Roy Hart
If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.
Quiet Muffin
This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.
Cassandra
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
HotToastyRag
Gregory Peck, the picture of American integrity, takes on the controversial issue of anti-Semitism in the first of his many groundbreaking films, Gentleman's Agreement. In his incredible career, he went on to tackle gambling addiction in The Great Sinner, unhappiness in Suburbia in The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, and racism in To Kill a Mockingbird. To see a classic "Gregory Peck" role, rent at least one of those four.Greg plays a writer who uncovers the hidden anti-Semitic attitude in the "best areas" of America. He wants to expose this wrong, so he goes undercover as a Jewish man—I know, that sounds dated and offensive, but just give him a chance—and writes about his experiences with prejudice.At a time when America, and Hollywood, tended to sweep all problems under the rug, it was incredible that this movie was even made. Greg lives through some very eye-opening experiences. Friends of his confide in him and share their own anti-Semitic prejudices they've endured, and some aren't as open-minded as they seem to be. Joining the supporting cast are Dorothy Maguire, John Garfield, Ann Revere, Celeste Holm, Sam Jaffe, and Dean Stockwell. If you like movies about social causes or shedding light on the cobwebs in the room, rent Gentleman's Agreement and buckle up for an interesting, dramatic ride.
beatlepat
I don't know if this counts as a spoiler, but this movie has one of THE sexiest moments in film. When Gregory Peck and Dorothy Maguire get up to dance, he holds out his arms to her, in a gentlemanly, Gregory Peck sort of way, and she steps all the way to him, body to body. WOW! And when, just before that at the table, she looks at him with calm, searching eyes, that seem to see him for the man he really is, on and off screen. Zounds. I've read reviews of Dorothy Maguire's work that rate her as one of the most under-appreciated actresses of her time, and I think this movie proves it. If Atticus Finch's wife had been alive in "To Kill A Mockingbird", she would have been perfect in the role.
wes-connors
Newly arrived in New York City, journalist widower Gregory Peck (as Philip "Phil" Schuyler Green) takes 11-year-old son Dean Stockwell (as Tommy) to meet grandmother Anne Revere and buy some new shoes. At that age, feet grow quickly. After he is asked to write a series of articles on anti-Semitism, Mr. Peck meets divorced schoolteacher Dorothy McGuire (as Kathy Lacey) at a party. They are mutually attracted. Peck is initially unhappy with his writing assignment, but becomes excited after thinking up a new angle. Peck decides to pretend he is Jewish and write about his personal experiences. "I Was Jewish for Six Months" is the title of Peck's account. Authentically Jewish childhood friend John Garfield (as Dave Goldman) arrives for a visit. As you might expect, Peck encounters prejudice...This famous film about religious bigotry is really a love story, although the backdrop is certainly preeminent. Incidents of anti-Semitism involve young Stockwell being teased on the playground and adult Jews finding upscale areas lack welcome mats. Today, kids are beat up and can sometimes die; around the world, people are shot at Jewish businesses. "Gentleman's Agreement" sticks mainly to cocktail hour inequities. Multiple award-winning director Elia Kazan and Peck take it slow. Additional award winners include supporting actress Celeste Holm (as Anne Dettrey) and juvenile actor Stockwell. Often, it seems like characters are lecturing the audience and retelling unseen incidents; to be more effective, cinema should show more and tell less. Still, it's a good production and nicely performed.****** Gentleman's Agreement (11/11/47) Elia Kazan ~ Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield, Celeste Holm
disinterested_spectator
Reporter Phil Green is hired by magazine publisher John Minify to write an article on anti-Semitism, but he just cannot figure out how to approach the subject. We watch the movie patiently waiting for him to come up with the idea of pretending to be a Jew. When he finally reveals that on a previous occasion he pretended to be an Okie in order to write about the plight of the Okies, and that on another occasion he pretended to be a coal miner in order to write about coal mining, we are a little irritated that it took him so long to think about pretending to be a Jew. Having done this sort of thing twice before, it should have occurred to him right off. This delay might have been improved dramatically if someone else had suggested the idea to him. We might imagine his mother saying, "You once pretended to be an Okie to learn what it was like to be an Okie, so why don't you pretend to be a Jew?" But since the movie has Phil come up with the idea himself, we can't help thinking, "It's about time!"When he finally does start pretending to be a Jew, he is shocked by all the prejudice he encounters, as when he tries to check into a high-class hotel and is refused service. Well, what did he think was going to happen? In fact, he seems to know less about anti-Semitism than everyone else in the movie. We get the impression that the person most ignorant about anti-Semitism has been picked to write an article about it. His girlfriend Kathy has to tell him that people with houses in nice neighborhoods have a gentleman's agreement not to sell or rent to Jews. Why is it that she knows about this, but he does not? Maybe she should be writing the article. At the very least, Phil could have collaborated with his Jewish friend and his Jewish secretary. Instead, the man who knows least about anti-Semitism thinks he has to write the article all by himself.And this raises the question, Why not have a Jew write the article? It does turn out that the magazine Phil is going to write the article for discriminates against Jews in its hiring policy, which Minify changes when he becomes aware of it. But that doesn't explain why Minify, who seems so determined to combat anti-Semitism, did not hire a Jew to do the job from the very beginning. We almost get the feeling that the article (and the movie itself, for that matter) would not be meaningful unless the Jewish experience were filtered through the mind of a gentile.Furthermore, since Phil is not a Jew, it is hard to believe that he would feel the effect of prejudice the same way a real Jew would. Phil acts deeply offended when he encounters prejudice. But if I had pretended to be a Jew in order to be able to write about anti-Semitism, every time someone offended me, I would gleefully sneak off to the restroom to write down notes, thinking, "Boy, this is going to be good stuff for that article I'm going to write."
