Drama Cult Classic

A flower child drifts between memory and Manhattan, seeking sanctuary in magic and love.

A SAFE PLACE

Q: What is A Safe Place about?

A Safe Place is about a mentally troubled young woman in New York who escapes into memories of childhood magic while caught between two very different men.

1971 · 1h 34m · PG · Drama / Science Fiction · IMDB TMDB

A young woman named Noah lives alone in New York. She is a disturbed flower child, who retreats into her past, yearning for lost innocence. She recalls her childhood, searching for a "safe place." As a child she met a magician in Central Park who presented her with magical objects: a levitating silver ball, a star ring, and a Noah's ark. She is romantically involved with two totally different men. Fred is practical but dull. Mitch is dynamic and sexy, her ideal fantasy partner. Neither man is able to totally fulfill her needs.

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Quick Answer

What is A Safe Place about?

A Safe Place is a 1971 American drama and science fiction film directed by Henry Jaglom about a mentally troubled young woman in New York who escapes into childhood memories and magic while navigating complex relationships.

Programmer's Pick

Henry Jaglom’s debut is a kaleidoscopic trip through Central Park nostalgia, magic boxes, and the bohemian hangover of early ’70s Manhattan. Orson Welles plays a magician who’s more than a party trick, while Tuesday Weld channels a lost generation’s yearning for innocence. Love triangles are one thing—levitating silver balls are another.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

A Safe Place follows Noah, a troubled young woman living alone in New York City, whose mind is as much in the past as in her modest apartment. Struggling with mental instability and a longing for lost innocence, she revisits her childhood through vivid recollections of a mysterious magician she met in Central Park, who enchanted her with magical objects like a levitating silver ball and a star ring. In the present, Noah is caught between two lovers: Fred, who is reliable but uninspiring, and Mitch, who is charismatic and embodies her fantasies. The film weaves together Noah’s fragile reality with her nostalgic reveries, exploring the tension between fantasy, memory, and the harshness of adult life.

Details & Specs

Director: Henry Jaglom
Writer: Henry Jaglom
Release: 1971
Runtime: 1h 34m
Country: United States of America
Language: English
Genres: Drama, Science Fiction

Cast & Crew

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Director: Henry Jaglom Writer: Henry Jaglom

Tuesday Weld Susan / Noah

Orson Welles The Magician

Jack Nicholson Mitch

Phil Proctor Fred

Gwen Welles Bari DL Dov Lawrence Larry FB Fanny Birkenmier The Maid RA Rhonda Alfaro Little Girl in Rowboat SZ Sylvia Zapp 7-year-old Susan

Rachel Harlow Noah's Friend BF Barbara Flood Noah's Friend RG Roger Garrett Noah's Friend JH Jordon Hahn Noah's Friend FH Francesca Hilton Noah's Friend JR Julie Robinson Noah's Friend JW Jennifer Walker Noah's Friend SO Sheila Oaks Sister in Law (Uncredited) WG Wendy Girard Girl at a Party (Uncredited)

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