It’s a family affair for Paul Newman as he produces and directs a feature film adaptation of Paul Zindel’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds. Joanne Woodward stars as a dysfunctional widow struggling to survive while barely looking after her two teen daughters, a rebellious cheerleader (Roberta Wallach) seemingly destined to follow in her mother’s footsteps and a shy wallflower (Nell Potts, Newman and Woodward’s real-life daughter) striving to bloom.
“Producer-director Paul Newman has made his finest behind-the-camera film to date in the screen version of Paul Zindel’s play. As the slovenly, introverted mother of two young girls, Joanne Woodward brilliantly projects the pitiable character.” – Variety
“An engaging adaptation of Paul Zindel’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, which sees Paul Newman’s cool, lucid direction transforming what could have been a pretentious domestic drama into a touching account of small joys in sad and stunted lives. Woodward is excellent” – Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Ariel Schudson discusses The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds on the New Beverly blog.
