Butterflies Are Free | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

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Where to Watch Butterflies Are Free Critics Reviews Audience Reviews My Rating Cast & Crew More Like This Related Movie News Photos Butterflies Are Free

69%

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13 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

In early 1970s San Francisco, blind aspiring singer-songwriter Don Baker (Edward Albert) is living away from his overprotective mother (Eileen Heckart) for the first time. Free-spirited actress Jill Tanner (Goldie Hawn) moves into the apartment next door, and they bond over music and literature, but when Don's mother makes an unexpected visit, she clashes with the headstrong Jill, assuming that she'll get bored and leave Don, just as his last girlfriend did.

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Butterflies Are Free

Critics Reviews

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Butterflies Are Free | Rotten Tomatoes (1)

Variety Staff

Variety

Hawn, funny and touching, is a delight throughout and Heckart gets a film role that enables her to display versatility.

Aug 8, 2008

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Butterflies Are Free | Rotten Tomatoes (2)

Time Out

A piece of (barely) stage-adapted nonsense, scripted by Leonard Gershe from his own play, about blind-boy-meets-emotionally-immature girl and how his mum brings them together. With some funny lines from Goldie Hawn and little else.

Jun 24, 2006

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Butterflies Are Free | Rotten Tomatoes (3)

Vincent Canby

New York Times

Leonard Gershe's Broadway comedy recycled as a movie with the density of Jell-o.

May 9, 2005

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Butterflies Are Free | Rotten Tomatoes (4)

Dick Lochte

Los Angeles Free Press

A perfect example of schmaltz so cunningly and attractively created that it will move even the stoniest soul.

Jan 7, 2020

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Butterflies Are Free | Rotten Tomatoes (5)

TV Guide

Although the emotional conflicts are a bit too neatly settled at the story's conclusion, Albert, Hawn, and Heckart make it all seem believable.

Rated: 2.5/5

May 9, 2017

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Butterflies Are Free | Rotten Tomatoes (6)

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

An interesting film about love, blindness and the inherent bias in both.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 15, 2011

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Audience Reviews

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Spencer M One of my favorite movies of all-time. Great performances and hilarious dialogue. Eileen Heckart is amazing. She rightfully deserved an Academy Award. Great street scenes of late '60s and early '70s San Francisco, too. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/19/22 Full Review Audience Member The popular play makes its way to the big screen starring Goldee Hawn, Eileen Heckart, and Edward Albert Taking place in 1970s San Francisco, blind aspiring singer-songwriter Don Baker lives away from his overprotective mother for the first time Free-spirited actress Jill Tanner moves into the apartment next door, and they bond over music and literature, but when Don's mother makes an unexpected visit, she clashes with the headstrong Jill, assuming that she'll get bored and leave Don, just as his last girlfriend did Another film based on a stage play so expect a lot of dialogue exchange between the two leads in just one environment the whole way through Poor direction aside the two leads are a dime a dozen learning to get on the same page in the big city An interesting film about love, blindness and the inherent bias in both Heckart also shines as an overbearing mother not accepting her son's hopes and dreams and worrying he won't make it on his own Everyone here though grows to be better like butterflies; going through their own metamorphosis to truly become who they are and want to be Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/06/22 Full Review delysid d corny but nice old movie Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/15/22 Full Review s r Saw it on TCM. It was a feel good romance about two neighbor youngsters in NYC where one is blind and the other and aspiring actress. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review steve d I didn't buy Hawn's performance and the script is all over the place. Rated 1.5/5 Stars • Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member The best romance movie ever made! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Butterflies Are Free

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Cast & Crew

Milton Katselas Director Goldie Hawn Jill Tanner Edward Albert Don Baker Eileen Heckart Mrs. Baker Michael Warren Roy Stratton Paul Michael Glaser Ralph

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Butterflies Are Free

Butterflies Are Free (1972)

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Synopsis In early 1970s San Francisco, blind aspiring singer-songwriter Don Baker (Edward Albert) is living away from his overprotective mother (Eileen Heckart) for the first time. Free-spirited actress Jill Tanner (Goldie Hawn) moves into the apartment next door, and they bond over music and literature, but when Don's mother makes an unexpected visit, she clashes with the headstrong Jill, assuming that she'll get bored and leave Don, just as his last girlfriend did.

Director: Milton Katselas
Producer: M.J. Frankovich
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Frankovich Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 6, 1972, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 27, 2010
Runtime: 1h 49m