"Katie" Draws 10,000 People to Bryant Park

June 21, 2005
Last night, an enthusiastic crowd of 10,000 people gathered in New York's Bryant Park to watch Barbra Streisand's 1973 classic film, The Way We Were, a perfect viewing choice for the first evening of this year's summer outdoor movie series (right).

It didn't matter that the story of Katie and Hubbell takes place during the 1930s & 40s. The political subtext of the film is apparently still relevant as it seemed to address present day realities. When the heroin Katie gave her passionate political diatribe challenging America's wartime policies of the 1930s, the audience in Bryant Park cheered enthusiastically. It was as if Katie were speaking directly to them about the state of 21st century world affairs. Her dialogue hit close to home for this audience. 

These days, the designation of a film as classic is casually bestowed upon many movies. But The Way We Were is one film that is truly worthy of its classic moniker. It has evolved into an important political film. And witness to last night's screening, it has apparently become timeless in its message. Three decades later, its modern day impact is astonishing. Laurents, Pollack, Streisand and Redford should be collectively proud of this particular accomplishment.