Stuart Samuels, acclaimed academic and film producer, leads a film screening and moderated conversation with critic Andrew Sarris about the 1968 film, Petulia. Sarris, whom Samuels describes as one of New York’s leading film critics, labels Petulia as “one of the last messages of Nouvelle Vague film,” with convoluted storytelling that initially led him to review it poorly. He believed that the film’s long flashbacks and nonsequential scenes did not drive the plot of the movie, making them seem unimportant. However, Sarris eventually grew to appreciate the film, calling it “one of the great love stories of the decade,” with an overwhelming ending that made him realize that "all the unimportant parts were actually important." Sarris and Samuels discuss how Richard Lester’s directing impacted the film and its message, how the film holds up over time, and how it compares to modern-day cinema marked by more direct messaging. The discussion concludes with audience questions.