The Sterile Cuckoo

"First love... if it happens to you once, you're lucky"

Oct 22 1969 PG 1h 47m
Comedy, Drama, Romance

Uptight college freshman Jerry Payne finds a carefree friend in zany Pookie. After an awkward meeting on the bus, Pookie quickly works her way into Jerry's life. She makes an unannounced visit to Jerry's campus, and before long annoyance turns to affection, and friendship turns to romance. But with Pookie's increasingly neurotic behavior, how long can this love affair last?

Plot

Two students from neighboring colleges in upstate New York are swept up in a tragic romantic interlude calling for a maturity of vision beyond their experience of capabilities. Pookie Adams, a kooky, lonely misfit with no family and no place to go, insists on calling all those who won't participate in her world "weirdos." She clings to Jerry, a quiet, studious fellow who has the ability to choose to live in Pookie's private little world or be accepted by the society that she rejects. Unwittingly, it is through their awkward relationship that Pookie actually prepares Jerry for the world of "weirdos" into which she neither fits nor wishes to fit.

Written by

John Nichols, Alvin Sargent

Directed by

Alan J. Pakula

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

Boardwalk Productions, Paramount

Languages

English

Awards

Nominated for 2 Oscars. 3 wins & 7 nominations total

Scores
# of Votes
2,496
Average Rating
6.6 out of 10
Metascore
68
Popularity
NA