‘Nobody matures… they just grow tired…’
Films about May-December romances have never been more prominent than they are right now. Licorice Pizza, Babygirl, The Idea of You, and, indeed, May December are all recent examples, but this is a concept that goes back to Harold and Maude, Kubrick’s Lolita and beyond. Clint Eastwood’s Breezy follows this same conceit, and while it is certainly one of his lesser-known works (it would definitely be a ‘pointless’ answer), it’s still as economical and competent as most of Eastwood’s output as a director…
Edith ‘Breezy’ Breezerman (Kay Lenz) is a free-spirited 17-year-old homeless orphan who relies on the kindness of strangers for food, money and shelter. After hitching a ride with Frank Harmon (William Holden), a middle-aged divorced real estate manager from California, the two form an unusual but powerful bond.
This is one of the few Eastwood-directed films that he himself doesn’t star in, particularly from this era, and this seems odd given that in many ways, Frank is a very Eastwood character. He’s brusque, often abrasive, a man of few words. On this occasion, however, Eastwood taking a backseat helps the film immeasurably. Holden, who hadn’t worked for three years at this point and was delighted to be involved, is wonderful here. You can see in real time the moments in which his defences, clearly honed over many years, are worn down by Breezy and her inexorable effervescence. Lenz is great too, fully convincing as a girl who is at once a carefree woman and a vulnerable child. While the age gap will be uncomfortable for some, and is probably the reason why the film has fallen by the wayside in recent years, the fact is that these relationships do happen and in Breezy, Eastwood and his cast work hard to make sure that nothing ever feels exploitative or sleazy.
Breezy is a little more than a curio in Eastwood’s oeuvre now, but it is worth revisiting. As with much of the master director’s work, there is nuance here, and plenty of warmth.
