The Impossible Years

It was a flashback Friday for me today. One that took me back to one of the movies that made an indelible impression on me as a preteen. "The Impossible Years" starring David Niven, Lola Albright, Chad Everett, and Ozzie Nelson...to name a few.

David Niven plays a psychiatrist who is run ragged trying to keep his free spirited teenage daughter, played by the beautiful Cristina Ferrare, sheltered from her new found sexuality.  Just as the oldest daughter embraces the woman she is to become and proves to her parents she is growing into a responsible adult, her younger sisters (played by Darleen Carr) own hormones begin to rage out of control.

The movie is a very stylish and chic comedy set in suburbia as the era of the innocent and carefree American lifestyle was coming to an end.

I remember how upset my mom and older brother were about this film having only a 'G' rating. It caused quite a stir because of all the references to human sexuality it contained. I think my mom was quite embarrassed that she had taken me to see it. 

What a lecture I received by both my mom and older brother, whom I adored, about how I was never to behave so inappropriately when I became a teenager, which was less than 3 years away.  Yeah, I heard the words and nodded my head as if to give reassurance, when truth be known, I secretly wanted to be just like the character Cristina portrayed, right down her long lush hair and sexy bikini clad body. But alas, I was doomed to pass through my teenage years as a shy, insecure girl who was never allowed to wear a bikini.

Looking back it saddens me to think that something so beautiful as embracing human sexuality was looked upon as disgusting and sinful and.  I've had to fight a long hard battle to loose those thoughts and view coming of age as a beautiful thing. In hind sight I feel I've done a pretty good job of it. At least as good a job as anyone coming from an extremely fundamentalist religion can expect. I thank God everyday that I raised my kids to be independent thinkers and free from the shackles that religion imposes. Come to think of it, my kids were pretty responsible teenagers, so hubby and I must have done something right.

We have sure come a long way as a society since this film was released.

The memory of this movie has been cherished and kept safe in the deep recesses of my mind for a long time. I'm so excited I found it on iTunes and also at the following website:  http://tiny.cc/d1u58

Not only was this was a great blast from the past, but I also remember some of the music being pretty good.  The title track was written by the 'Tokens' and performed by the 'Cowsills'.  And if you didn't already know, the Cowsills were the real life inspiration for the hit television show "The Partridge Family".

The featured Cowsills CD, originally released in 1967, has been digitally remastered and now includes eight additional bonus tracks. I got a kick out of remembering some of these classics, especially the one from the TV series "Love American Style".