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Take an unbelievably gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor in her prime and pair her with an impossibly handsome young Paul Newman and you've got the main characters from one of my favorite movies, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Filmed in 1958 and directed by Richard Brooks (Looking for Mr. Goodbar, the Happy Ending), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is the story of Maggie "the cat" (Taylor) and her alcoholic, depressed husband Brick Pollitt (Newman). Based on the famous play by Tennessee Williams, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof packs in some powerful performances from all of the main characters.

Brick Pollitt is depressed. No longer a star football player, and recovering from a broken leg, he's a broken down and sad man. His wife Maggie is starved for his affection. Brick drinks all day long while his wife tries to cover for him. It's his father, Big Daddy's, birthday and Maggie picks out a luxurious robe which she says Brick picked out. The character of Big Daddy is portrayed flawlessly by the legendary Burl Ives. Although Ives was only in his late 40's when he played this part, he convincingly comes off as the patriarch to the Pollitt family.

Also living on the family estate is Brick's brother, Gooper (played by Jack Carson), his horrible wife (played by Madeleine Sherwood, best known as Mother Superior on The Flying Nun) and their unruly kids. Gooper and his wife are trying to set themselves up to someday gain control of Big Daddy's estate.

On the night of Big Daddy's birthday party, the family gets some devastating news from the family doctor: Big Daddy has advanced stage cancer and he doesn't have long to live. At first the family tries to keep the news a secret from Big Daddy (this would never happen today, due to patient privacy laws, but remember this film is from 1958).

Bi Daddy is one smart man and can instantly tell that something is up. He tries talking to his sons but no one tells him the truth. Meanwhile, Gooper and his wife begin gathering legal and financial papers in preparation for Big Daddy's death. Maggie "the cat" steps in and gives them all a piece of her mind. Meanwhile Big Daddy, on to his son Gooper's greedy ways, calls Brick down into the cellar for a little chat. In a powerfully emotional scene, all of the pain and hurt from the past come out and Brick has a compete breakdown. It is then that you see that this son and his distant father have a strong emotional bond. You can tell that Brick is Big Daddy's favorite and that he is disappointed in his other son, Gooper.

When they go upstairs, Big Daddy catches Gooper with the stack of legal papers and makes a snide comment. It is then that Maggie announces her birthday gift to Big Daddy-- that she is pregnant. Everyone knows this is impossible, as a perpetually drunk Brick has had no interest in her for quite some time. Gooper's wife even makes a comment about how she hears the "nightly pleadings and the nightly refusals". Still, Big Daddy and Big Momma are pleased as can be that Maggie is with child, even if they don't completely believe it. Then Big Daddy takes his wife by the arm (the first time he treats her respectfully in the entire movie) and they go out to stroll their grounds and take stock of the rest of their lives together.

The movie ends with Brick trying to make amends with his wife. It is clear that he realizes that she has always stood by him and that it is time that he treats her like a wife.

So why do I love this movie? Granted the subject matter-- family strife, mortality-- is not exactly uplifting. But the movie's performances are so well done and I love the Southern drawl of Liz Taylor. And Burl Ives and Paul Newman are always engaging to watch. In this day of high tech action films, it's sometimes refreshing to sit back and watch a story set in a simpler time. There are no elaborate sets or special effects like we see in today's movies-- just two or three sets and classic storytelling, with powerful acting performances. Now that's what makes a great movie, in my opinion.