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Middle of the Night

Middle of the Night

Drama · Romance · 1959

Jerry Kingsley is a wealthy garment manufacturer left lonely in his 50s when his wife dies. Despite the difference in their ages, he strikes up a romance with divorced 24-year-old receptionist Betty. The relationship is dismissed by his daughter, Lillian, discouraged by his sister, Evelyn, and denounced by Betty's mother. But when Jerry begins to mention marriage, even Betty is forced to confront her ambivalence.

Movie details

Middle of the Night

“For every girl who was ever involved with an older man!”

1959 Drama · Romance 1h 58m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.0 / 10

Community rating

Jerry Kingsley is a wealthy garment manufacturer left lonely in his 50s when his wife dies. Despite the difference in their ages, he strikes up a romance with divorced 24-year-old receptionist Betty. The relationship is dismissed by his daughter, Lillian, discouraged by his sister, Evelyn, and denounced by Betty's mother. But when Jerry begins to mention marriage, even Betty is forced to confront her ambivalence.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Middle of the Night?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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The Duke of Burgundy

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Drama · 2015

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Delbert Mann

Written by

Paddy Chayefsky

Kim Novak

Kim Novak

Betty Preisser

Fredric March

Fredric March

Jerry Kingsley

Glenda Farrell

Glenda Farrell

Mrs Mueller

Jan Norris

Jan Norris

Alice Mueller

Lee Grant

Lee Grant

Marilyn

E

Effie Afton

Mrs Carroll

Lee Philips

Lee Philips

George Preisser

Court is in session

Put Middle of the Night on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.