Terraces (1977)

One of my all time favorites.

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

This is very evocative of the type of shows offered in the mid 70's. A soap opera with all plot lines neatly tied up by the end of the movie. Everyone happy. This is interesting to see for the look into the fashions, the slang, the morals and the music of that period. -- Julie Newmar showing a belly button (I Dream of Jeannie wasn't allowed to show that part of the anatomy. -- a gay plot line that used the word "gay" and didn't hide it under euphemisms. -- Single women being the aggressor in sexual pursuit and openly saying they liked sex. -- bell bottoms -- dresses with high necklines and flowing skirts. -- culottes as part of business attire. -- adultery without someone being killed off.

Aired in 1977, this was one of the very very first TV movies that had a very sympathetic gay plot line! And for that time period, the plot line was and is very moving and touching. For that reason I think it's valuable to watch the film (now on Netflix Instant), even if only to see how daring it was for the times.The overarching set-up of the movie is that it takes place in an LA apartment complex, and follows the inhabitants of five of the apartments on the eighth floor whose terraces adjoin one another. These include Julie, a gal getting her very first apartment and who has a bit of low self-esteem; Roberta and Martin, a retired Jewish couple; Beth and Gregg, a young "golden couple" who are having marital difficulties; a flakey glamour girl (Julie Newmar); and Alex, a young gay actor.Alex is good-humored and bright but feels like a flake. His meeting and falling in love with and having a serious affair with an older, married doctor (Lloyd Bochner) however, has given his life meaning. But when the doctor's wife attempts to track down the "other woman" in her husband's life, things come to a head.I found this riveting in 1977. Perhaps it's less so now, and certainly the 1970s' music and TV production values and even the dialogue can seem a bit dated now, but I think the movie still holds up as an interesting ensemble piece of multiple overlapping story lines, highlighted in particular by the excellent gay-related plot. Check it out.

I remember watching this when it originally aired, and then catching it over the years. It's really the quintessential 1970s TV movie, with swinging singles, adultery, homosexuality, suicide, and Julie Newmar doing an amazing kick-split. My sister and I discussed all the juicy details, none of which I will go into, lest I ruin the film for those who haven't seen it. In a way, I truly believed that this is what it would be like to be single and living on my own, and I couldn't wait until the day I could move into a singles' apartment complex. Sadly, singles' apartment complexes have gone the way of the world. If this film were available on DVD, I'd buy two copies!

I've actually seen this one too...but recently! This was on cable one night at about 3:00AM when I was up with my infant daughter.Not much plot here, just the daily lives of a group of people in an apartment building. Yes, there's lots of awful 70's home decor and clothing--probably why I watched. Hard to believe this was on late night cable, much less prime time network television!