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Soprano Meets Lowenstein |
Feature/September
2007 |
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The HBO landmark series "The
Sopranos" has become a phenomenon of American pop culture. Streisand
fans know of the show's one constant underlying thread: it's uncanny
similarity to "The Prince of Tides." In 2004, the
Tides-Sopranos connection was finally acknowledged during the show's
fifth season. |
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"The
Sopranos" - It's so "Prince of Tides"
September 8, 2007
If you're a fan of the highly acclaimed HBO series
The Sopranos (and who isn't?), you probably realized long ago
that the recurring story line between Tony Soprano and his therapist
is reminiscent of the central theme of Barbra Streisand's acclaimed
film "The Prince of Tides." Throughout the entire run of the show,
Tony (James Gandolfini) and Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) offered a
familiar spin to their doctor-patient relationship. Theirs was a
Lowenstein-Tom dynamic to be sure, but with a decidedly Jersey flair.
So it was no surprise that for the season five opener of the series
(original air-date: March 7, 2004), the producers of The Sopranos
would finally acknowledge the all-too-obvious "The Prince of Tides"
connection.
In the season opener,
Tony is mesmerized when he accidentally stumbles upon "Prince of
Tides" being shown on the late show. He immediately recognizes the
parallel between his and Tom's relationships with their respective
psychiatrists. When Lowenstein points out the impact Tom's mother has
had on his life, and later, when Tom narrates his true feelings
Lowenstein, Tony Soprano is visibly shaken. For Tony, the Tom and
Lowenstein story has hit him close to home. His reaction as he watches
the movie on TV is to utter a simple word: "Damn."
Columbia Pictures and
"The Prince of Tides" were credited in the episode, though not Barbra
Streisand specifically. "The Sopranos" season box sets can be rented
or purchased at your local video store.
Peter
Bogdanovich
 The man who directed Barbra in her most successful comedy
(besides "Fockers") had a recurring role on "The Sopranos."
"What's Up, Doc?" director Peter
Bogdanovich portrayed Elliot Kupferberg, a therapist and
confidant of Dr. Melfi. Throughout the series, Elliot
provided analysis to Melfi as she slowly came to realize the
dangers she faced in treating Tony Soprano. It was with
Elliot's help that Melfi finally decided to sever the
doctor-patient relationship she had with Tony for all those
many years.
"Soprano's" creator David Chase called on Bogdanovich to direct
one of the show's episodes as well. Bogdanovich was behind the
camera, calling the shots for the season five installment titled
"Sentimental Education."
Sydney Pollack
 The director of Barbra's most
successful dramatic picture, "The Way We Were" made a memorable one time
guest appearance on "The Sopranos." During its final season, Sydney Pollack played prison inmate
Warren Feldman. In the scene, Feldman meets Johnny Sack (Vincent Curatola) in the prison hospital and offers
the terminally ill Sack
some sage advice about how to spend his remaining days. Turns
out that Warren Feldman was actually a doctor on the outside. He
was convicted of a triple homicide and now spends his
incarceration functioning as a hospital orderly within the
federal prison.
Sydney Pollack's 2007 appearance on "The Sopranos" was one of his
last. Pollack passed away on May 26, 2008.
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