Now, Voyager

With the help of a psychologist (Claude Rains), a Boston spinster (Bette Davis) breaks out of her shell and finds a lover (Paul Henreid) only to face complications.

Now, Voyager is a classic melodrama buoyed by universally strong performances and a script that eschews a pat, Hollywood ending.

Claude Rains gives one of his most charismatic performances as the firm, but kind psychologist who helps lead Bette Davis’ character break free of her mother’s oppressive influence. He carries the film’s opening.

For her part, Davis is amazing, playing what’s almost a dual role, yet she makes the transformation believable, imbuing her new persona with just enough uncertainty to remind you of the woman she once was.

Opposite her, Paul Henreid takes a little getting used to but once he settles in he’s great, and very believable as a man torn between his love for Davis and his sense of morality and honor.

Finally, there’s Gladys Cooper who was nominated along with Davis for an Oscar for her role as Davis’s character’s domineering mother. She plays a bitch, but does it well, conveying a deep seeded fear and hurt behind her character’s vitriol.

Granted, Now, Voyager is basically one long soap opera (and one that does drag a bit toward the third act) but it’s tremendously well done, pushing all the right buttons but never being obvious about it, right down to the bittersweet finale that fits just right. It may be popcorn drama, but it’s entertaining nonetheless.