THE GOODBYE GIRL [1977 / 2016] [Warner Archive Collection] [Blu-ray] [USA Release]
Thank You Neil Simon for Making Us Laugh about Falling in Love . . . Again!
Paula McFadden knows: In romance, actors all follow the same stage instruction: Exit. Without warning, her actor boyfriend split today for a movie role and sublet their Manhattan apartment. The new tenant's name: Elliot Garfield. Profession: actor.
Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason deliver comedy, zingy repartee and bitter-to-best romance in ‘THE GOODBYE GIRL,’ a lustrous charmer featuring Richard Dreyfuss' Academy Award® winning Best Actor performance. Neil Simon's screenplay deftly combines battle-of-the-sexes appeal with an off-Broadway subplot whose scenes "are the funniest since Mel Brooks staged “Springtime For Hitler” (in The Producers)." (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times). You'll laugh, cry and cheer. Just say hello to this magical movie.
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1978 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Actor in a Leading Role for Richard Dreyfuss. Nominated: Best Picture for Ray Stark. Nominated: Best Actress in a Leading Role for Marsha Mason. Nominated: Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Quinn Cummings. Nominated: Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for Neil Simon. 1978 Golden Globes®: Win: Best Motion Picture for a Comedy or Musical. Win: Best Actress in a Motion Picture for a Comedy or Musical for Marsha Mason. Win: Best Actor in a Motion Picture for a Comedy or Musical for Richard Dreyfuss. Win: Best Screenplay for a Motion Picture for Neil Simon. Nominated: Best Actress in a Supporting Role for a Motion Picture for Quinn Cummings. 1978 Writers Guild of America: Nominated: Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen for Neil Simon. 1979 BAFTA® Awards: Win: Best Actor for Richard Dreyfuss. Nominated: Best Actress for Marsha Mason. Nominated: Best Screenplay for Neil Simon.
FILM FACT No.2: The film began as a screenplay called “Bogart Slept Here” (essentially the story of what happened to Dustin Hoffman after he became a star), that was to star Robert De Niro and Marsha Mason for Warner Bros. It would have been the film Robert De Niro would have made immediately after the film ‘Taxi Driver.’ Mike Nichols was hired to direct. The film's exteriors were shot in New York City and the interiors were shot on sets in Los Angeles. Warner Bros. was less enthused about Neil Simon's script, and considered selling the project to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, while others at the studio preferred to partner M-G-M on the film, so this option was chosen. With the 1996 acquisition of Turner Entertainment Company, which owned the pre-May 1986 M-G-M film library by Time Warner, Warner Bros. now controls the rights and distribution of the film.
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, Quinn Cummings, Paul Benedict, Barbara Rhoades, Theresa Merritt, Michael Shawn, Patricia Pearcy, Gene Castle, Daniel Levins, Marilyn Sokol, Anita Dangler, Victoria Boothby, Robert Costanzo, Poncho González, Jose Machado, Hubert Kelly, Dana Laurita, David S. Cass Sr., Loyita Chapel, Caprice Clarke, Esther Sutherland, Clarence Felder, Kensuke Haga, Ryohei Kanokogi, Ruby Holbrook, Kristina Hurrell, David Matthau, Milt Oberman, Eddie Villery, Joseph Carberry, Eric Uhler, Raymond J. Barry, Powers Boothe, Tom Everett, Janice Fuller, Munson Hicks, Robert Kerman, Jeanne Lange, Robert Lesser, Fred McCarren, Nicholas Mele, Maureen Moore, Joseph Regalbuto, Peter Vogt, Wendy Cutler, Susan Elliot, Andy Goldberg, Paul Willson, Charles Silvern (uncredited) and Nicol Williamson (uncredited)
Director: Herbert Ross
Producers: Ray Stark and Roger M. Rothstein
Screenplay: Neil Simon
Composer: Dave Grusin
Cinematography: David M. Walsh (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: English: 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio
Subtitles: English SDH
Running Time: 110 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Warner Archive Collection
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘THE GOODBYE GIRL’ [1977] is a totally brilliant Neil Simon vehicle and even more brilliant in the hands of the director Herbert Ross. It’s tough to make a film that juggles heartbreak, insecurity, childhood, and the hesitation that’s inherent to moving on after disaster strikes at your core. It’s tough at the same time to make a film about those kinds of topics, and still have it be very funny and heart-warming, to a point of getting the Kleenex tissues out. Written by Neil Simon and directed by Hollywood veteran Herbert Ross, better known for popular films such as ‘Funny Lady’ and ‘Footloose’ and of course ‘THE GOODBYE GIRL’ accomplishes such a feat in just under two hours.
