The Group (1966)

As the veil of the Great Depression drapes over America in 1933, eight friends, the crème de la crème of the Vassar class, stand on the precipice of adulthood, their futures brimming with promise and uncertainty. Drawn from the upper-class echelons of South Tower College, their lives unfold before us in a riveting tableau of ambition, romance, and personal discovery, meticulously chronicled from their graduation to the foreboding onset of the Second World War. Among the octet is Kay, an ambitious theater major who, despite being somewhat of an outsider, decides to promptly marry and support her struggling playwright husband, Harald, by working at Macy's. Her need for control, intensified by the challenges in her marriage and the tumultuous world events, forms the heart of her narrative. Not far behind in ambition is Libby, an English major whose bravado masks her insecurities, as she yearns for a career in the publishing world. Contrasting Libby's assertiveness is Dottie, the proper Bostonian who, despite aiming for the stars, may end up settling for less than she dreamed. Polly, the chemistry major who becomes a medical technician, grapples with the reality of dealing with psychological problems, both professionally and personally. Priss, the political enthusiast, struggles to harmonize love and politics, while Helena, the artist-turned-nursery-school teacher, serves as the group's communicator, reporting their lives' ebbs and flows to the world. As Pokey, the wealthy socialite, strives for a life of leisure in marriage, Lakey, the beautiful art history major shrouded in allure, escapes to Europe to broaden her horizons. But beneath her pursuit of knowledge, she yearns for freedom, a chance to break away from her Vassar life. "The Group" intricately weaves together these friends' lives, portraying their romances, marriages, career pursuits and soul-searching journeys. Their highs and lows are captured in a serialized narrative that mirrors the complexity of life's tapestry, engaging viewers in a captivating exploration of youth, ambition, and the relentless march of time.

The Group is a drama movie featuring Candice Bergen.

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