlyweds, Arthur and his virginal bride Jenny, who live with Arthur's working class parents (presumably having no choice for financial reasons). The flat's thin walls prove a problem; Arthur becomes impotent and the couple is unable to consummate the marriage. Their affairs, or lack thereof, become the topic of conversation among interfering family members and the gossip of the neighborhood which, as you might predict, does not prove an asset to Arthur's situation. This unusual (for that era) and touching theme is sensitively portrayed. Times may have changed but believe it or not, I think it's a subject that's still relevant even in the modern Viagra era. Lots of sexual dysfunction issues of one sort or another for modern couples today.

Apparently there were other significant family relationship stories in this picture, especially mother / father / son interactions, but frankly, after all these years, I don't recall any of the details. I would love to watch this film again now, especially as some reviewers seem to indicate that the movie actually revolves more around these issues than the question of Arthur's performance. One commented that the impotency was merely a sub-plot. Naturally the main focus in a movie is invariably the juicy sexual aspect, and I confess that's what I focused on myself when I saw it years ago.

Hayley's real life father, John Mills, plays her father-in-law (Arthur's dad) so it was interesting seeing father and daughter on screen together. They also star together in the much earlier 1959 film Tiger Bay. He's brilliant of course in all his roles, especially the village idiot in Ryan's Daughter.

The film generated a great fuss about it being Hayley's first grown up part, accustomed as we all were to her starring childhood roles in Pollyanna, The Parent Trap etc. Too much has been made of the infamous bathtub scene and the revealing glimpse (actually brief, tastefully done, and not terribly risqué) of Hayley's derriere.

This is a marvelous, highly under rated, currently virtually unknown film of British working class family life...a kitchen sink movie, they seem to be calling it. Even after thirty years, it has left a good impression on me and I recommend it.

"The Family Way" is not the sort of film I'd usually watch. But, on a lark, I tried the film and was absolutely gobsmacked (nice use of British slang, huh?). The story, while simple, really worked well due to some amazingly lovely performances....especially by Marjorie Rhodes and John Mills.

The story is very simple. A young couple (Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett) marry but through a series of disappointments, it puts a damper on things...so much so that the new husband cannot consummate the marriage! Think about it...their bed was sabotaged to break on their wedding night, the honeymoon was canceled when the travel agency went bankrupt and they had to stay with his parents...nice people, but still...his parents! And, to make it worse, his new bride is the ever-virginal looking Hayley Mills!! So how does all this work out? See the film.

The acting is simply amazing. It's all about working class Londoners...and you really believe it. Additionally, while these are 'simple' folk, they have a lot of hidden depth...depth that comes out at the end...and ending that left me on the verge of tears. Amazingly touching and real...which is why I scored this one a 9.

By the way, a MINOR problem about the film that made me laugh was the terrible use of stunt doubles in a fight scene. Watch and notice how one of the guys' hair actually changes color when they use the double!