The Prince of Tides (DVD, 2001)

Pat Conroy adapts a novel about a dysfunctional SC Southern family's traumatic events, with Barbra Streisand, into an Oscar-nominated intense role for Nick Nolte, who plays the leading man (Tom Wingo), to Streisand's (Susan Lowenstien) leading woman, NYC psychiatrist. The beginning twist is, Lowenstien is Wingo's sister's shrink who Wingo finds accidentally after his sister's suicide attempt. Wingo is not Lowenstien's client.

Wingo agrees to help Lowenstien by giving her family background information to help his mentally suffering sister. It becomes harder to recall that he's not her client when his post-traumatizing repressed memories are brought forth by Lowenstien in such ways that they expose his own mid-life crises & Lownestien's. Healing each other through their therapeutic talks, Lowenstien & Wingo begin to become romantically involved. They go so deep with each other mind to mind that it seems only natural that they express themselves to each other in physically tender ways, as well.

Though the film's climax involves memories of childhood post-traumatic sexual violence & their romance is bittersweet, Streisand, once again, directs another stellar film. She treats a very difficult theme, that is cinematically understudied as carefully (or perhaps carelessly overstudied!), with the utmost tenderness as both a psychiatrist in role & a director. This time, her real son plays her real son (and a violin)! Yes, for this movie, one does break out the violin.