Depression-era, rags-to-riches story with Natalie Wood as the tomboy-heroine abandoned by her father and living with her eccentric mother in a run-down shack by the seashore. Discovered by a film producer (the darkly sinister Christopher Plummer), Daisy quickly achieves stardom as a musical singing star (a la Judy Garland) but, unable to cope with the sudden fame, she escapes into a romance with matinée idol Robert Redford. Later realizing that Redford is gay and that her studio sees her only as a commodity, a disillusioned Daisy has a nervous breakdown and attempts suicide before finally finding the strength to turn her back on Hollywood. On the face of it, this film (based on a novel by Gavin Lambert) sounds compelling but too many cartoonish situations and characters (particularly Daisy's mother and sister) undermine the story. Natalie Wood, herself, is allowed to overdo the tomboyish nature of Daisy's personality (she's like a female Huck Finn). Christopher Plummer and Robert Redford are both very good, however, and, in supporting roles, Roddy McDowall and Katherine Bard lurk mysteriously in the background (Bard seems to belong in a different film entirely. When she confronts Daisy following Daisy's failed marriage to the matinée idol, it's like Jane Eyre coming face to face with Rodchester's mad wife). A disappointment.

Natalie Wood was probably the right person to cast in Robert Mulligan's "Inside Daisy Clover". It focuses on a teenage girl wrung through the Hollywood machine, something that Wood herself experienced. Dolled up and presented as the next big thing, Daisy has all manner of unpleasant experiences with stardom.

One particular parallel to Wood's life is Daisy's romance with a closeted gay leading man (Wood dated a number of gay men in real life, and even gave Mart Crowley the funds to stage "The Boys in the Band"). I figure that the depiction of homosexuality must've been risky for the time, considering that the Hays Code was still in effect. But whatever the case, the result is a fine and often intense piece of work. In addition to Wood are Christopher Plummer as a machiavellian executive, Ruth Gordon as Daisy's mom, and Robert Redford as the closeted gay actor.

After discovering that Natalie Wood was 27 when she made this film, it was somewhat difficult to believe she was only 15. But ignoring her age and concentrating on her acting helped. At times she is campy, but other times she is absolutely stunning. The movie has beautiful scenery and a good story line, but it is quite random in some spots. Though it leaves a lot to be desired as far as credibility is concerned, the acting is outstanding. Natalie does as best as can be expected as an adult playing a teenager. I keep picturing her as Susan in "Miracle on 34th Street." A very young Robert Redford is a treat. He plays handsome homosexual actor Wade Lewis and you cannot help but fall in love with him just as Natalie's character Daisy Clover does. Roddy MacDowell's role gets quite annoying after awhile but it is still funny. And Christopher Plummer is absolutely incredible as movie producer Raymond Swan. He is simultaneously creepy and fascinating. I could not take my eyes off of him for a moment. There are four good scenes in the movie. 1.) Daisy and Wade meeting for the first time in the white bedroom with the waterfall. 2.) Melora's drunken outrage over Wade's abandoning Daisy. 3.) Raymond's poolside lecture to Daisy. 4.) Raymond's love/hate lecture when he visits Daisy at her beach house. This movie is worth watching for its ability to keep your attention even though it is slow and overdramatic. The ending keeps you guessing as to what happens to Daisy afterwards.