TD says that it was "painful" to watch `Ted and Venus'. That's just what Bud Cort meant to do with this film, as I see it. I own the film and have viewed it many times, and what I like about it is that Bud was very brave to bring what is basically a sad and creepy story, based on a true sad and creepy story of a poet who became manically obsessed with a social worker. It's not a pretty story about `perfect' people; it's not supposed to be. Each character in this film has flaws, though not as serious as Ted Whitley's. That, to me, is more real than a lot of films that I have seen come out of Hollywood recently-be they independent, or mainstream-made. I hope that he gets the chance to direct again.
I liked that Bud took the true story this film was based on and went one step further, and instead of the `happy' ending of the girl moving away and changing her name, and the poet's getting some much needed therapy and moving on with his life, you get a possible, if not probable, extreme ending: something that could happen if such a man as Ted crossed the line with such an obsession as his. It's basically a tale of sexual harassment, and what can happen to someone who refuses to take someone's `no' for an answer.
What I also like about it, as well, is that it's one of the few films that I have seen, which, even for it's subject matter, shows that there can be humor in such a situation. The `courtship' scenes with Kim Adams are quite funny, as are Bud's scenes with James Brolin, Carol Kane and Martin Mull, all giving fine performances.
Bud once had a friend that went through a similar experience, and after much coaxing to see it, told him, upon finally seeing the film, that there were moments she recalled which were very surreal, even comic at times! She told him that the film was a very cathartic experience for her. As in real life, there are moments that happen to us all which are comic, even though we may more often see them that way in hindsight, rather than while we are actually experiencing it.
Even though there are comic moments, the mistake that most people make about "Ted and Venus" is that just because it's a Bud Cort film, it's not supposed have any drama in it.
I say, `Bravo, Bud'!!
