"Cynthia" is a must enjoyable and unusual film...and it gives you a chance to see Elizabeth Taylor receive her first onscreen kiss!
When the story begins, Larry and Louise (George Murphy and Mary Astor) fall in love and marry...and have so many wonderful dreams for their future. Sadly, however, they soon have a child...and the child is sickly. As Cynthia (Taylor) grows, her over-protective homelife begins to take its toll. Her uncle is a doctor and he insists on Cynthia living a very sheltered life...and Larry insists that they do whatever his brother-in-law says....even though he and his family are jerks. As for Louise, she is beginning to realize the damage being done to her daughter...as she's in high school and shouldn't miss the things normal kids do. Additionally, she is tired of seeing her husband behaving so spinelessly with his boss and brother-in-law...which creates a schism in the marriage. What's to come of all this? See the film.
"Cynthia" is a great example of the sort of sweet family picture MGM could make during its heyday. Excellent acting, music, direction and a sweet story elevate this 'average' film for the studio into something special.
By the way, IMDB noted it and I was surprised too to see Spring Byington playing a rather hateful person....quite unusual.
