The Sterile Cuckoo

Liza Minnelli scored an Oscar nomination for her first starring role in this 1969 dramedy based on the novel by John Nichols that also marked the directorial debut of Alan J. Pakula. Minnelli plays Pookie, a garrulous, voluble, socially awkward girl who gloms onto Jerry (Wendell Burton), a quiet college freshman at a nearby campus. Pookie’s persistence turns the pair into a couple, but her embarrassing antics and clingy attitude strain the relationship, as does her claim at one point to be pregnant. In the four decades since its release, The Sterile Cuckoo hasn’t aged terribly well, sporting a script with many obvious touches (like the boozy roommate whose bragging about his sexual prowess proves to be a lie), and a veritable avalanche of montages in which Minnelli and Burton frolic in fields to the syrupy strains of the song “Come Saturday Morning” (another Oscar nominee), sung by The Sandpipers. Minnelli is so convincing that Pookie sometimes comes across as mentally unbalanced rather than simply quirky, and Burton is so laidback that he practically disappears when sharing the screen with her. Nonetheless the film still possesses a winning gentleness and sensitivity, and an impressive turn by Minnelli. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)