Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970)

A housewife with an abusive husband has an affair with a writer.

Director:

Frank Perry

Writers:

Sue Kaufman (novel), Eleanor Perry

Stars:

Richard Benjamin, Frank Langella, Carrie Snodgress

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Richard Benjamin	...	Jonathan Balser
Frank Langella	...	George Prager
Carrie Snodgress	...	Tina Balser
Lorraine Cullen	...	Sylvie Balser
Frannie Michel	...	Liz Balser
Lee Addoms	...	Mrs. Prinz
Peter Dohanos	...	Samuel Keefer
Katherine Meskill	...	Charlotte Rady
Leonard Elliott	...	M. Henri
Valma	...	Margo
Hilda Haynes	...	Lottie
Donald Symington	...	Pediatrician (as Don Symington)
Alley Mills	...	Women's lib girl (as Allison Mills)
Alice Cooper	...	Himself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Bruce	...	Himself... guitarist for the Alice Cooper band

Storyline

Tina Balser is a bored New York housewife-mother married to Jonathan, a pompous, social-climbing lawyer who ridicules her in front of their children, criticizing everything she does or wears. She begins an affair with George Prager, a dashing, successful and blatantly sadistic writer. Finally after George has tormented Tina in much the same manner Jonathan has, and has been unfaithful to boot, she goes back to her husband and begins group therapy.

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Plot Keywords:

writer | lawyer | abusive husband | housewife | group therapy | 

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Taglines:

I, Tina Balser, Housewife, Did Not Do My Chores Today. I Did...Something Else!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 August 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Diario de una esposa desesperada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Frank Perry Films Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min 104 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Jonathan Balser: How about a little roll in the hay?

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Connections

Referenced in The Starter Wife: The Diary of a Mad Ex-Housewife (2008)

User Reviews

Insanity comes quietly to the structured mind

Richard Benjamin would drive anyone crazy in 'Diary of a Mad Housewife'(1970).Benjamin and wife Carrie Snodgrass are an upper- middle class New York couple, he totally absorbed with social climbing and Ms. Snodgrass bored to death with her isolated life.Director Frank Perry(David and Lisa) does an excellent job directing this sometimes funny, sometimes sad film of a materialistic, yet emotionally empty lifestyle.Script by Eleanor Perry.