Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Drama
DirectorRichard Brooks
ProducerLawrence Weingarten
ScreenwriterRichard Brooks, James Poe
DistributorMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release DateSep 18, 1958, Original
LanguageEnglish
Runtime1h 48m
Introduction
After Brick Pollitt (Paul Newman) injures himself while drunkenly revisiting his high school sports-star days, he and his tempestuous wife, Maggie (Elizabeth Taylor), visit his family's Mississippi plantation for the 65th birthday of his hot-tempered father, Big Daddy (Burl Ives). Cantankerous even with declining health, Big Daddy demands to know why Brick and Maggie haven't yet given him a grandchild, unlike Brick's brother Gooper (Jack Carson) and his fecund wife, Mae (Madeleine Sherwood).
Critics Reviews
Nell Minow4
470
Dec 22, 2010
Fans of classic cinema will find much to admire in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." The film centers on Brick Pollitt, portrayed by Paul Newman, who, after injuring himself, navigates family tensions at his father's Mississippi plantation. His wife Maggie, played by Elizabeth Taylor, and the rest of the family grapple with Big Daddy’s demands and health. The movie offers a compelling look at familial struggles, expectations, and secrets. Teens who appreciate deeper, character-driven stories will find the family melodrama both gripping and thought-provoking. A timeless piece that speaks to the complexities of kinship and personal turmoil.
4
345
Oct 1, 2008
'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' unravels with a penetrating intensity, exposing the raw and unresolved tensions within the Pollitt family. As Brick (Paul Newman) grapples with his own demons and his wife Maggie (Elizabeth Taylor) struggles to secure their place in Big Daddy’s (Burl Ives) legacy, the film meticulously peels back the layers of familial discord. The story remains static yet simmering, like a tightly wound coil, as each painful truth is unsentimentally laid bare. The performances are riveting, but the overarching sense of unresolved conflict leaves a heavy, lingering impression, capturing the essence of a family in turmoil.