The Goodbye Girl

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, Quinn Cummings, Paul Benedict, Barbara Rhoades
Directed by: Herbert Ross
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Rating: PG
1977

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: In New York City, an unemployed dancer (Marsha Mason) and her daughter (Quinn Cummings) are reluctantly forced to share an employment with a Broadway actor (Richard Dreyfuss).

Review:

Tim: The Goodbye Girl is a good romantic comedy that is made significantly better by the performance of Richard Dreyfuss. The movie tells a fairly good story, blending romance, drama, and comedy together. It's noteworthy because it was the first romantic comedy to gross over $100 million at the box office, and it was nominated for an impressive 5 Academy Awards. All said, this is a film worth seeing.

In the decades since this film was released, Hollywood has unleashed a nearly uncountable number of weak romantic comedies. It's viewed almost as a throwaway genre. Make a crappy movie and just expect boatloads of women to flock to the theater because they're aren't any better options. That is one reason why so many bad romantic comedies are made. However, those limitations are not on the genre itself. As this movie proves, you can make a really good, realistic, funny, heartwarming romantic comedy that doesn't pander to the audience. This film should be applauded for raising the bar for the genre.

The best aspect of this film are the characters. Neil Simon did a very good job of writing a script that gives us multidimensional, believable characters. These aren't the typical glamorous, too-good-to-be-true protagonists of the average romantic comedy. These characters feel real- flawed, struggling to do their best. They felt like real people, which is the highest accolades a writer can receive. It's no surprise that Simon received a nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

While the writing is essential, the actors need to be in place as well. Casting Richard Dreyfuss was a brilliant move. Dreyfuss is such an underrated actor, and he's long been one of my favorites. He does a truly remarkable job here, breathing life and uniqueness into this character. He brings his unforgettable laugh and a great deal of energy into this character, who slowly connects with the audience over the course of the film. It's an impressive performance, and I was really excited that Dreyfuss won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance here (the film's only Oscar win). He deserves it for a great performance.

I thought Marsha Mason was good, but not nearly as good as Dreyfuss. It felt like she was forcing the role a bit too much. She was fine and did have a few terrific moments, but I couldn't help but feel the movie would have been better with a stronger actress in the role. I could be crazy, because she did receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. I myself didn't see it, but I suppose enough other people did. I did, on the other hand, love Quinn Cummings as young Lucy. Cummings made her feature film debut here, and she was rewarded with a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. I tend to not favor giving very young, inexperienced actors or actresses this level of recognition, but Cummings absolutely deserved it. She steals every scene she's in and adds to the film in so many ways. It was great fun seeing her interact with Dreyfuss and Mason. The cast of this film is it's strongest feature, and it doesn't surprise me that the film picked up three acting nominations.

The fifth Academy Award nomination The Goodbye Girl received was Best Picture, which is a pretty stunning feat in itself. I really enjoyed this movie- it's funny, warm, believable, and entertaining. While I myself wouldn't quite have nominated it for the highest honor, I don't feel any anger at it receiving the nomination. This is an exceptionally well made film and one that is quite engrossing. I would highly recommend this film, and it's one I really, really liked.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7.5


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Odd Couple, The Heartbreak Kid