THE PUMPKIN EATER (1964)

Cast

Plot

In her third marriage to writer Jake Armitage Jo wrangles her brood of five young children with Jake’s cheerful support. But Jo’s happiness is shattered when she realizes that Jake is unfaithful. Pregnant with another child, Jo becomes increasingly distraught, and eventually breaks down utterly when confronted with more evidence of Jake’s infidelity. The screenplay by Harold Pinter takes a cold psychological look at the interior turmoil of a middle class wife and mother, and begs the question: what is the ultimate cause of Jo’s unhappiness? Director Jack Clayton shines a harsh light on fidelity and marital responsibility in this disturbing, sharply crafted drama.