Subject Was Roses, The

A lovely gesture -- a bouquet of roses -- from husband to wife becomes the catalyst for a clash of long-repressed emotion in the movie adaptation of the Tony - and Pulitzer Prize -winning stage hit The Subject Was Roses. Martin Sheen, as the son home from war, and Jack Albertson, Academy Award winner* as Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the distant father, both appeared in the Broadway version, where Albertson had already captured a Tony Award for his powerful work. Patricia Neal plays the third side of the family triangle in a moving performance that earned her a Best Actress Oscar nomination* and marked her triumphant return to the screen after a debilitating series of strokes.

• drama