one ▁of ▁the ▁attract ive ▁aspects ▁of ▁' But ter f lies ▁Are ▁Free ' ▁is ▁that ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁three ▁characters ▁is ▁incomplete ▁and ▁fla wed . ▁To ▁that ▁degree ▁the ▁Leonard ▁G ers he ▁screen play ▁approaches ▁bel iev ability , ▁and ▁this ▁is ▁a ▁rare ▁quality ▁for ▁a ▁te ar - jer ker ▁to ▁have ." ▁Gary ▁Arnold ▁of ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post ▁stated , ▁" Wh ile ▁the ▁material ▁is ▁essentially ▁shall ow ▁and ▁often ▁ins uffer able ▁in ▁its ▁sentiment al ▁opportun ism , ▁G ers he ▁and ▁K ats el as ▁demonstrate ▁some ▁the atr ical ▁talent ▁and ▁mechanical ▁apt itude ▁... ▁The ▁play ▁itself ▁is ▁nothing ▁to ▁b rag ▁about , ▁but ▁I ▁doubt ▁if ▁one ▁could ▁trans pose ▁it ▁much ▁more ▁ad roit ly ▁and ▁present ably . ▁Instead ▁of ▁infl ating ▁or ▁vul gar ising ▁this ▁fra il ▁property , ▁K ats el as ▁tries ▁to ▁keep ▁it ▁int imate ▁and ▁eng aging ." ▁John ▁G ille tt ▁of ▁The ▁Month ly ▁Film ▁Bul letin ▁wrote , ▁" Occ asion ally ▁it ▁is ▁all ▁rather ▁twee , ▁pl ump ing ▁for ▁the ▁easy ▁emot ional ▁response ▁and ▁the ▁easy ▁te ar ; ▁yet ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁writing ▁has ▁sharp ness ▁and ▁b ite , ▁not ably ▁in ▁the ▁initial ▁meet ings ▁between ▁J ill ▁and ▁Don , ▁when ▁they ▁talk ▁out ▁their ▁past s ▁together ▁and ▁improv ise ▁me als ▁on ▁the ▁floor ." ▁ ▁Time ▁magazine ▁pointed ▁out ▁the ▁talent ▁of ▁Gold ie ▁Ha