Led brilliantly by a cast featuring that always incredible Richard Dreyfuss, and his co-star Marsha Mason, and with the film ‘THE GOODBYE GIRL’ it drops us into the middle of an unexpected breakup. Broadway dancer Paula McFadden [Marsha Mason] finds herself broken up with and homeless after her previous partner heads for Europe, subletting his apartment to an inspiring actor from Chicago, Elliot Garfield [Richard Dreyfuss]. Immediately, Paula McFadden clashes with him, fighting to keep the apartment for herself and her daughter Lucy McFadden [Quinn Cummings], and Elliot Garfield reluctantly agrees. Together, beyond their ferocious attitudes towards each other, they must figure out what it takes to be successful in the vicious theatre community of New York City, Paula McFadden struggling to regain her former career, and Elliot Garfield finding out for the first time just how hostile and frustrating Broadway can be. They must fight tooth and nail to live with comfort in the Big Apple, and maybe even find love in the process.
The ‘THE GOODBYE GIRL’ film follows the typical romantic comedy plot line, in which two unlike individuals clash and over the course of the next hour or so melt each other’s guard away to fall into a passionate love for one another, but does so with that classic Neil Simon edge that manages to be funny, but realistic at the same time. Our two leading actors watch their lives fall apart, as Elliot Garfield has his dreams of being an Off-Broadway star crushed, and Paula McFadden realizing she can’t easily fit back into the life she gave up to be with her daughter Lucy McFadden. We get to watch as they struggle with the low points in their careers, and then relish as things begin to look up for everyone as the film cleanly and warmly wraps itself up.
‘THE GOODBYE GIRL’ is an actor/actress’s film, laden with brilliant sharp dialogue rather than exciting visual sequences, almost as if it’s a play, which Neil Simon frequently wrote. More often than not, the film hinges on the performance of lead actor Elliot Garfield, who plays his role with such a fine balance between broken and casual, resulting in several scene stealing sequences including a rather inspired performance of the lead role in Richard III, and his various interactions with Paula McFadden’s daughter Lucy McFadden which are played to great comedic effect. Richard Dreyfuss performance is so strong that it makes it difficult at times to care about the struggles Paula McFadden is facing, making her seem insignificant whereas Richard Dreyfuss oozes charisma all over Neil Simon’s script. It led to him receiving an Academy Award® for Best Actor for his masterful performance, cementing his presence as a Hollywood legend, while Marsha Mason’s performance has largely sadly become forgotten over the years.
‘THE GOODBYE GIRL’ is extremely well edited, tightly paced heart-warming film that drags us through the lows and highs of an easily relatable odd couple in New York City that equates to comfort food for film-goers. The consequences are light, but the edge of disaster is just close enough to make the film a compelling watch. In the final analysis, with a witty screenplay by Neil Simon and an excellent cast, ‘THE GOODBYE GIRL’ had the pieces in place for an utterly appealing romantic comedy. Lightly directed by Herbert Ross, Neil Simon's apartment-sharing scenario uniting a wary single mother with a struggling actor finds the humour in a quintessentially contemporary milieu of serial relationships, commitment-phobia, and New York real estate to add to the scenario. Marsha Mason revealed her talent for comedy as well as dramatic emotion in her performance as Paula McFadden, while newcomer Quinn Cummings was charmingly self-assured as her young daughter, Lucy McFadden. Rising star Richard Derfuss’s Elliot Garfield was both broadly hilarious playing an ill-conceived camp Richard III and charmingly sensitive as the male romantic lead. This wonderful film is greeted as a straightforward piece of joyful escapism and a joy to watch.
