Where does a woman's sympathy leave off -- and her indiscretion begin?
A sensitive young man recalls his time in boarding school when the only person who seemed compassionate towards him was his housemaster's wife.
Tea and Sympathy (1956) is a drama film directed by Vincente Minnelli, released on September 27, 1956 with a runtime of 2h 2m. It stars Deborah Kerr, John Kerr, Leif Erickson and Edward Andrews. Viewers rate it 7.0 out of 10 across 61 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Tea and Sympathy before you stream it.
Deborah Kerr
as Laura Reynolds
John Kerr
as Tom Robinson Lee
Leif Erickson
as Bill Reynolds
Edward Andrews
as Herb Lee
Darryl Hickman
as Al
Norma Crane
as Ellie Martin
Dean Jones
as Ollie
Jacqueline deWit
as Lilly Sears
Mary Alan Hokanson
as Mary Williams
Kip King
as Ted
Tom Laughlin
as Ralph
Ralph Votrian
as Steve
Directed by Vincente Minnelli, written by Robert Anderson and Robert Anderson, produced by Pandro S. Berman.
Average viewer score of 7.0/10 from 61 ratings.
Initially, I thought that John Kerr looked just a bit too old to convince as the seventeen year old "Tom" but as his character unfolds in front of us, I concluded that actually his extra years helped him to add quite a degree of maturity to a role that proves a lot more complex than the title might suggest. He arrives at his new all-boys school and, like any newbie, is on the periphery of it's community. Luckily,…
Reviewed on July 12, 2026
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Tea and Sympathy (1956) is currently available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of Tea and Sympathy (1956) includes Deborah Kerr, John Kerr, Leif Erickson, Edward Andrews and Darryl Hickman. The film was directed by Vincente Minnelli. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Tea and Sympathy was released on September 27, 1956 and runs for 2h 2m.
Tea and Sympathy (1956) holds an average rating of 7.0 out of 10 from 61 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Tea and Sympathy trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
