A TV masterpiece

Jonthan22

This 1976 TV mini-series was aired before I was born, and I did not see it until i was a child in the early 90's, and the fact that a 10 yr old boy watching the show nearly 20 years after it was made, thoroughly enjoyed it speaks volumes for this TV masterpiece.

Rich Man Poor Man is adapted from Irwin Shaw's incredible novel and tell the story of two Brothers, Rudy (Peter Strauss) and Tom (Nick Nolte) Jordache, and follows their lives spanning 20 years from the end of the Second world war, to the mid-60's.

The series starts in 1945, when the brothers are in their late teens.

Rudy is the rich man of the title. A prim and proper son and student, he does his homework, helps his father run the family bakery, dates a respectable young nurse, Julie (Susan Blakely), and has ambition to make something of himself in the growing corporate world.

Tom, on the other hand, is a free spirit, and is the Poor man of the title. He is interested in little else other than having fun with his friends and getting into mischief and street brawls.

Rudy is always treated as the favourite by both their mother and father, although Tom seems to harbour no resentment towards his brother for this, instead aiming most of his anger at his father.

When a millionaire's mansion is set on fire by Tom in their quiet suburban town, Tom's parents expel their son from their home and so starts the two halves of the series as we are shown Rudy's life as a corporate bigwig and budding politician, and Tom's life as a lonely drifter, moving from town to town, resorting to Prize fights to make a living.

Rudy chases the girl of his dreams, Julie, for years and finally marries her, and seems to have everything, a beautiful wife, money and a great career, but is his life really filled with happiness? He starts to alienate his wife and she turns to drink as an escape, and the two are locked in a rocky marriage which leaves neither of them fulfilled.

Tom gets in trouble with the law, and the mafia and has to resort to living under a false identity aboard a merchant marine ship, where he strikes up a rivalry with the ships alpha male, the cruel and dangerous Falconetti (wonderfully played by William Smith). But in the end, he settles down in France with a loving wife and son, with little money, but surrounded by loving friends and family, running a tour boat business.

This series has a simple message, money cannot buy happiness, and true happiness is found in love and friendship. But the way in which the series put across this message is truly genius. The show never holds back...we see the gritty world for what it is, there is action, drama, tension (all compounded by a great team of writers and superb acting on everyones part).

The shock ending left me angry(in a good way), sad, and wanting more....which is what I got in RMPM Book II, also very good.

If anyone hasn't watched this, do so, it is truly entertaining and may teach you a thing or two about life, and what it truly means.

score 10/10

Jonthan22 22 November 2007

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1767833/