Film vs Film
Select two cult films to compare side by side.
Home Synopsis
Bessie Wheaton returns from Europe to find that her nouveau-riche family has adopted and magnified the worst characteristics of the upper class. Her father spends all of his time at the club, her mother cultivates snobbishness, and her sister thinks only of marrying into royalty. To shake them out of their aristocratic poses, Bessie decides to reflect all of their faults, becoming as lazy as her father and as status conscious as her mother. She even rejects her own sweetheart, Allan Shelby, to lure Count d'Orr away from her sister. Finally, her family members confront her and she angrily tells them that she was only mirroring their behavior. She then runs away, but Allan, with whom she quickly reconciles, brings her back, just as her family acknowledges their recent burlesque of the upper crust.
Whither Thou Goest Synopsis
Seized with a fainting spell during a polo game, Donald Van Wye is given six months to live and told he must go to Arizona. His brother Tom, an irresponsible college youth, is wired to come home and take Donald's place. When Tom arrives, Donald finds that his little brother has committed himself to an actress named Maizie. Donald pleads with the actress to give Tom up, but when she refuses, Donald marries her in order to save his brother. The couple go to Arizona where their love ripens, and through Maizie's prayers, Donald regains his health. Mrs. Van Wye then comes to visit and tells Maizie that she is preventing Donald from assuming his rightful place in society. Crushed, Maizie starts across the desert alone, and when Donald learns of his mother's dreadful behavior, he follows Maizie and begs her to stay.
"Home" holds a slight edge in general audience appreciation, but "Whither Thou Goest" offers its own unique cult appeal.
Suggested Watch:
Home