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A Very Natural Thing

A Very Natural Thing

Drama · Romance · 1974

When David, an ex-monk still in his twenties meets Mark, he falls hard; soon he's asked Mark if they can live together. Things go well for awhile, and then differences in their definition of "commitment" begin to push them apart. Mark wants other sexual adventures, David tries to go along. Can they talk through the crisis in their relationship or is a breakup in the offing? David sees his relationship with Mark as a marriage, so if it ends, can David's heart ever heal?

Movie details

A Very Natural Thing

“David and Jason's relationship... it's the same only different.”

1974 Drama · Romance 1h 26m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

When David, an ex-monk still in his twenties meets Mark, he falls hard; soon he's asked Mark if they can live together. Things go well for awhile, and then differences in their definition of "commitment" begin to push them apart. Mark wants other sexual adventures, David tries to go along. Can they talk through the crisis in their relationship or is a breakup in the offing? David sees his relationship with Mark as a marriage, so if it ends, can David's heart ever heal?

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 A Very Natural Thing?

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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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Purusha Larkin

Written by

Purusha Larkin · Joseph Coencas

R

Robert McLane

David

C

Curt Gareth

Mark

B

Bo White

Jason

A

Anthony McKay

Gary, the Roommate

M

Marilyn Meyers

Valerie, his Fiance

Jay Pierce

Jay Pierce

Alan

B

Barnaby Rudge

Hughey

Court is in session

Put A Very Natural Thing 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.