John Simon

“…. And what impressive performances!

“Sissy Spacek has already demonstrated her ability to to shuttle between utter innoncence and troubled quirkiness with the utmost ease, or to grow from ugly duckling into radiant maturity. As Pinky, she reconfirms it stunningly. Even more remarkable is Shelley Duvall, who improvised some 80 percent of Millie’s dialogue, and deserves scriptwriter’s credit. With gentle yet harrowing accuracy she embodies a submediocrity with delusions of mediocrity. And she creates an amiably aggressive gooniness that expertly allows charm and pathos to shine through—idiotic charm, but charm still.

Altman belabors his points hammers and tongs. Thus the girls whose nicknames are Pinky and Millie are, he tells us, both called Mildred; and Willie is only Millie with the initial upside down. But when Duvall learns that Spacek became Pinky to escape from a hateful name, she asks Spacek what she imagines Millie to stand for. As Spacek becomes aware of her gaffe, Spacek gives her a look—a short, quick look, yet brimful of amusement, exasperation, condescension, and complicity. That is art.”

John Simon
National Review, April 25, 1977

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