Butterflies Are Free (1972)

Butterflies Are Free is a 1972 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Milton Katselas from a screenplay by Leonard Gershe, based on Gershe's 1969 play. The film stars Goldie Hawn, Eileen Heckart, and Edward Albert. It follows Jill Tanner (Hawn), a free-spirited young woman who becomes romantically involved with her new next-door neighbor, a blind man named Don Baker (Albert), who has recently moved out to live on his own. However, Don's overly protective mother (Heckart) tries to end their romance, fearing that Jill will break her son's heart.

The film was released in the United States on July 6, 1972, by Columbia Pictures. It received mostly positive reviews from critics, with particular praise for the performances of Hawn, Heckart, and Albert as well as Leonard Gershe's screenplay, and was a box office success, grossing roughly $6.7 million on a $1.2 million budget. While the original play was set in East Village, Manhattan, the screenplay written for the film was set in the 1355, 1355A, 1357, 1359 Grant Avenue building in North Beach, San Francisco..

At the 30th Golden Globe Awards, the film received five nominations including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Hawn, Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Most Promising Newcomer – Male for Albert, and Best Original Song for "Carry Me". Though Heckart was not among the Golden Globe nominees for the film, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the 45th Academy Awards. The film was additionally nominated for Best Cinematography (the eighteenth and final nomination for legendary cinematographer Charles Lang) and Best Sound for Charles T. Knight and Arthur Piantadosi. Leonard Gershe also received a nomination for Best Comedy – Adapted from Another Medium at the 25th Writers Guild of America Awards.