The Way They Were: How Epic Battles and Bruised Egos Brought a Classic Hollywood Love Story to the Screen

The Way We Were, the 1973 film, is much beloved by moviegoers. Written by Arthur Laurents, who later turned his screenplay into a best-selling novel, it’s the poignant story of mismatched lovers: Katie (Barbra Streisand), an insecure Jewish activist, and Hubbell (Robert Redford), a white preppy golden boy. It’s a special film with an unforgettable and tear-jerking ending, thanks to the stars’ excellent chemistry and Marvin Hamlisch’s lush Oscar-winning score. But readers of Hofler’s book will also learn that this beloved romantic film came close to never being made. Just in time for the film’s 50th anniversary, theater critic Hofler (Money, Murder, and Dominick Dunne: A Life in Several Acts) digs deep to find the drama that went on behind-the-scenes. For instance, the film’s director, Sydney Pollack, had to deal with producer Ray Stark’s interference. There were also endless script rewrites, Streisand’s acute anxiety vs. Redford’s nonchalance (after months of fierce resistance to signing onto the film), and early previews that were not promising. But it all worked out, and the film went on to be the fifth highest-grossing movie of the year.