Divorce American Style (1967)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Bud Yorkin

Writers:

Robert Kaufman (story)
Norman Lear (writer)

Release Date:

21 June 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

After 17 years, things have got too predictable and stale. They argue, they visit a marriage counselor...

Plot Keywords:

Divorce

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Dick Van Dyke	...	Richard Harmon
Debbie Reynolds	...	Barbara Harmon
Jason Robards	...	Nelson Downes
Jean Simmons	...	Nancy Downes
Van Johnson	...	Al Yearling
Joe Flynn	...	Lionel Blandsforth
Shelley Berman	...	David Grieff
Martin Gabel	...	Dr. Zenwinn
Lee Grant	...	Dede Murphy
Pat Collins	...	Herself
Tom Bosley	...	Farley
Emmaline Henry	...	Fern Blandsforth
Richard Gautier	...	Larry Strickland (as Dick Gautier)
Tim Matheson	...	Mark Harmon (as Tim Matthieson)
Gary Goetzman	...	Jonathan Harmon

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

National General Production Inc.

Trivia:

Tim Matheson's movie debut.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the night club scene,when the lady hypnotist turns toward the audience, a poof of cigarette smoke goes backward into reverse.

Quotes:

Dede Murphy: So, since when do men grow up? They just grow old. You know what I call this apartment sometimes? Boys' Town.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Suddenly Susan: Love and Divorce American Style: Part 1 (#1.15)" (1997)

Would-be scathing and brittle, but bogged down in the obvious...

Norman Lear-written divorce-comedy has bickering, bored married couple Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds splitting up, re-entering the bewildering dating scene. Begins well, with amusing, satirical jabs at suburban married life, but it runs out of gas early on. Conrad Hall's evocative cinematography is a plus, and some of the dialogue has snap, but Lear's ideas get bogged down in sitcomville. The introduction of a second couple (Jason Robards and Jean Simmons) doesn't work at all, perhaps because neither actor seems to realize this is supposed to be a comedy, and a segue to "Hip Hypnotist" Pat Collins is simply desperate. Van Dyke and Reynolds are both fair. ** from ****