Butterflies Are Free

In the bohemian San Francisco of the early 1970s, Jill Tanner, a 19-year-old free spirit, returns to her apartment one day to discover her new neighbor, 20-year-old aspiring songwriter Don Baker, peering through a window. Through their paper-thin walls, she overhears him arguing with his overprotective mother, Florence. Intrigued, Jill decides to take the initiative and introduces herself to Don.

Don explains that his frequent phone conversations with Florence revolve around a pact they made, allowing him to live independently for two months without her interference. Jill, candid about her own life experiences, including her early marriage at sixteen, reveals that she has sworn off commitments to avoid hurting people. She learns of Don's blindness after witnessing him drop his cigarette ash on the coffee table instead of the ashtray, prompting her to naively inquire about his daily life and how he manages his everyday tasks. Don explains his "shadow vision" and how he navigates the world.

Jill shares with Don that her favorite quote is from Dickens' "Bleak House": "I only ask to be free. The butterflies are free. Mankind will surely not deny to Harold Skimpole what it concedes to the butterflies." Don improvises a song and begins strumming "Butterflies Are Free" on his guitar.

Jill continues to inquire about Don's life as a blind individual, and Don supports her in developing confidence in her inquiries. Together, they explore a unique bohemian clothing store on Union Street, where they receive assistance from the owner, Roy, in choosing free-spirited and liberating fashion pieces. During this excursion, Don also showcases how he counts steps to navigate the city. In their conversation, Jill shares her upcoming audition with theater director Ralph Santore, who has romantic interests. Acting on Jill's suggestion, Don purchases a stylish ensemble to boost his self-assurance.

Back at their apartments, Don shares the story of Florence's children's books featuring the character "Donnie Dark," a young blind superhero. Despite his mother's intentions to inspire him, Don felt inadequate under her high expectations. Jill empathizes with Don's disappointment in love and suggests they open the door connecting their apartments as a gesture of friendship. Attracted to Don, Jill offers for him to touch her face, allowing him to "see" her. However, an accidental mishap with her accessories leads to a passionate but ultimately misunderstood encounter.

The next day, Jill expresses her joy over their intimacy and shares her keepsake box's secrets with Don. Their moment is interrupted when Florence arrives unexpectedly, appalled by the living conditions and Jill's presence in her underwear. Florence berates Don and questions Jill's suitability. Florence decides to cut off financial support and begins packing Don's belongings to take him home.

Despite Don's objections, Florence extends an invitation to Jill for lunch, hoping to convince her to end her involvement with Don. However, Jill passionately defends her relationship with him, emphasizing that Florence tends to focus on the negative aspects. Jill conveys that while she might not be the perfect match for Don, her presence has not diminished his self-confidence.

Later that night, as Don and Florence await Jill's return, Florence admits to having spoken with Jill earlier. Don accuses Florence of attempting to push Jill away. When Jill eventually arrives, she is accompanied by Ralph, the director of the play she had auditioned for. Jill hesitates as she shares her decision to move in with Ralph, igniting rising tensions. Don questions the need for a nude scene in her upcoming play, and Ralph inadvertently offends Florence, who hails from a wealthy background.

Jill further embarrasses Don by suggesting that he touch Ralph's face to appreciate his handsomeness. After Jill and Ralph leave, a disheartened Don implores Florence to take him back home. However, she reminds him that sighted men also go through heartbreak. Florence then shares the inspiration behind the "Donnie Dark" books as her way of helping him confront his fears, and she must now do the same for herself, albeit with sadness. They eventually come to terms with their evolving roles in life and make amends.

Jill rushes back in, revealing her apprehensions about hurting Don. A heated argument erupts between them regarding her departure, with Don insisting that she is the one emotionally handicapped. She eventually departs, but later has a change of heart and returns to Don. They share a moment of laughter and reconciliation, pledging to nurture a loving and dedicated relationship. As Don listens to "Butterflies Are Free," he sheds tears, a mixture of disappointment and relief.

• Goldie Hawn as Jill Tanner
• Edward Albert as Don Baker
• Eileen Heckart as Mrs. Baker
• Michael Glaser as Ralph Santori
• Michael Warren as Roy

Variety wrote: "Although the setting has been changed from New York to San Francisco for no apparent reason, Leonard Gershe's screen adaptation of his successful Broadway play ... is an excellent example of how to switch from one medium to another without sacrificing any of the qualities which makes the original version such a success."[5] The review further praises the acting of Goldie Hawn, saying: "Miss Hawn, funny and touching, is a delight throughout and Miss Heckart finally gets another film role that enables her to display the versatility that has been evident for a long time in her stage roles."[5]

Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote: "The film is not completely without intelligence, but its intelligence is in the service of the kind of sentimentality that shrivels the mind, like something left in water too long."[6]

Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "a very well-made commercial play—funny, sentimental, positive, tight—has become a well-made commercial movie—light, bright, extremely well and personably acted, and preserving the intimacy and the unity which were the virtues of the play."[7]

Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film three stars out of four and wrote that "one of the attractive aspects of Butterflies Are Free is that each of the three characters is incomplete and flawed. To that degree the Leonard Gershe screenplay approaches believability, and this is a rare quality for a tear-jerker to have."[8]

Gary Arnold of The Washington Post stated "While the material is essentially shallow and often insufferable in its sentimental opportunism, Gershe and Katselas demonstrate some theatrical talent and mechanical aptitude ... The play itself is nothing to brag about, but I doubt if one could transpose it much more adroitly and presentably. Instead of inflating or vulgarising this frail property, Katselas tries to keep it intimate and engaging."[9]

John Gillett of The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote "Occasionally it is all rather twee, plumping for the easy emotional response and the easy tear; yet much of the writing has sharpness and bite, notably in the initial meetings between Jill and Don, when they talk out their pasts together and improvise meals on the floor."[10]

Time pointed out the talent of Goldie Hawn, stating: "Goldie Hawn, as the girl next door, has come a long way from her giddy role in Laugh-In; she is often genuinely touching."[11] Time praised the acting of both Edward Albert and Eileen Heckart: "Edward Albert, the son of Actor Edward Albert, is creditable as the blind boy, and Eileen Heckart is appropriately hateful as the mother, although she is unable to be convincing in her transformation. But then nobody could be."[11]

The film holds a score of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 12 reviews.[12]

The film was rated in M in New Zealand and Australia where it was previously rated PG.

• List of American films of 1972

• Butterflies Are Free at IMDb
• Butterflies Are Free at the TCM Movie Database
• ​Butterflies Are Free​ at the Internet Broadway Database
• Butterflies Are Free at Rotten Tomatoes
• Butterflies Are Free, full movie on Youtube