Me Natalie (DVD)

From childhood, slightly awkward Brooklyn teenager Natalie Miller (Patty Duke, Valley of the Dolls, The Miracle Worker) never has subscribed to her mother’s (Nancy Merchand, TV’s The Sopranos) determined belief that she will grow up to be pretty. Her best friend Betty (Deborah Winters, Kotch) is a knockout gorgeous blonde with boyfriends, which further depresses her. Then she meets handsome David Harris (James Farentino, The War Lord), who finally convinces her that she’s a worthwhile human being and not the ugly duckling she always imagined herself to be. Television veteran Fred Coe (A Thousand Clowns) directed this sweet and charming comedy-drama written by A. Martin Zweiback (Grace Quigley) and Stanley Shapiro (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and featuring a Grammy-nominated score by the great Henry Mancini (The Pink Panther). Patty Duke won the 1970 Golden Globe for Best Actress – Comedy or Musical for her endearing performance. The stellar cast includes Martin Balsam (After the Fox), Elsa Lanchester (Witness for the Prosecution), Bob Balaban (Cradle Will Rock) and screen legend Al Pacino (Dog Day Afternoon) in his feature film debut.