This is the third installment of our Classic Cinema With the Sage Sisters movies that are about characters with mental and emotional health issues. In each of the three so far, what the characters need most to heal is a strong support system. Home Before Dark is from 1958 and like, Now, Voyager before it, the main characters, both named Charlotte must do the work necessary to be able to begin the healing process.
At the beginng of this movie, Charlotte comes home, after a year, from a mental hospital into the same situation that caused her breakdown. Charlotte’s husband Arnold is cold, her step sister, Joan is patronizing, and her step-mother, Inez is controlling. But while Charlotte was in the mental hospital, her husband rented out the downstairs bedroom to a new colleague at the college, Jake Diamond played by Ephrem Zimbalist Jr. Jake is observant and the only one in the house who understands what Charlotte has been through because of his war experiences. They become friends and he helps her begin to unravel her tangled emotions enough to see her situation clearly.
This is a beautiful story that is not aired often, which is odd since it has a 7.0 rating on IMDb. You might have a hard time finding it but once you do, it could become one of your favorite movies.
Sage Woman Chronicles 