Finally, the reason I love this film is because of the following Memorable Quotes from ‘THE GOODBYE GIRL’ that goes as follows:
"I'm paying the rent. I'll make the rules. I like to take showers every morning, and I don't like the panties drying on the rod! I like to cook, so I'll use the kitchen whenever I damn well please. And I'm very particular about my condiments, so keep your salt and pepper to yourself. Plus, I play the guitar in the middle of the night whenever I cannot sleep, and I meditate every morning complete with chanting and burning incense, so if you've got to walk around, I would appreciate a little tiptoeing. Also, I sleep in the nude – buffo – winter and summer, rain or snow, with the window open. And because I may have to go to the potty or the fridge in the middle of the night, and because I don't want to put on jammies, which I do not own in the first place, unless you're looking for a quick thrill or your daughter an advanced education, I'd keep my door closed. Them's my rules and regulations. How does that grab you?"
THE GOODBYE GIRL MUSIC TRACK LIST
GOODBYE GIRL (Written by David Gates) [Performed by David Gates]
HOW ABOUT YOU? (1941) (uncredited) (Music written by Burton Lane) (Lyrics written by Ralph Freed) [Played on a record and sung by Richard Dreyfuss]
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Blu-ray Image Quality – Warner Archive Collection presents this brilliant film with a very pleasant 1080p encoded image, especially for a film that was released in 1977 and they have done a really wonderful job and was originally shot on 4-perf 35mm film using spherical Panavision lenses. The film is presented here in in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and slightly more open than the original theatrical aspect ratio from this new HD master. ‘THE GOODBYE GIRL’ is more like a filmed play than it is a cinematic experience. The cinematography therefore serves not to tell the story, but to simply frame the players on screen. There isn’t any particularly striking use of colour or camera work, and the shooting style embraces the softness of 1970s era spherical lenses. The film has an even layer of grain throughout the entire feature, and the print is impeccably clean. Colour pushes towards the more naturalistic end of the spectrum. Overall, this is a really excellent presentation by the Warner Archive Collection.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Warner Archive Collection presents this brilliant film with an excellent 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio experience. The film’s sound presentation is effective, in that it presents the dialogue very clearly, and nothing gets lost in the mono audio mix presentation. The limited use of music composed by Dave Grusin is presented very well. Overall, I was very satisfied with this audio track. But what a shame they could not of upgraded the sound presentation.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Theatrical Trailer [1977] [1080i] [1.78:1] [2:45] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for ‘THE GOODBYE GIRL.’ Despite a very grainy video presentation, the trailer is a brilliant presentation of a film that came out in 1977 and one that makes you want to watch this feel good rom-com film.
Finally, ‘THE GOODBYE GIRL’ became an unexpected brilliant hit, and earned several Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Screenplay. Herbert Ross was nominated for directing ‘The Turning Point’ [1977] instead. The 29-year-old Richard Dreyfuss took home the Best Actor statuette, becoming the youngest winner of the award and was well deserved. Re-watching ‘THE GOODBYE GIRL’ was a breath of fresh air, and here is a film that is totally compassionate, yet realistically shows that you can be found through two vastly different people daring to emotionally opening themselves to one another. It is a variant on ‘The Odd Couple’ and of course Neil Simon cleverly manages to get more mileage out of the same theme is explored and ends up as a sweet-natured, nice, and a good old fashioned romantic comedy in which the stars are perfectly paired. Especially with Richard Dreyfus and his twinkling acting that is added with his brash energy like some latter-day James Cagney and gets most of the laughs and leaves Marsha Mason with a very touching performance. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
