mark.waltz You have to give Natalie Wood credit for trying a different type of role in this poorly written T.V. movie where the hero and heroine have such sudden change of moods, you'd think that somebody would have come up with the term "Bi-Polar" long before it entered the English language. Ms. Wood, so self-aware of her short-comings as an actress, was noted for showing up to accept her award for winning "Worst Actress of the Year" for several films during the 1960's, and yet kept trying to improve her method, sometimes with, yet usually without, success.In the case of "The Affair", she plays a handicapped woman, both physically and mentally, who attempts without success to keep herself from falling in love with her father's handsome business associate (real-life husband Robert Wagner). When she first meets him, she goes out of her way to ridicule him, but no sooner has she let out her first insult than she's involved in a hot and heavy affair with him. But when he gets serious, she wants to take a step back, and when she starts to get serious, he's ready to bail. This makes their relationship quite confusing, something sad to say also became a part of their off-screen marriage.Natalie makes herself look a lot less glamorous than normal, wearing an unbecoming hairstyle and less make-up. At first, it is even hard to recognize her. The chemistry between Wagner and Wood is mixed, much like most of the Taylor/Burton pairings which go to prove that off-screen relationships don't always have the best on-screen magic. The best performance comes from Bruce Davison as Wood's free-spirited brother. Fans of "Days of Our Lives" will be delighted to spot matriarch Alice Horton (Frances Reid) in a bit part as Wood's mother.

xredgarnetx THE AFFAIR is a very bad TV movie from the 1970s starring the then-husband-wife team of Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood as hesitant lovers. She has polio and leads a reclusive existence as a pop song writer. He's an ambitious lawyer who is very outgoing and absolutely smitten with her. Their affair, such as it is, is doomed from the start, and she knows it, but goes along with it anyway. Two things to watch for if you are trapped into watching this: Wood's Jane Fonda hairdo that is never mussed, no matter what, and a tune she sings early in this dreadful flick. She sings it for four or five or six minutes, so you know it's classic padding between commercials. It also is one of the worst songs ever written, and the woman doing Wood's singing voice should have been shot and put out of her misery. Also, keep an eye out for all the peasant tops and dresses. By comparison, Wagner looks relatively timeless, with close-cropped hair and sporting a series of classic suits.

elysergooser Not because it is a great movie by any means even by TV movie standards...but because of the deep and abiding affection I have for the Courtney Patterson character as portrayed by the luminous Wood. Like the former commenter I was INCENCENSED by the way Marcus Simon as portrayed by empty suit (okay, he wasn't that bad) Bobby Wagner pursued this emotionally fragile woman (despite an outward bravado) took her virginity and then when she FINALLY gave herself to a man fully and fell in love for the first time he decides that she is not worth the trouble because of her difficulty dealing with his shallow friends and tells her "I cannot handle it, Court!" and then rather coldly dumps her like she is a piece of garbage...She then tries to kill herself (or was it an accident with a broken glass???) and finally her hippie brother consoles her by saying, "Well,it looks like you finally got yourself loved!!!" and then they walk out into the sunset and the movie ends...(As a polio victim she had to walk on crutches, very poignant)Well, I enjoyed the sappy song Nat sang that foreshadowed the rest of the movie and I am a fool for the whole seventies TV movie vibe but mostly the reason to see this flick is for the performance of Natalie Wood who brings dignity and defiance to the character of Courtney and we get the feeling by the end of the movie that the real emotional cripple is the RJ character who uses this great lady and gets out of the relationship when the going gets rough...I bought this public domain movie at 6.99 at Circuit City several years ago but it is available for free on Google video..it is very blurry and faded but hey, free is free...Oh, P.S. Nat was pregnant during the filming with her second daughter who she named Courtney ...:)oh, and Frances (DOOL) Reid plays Nat's mom and she sang a song (" This is your Lucky Day")in the scne where the Patterson family is enjoying Christmas

whpratt1 Over the years I missed this TV Film and was completely surprised by the great performance of Natalie Wood,(Courtney Patterson),"Meteor",'79, a cripple who was taken advantage of by Robert Wagner (Marcus Simon),"El Padrino,'03. Marcus Simon fell madly in love with Courtney and drove Courtney crazy until she finally paid attention to him and went to bed with him. Marcus should never have started a romance with Courtney, because he was only going to Break Her Heart. The acting between Marcus & Courtney was fantastic and at times made you very angry at Marcus for having started this entire "AFFAIR". Bruce Davison,(Jamie Patterson), Courtney's brother tells her, "At least someone loved you in this world" and it was good you got to see what the REAL WORLD IS ALL ABOUT" ! Natlie Wood & Robert Wagner were married for the second time during this film and they were really a match made in Heaven! Natlie is greatly missed!