Such Good Friends (1971)

While awaiting the outcome of her husband's surgery, Julie Messinger discovers he has been having affairs.

Director:

Otto Preminger

Writers:

Lois Gould (based on the novel by), Elaine May (screenplay),

Stars:

Dyan Cannon, James Coco, Jennifer O'Neill

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dyan Cannon	...	Julie
James Coco	...	Timmy
Jennifer O'Neill	...	Miranda
Ken Howard	...	Cal
Nina Foch	...	Julie's Mother
Laurence Luckinbill	...	Richard
Louise Lasser	...	Marcy
Burgess Meredith	...	Kalman
Sam Levene	...	Uncle Eddie
William Redfield	...	Barney
James Beard	...	Dr. Mahler
Rita Gam	...	Doria
Michael Giordano III	...	Matthew
Oscar Grossman	...	The Doorman
Nancy Guild	...	Molly

Storyline

Julie Messinger has it made. She is a New York housewife whose husband, Richard, is an editor for a prominent photography magazine. They have a small circle of friends, including well-meaning, but inept Dr. Timothy Spector, photographer Cal Whiting and Cal's live-in girlfriend Miranda. Julie's mother spends her days getting pedicures and manicures, applying make-up and fake eye-lashes and buying expensive clothes, all the while criticizing her daughter for her looks and behavior. When Richard goes into the hospital for a minor mole-removal surgery, Julie gets more than she bargained for. Richard suffers from complications and goes into a coma, supposedly caused by a rare surgical factor, and she gathers friends and family together, culminating in a hilarious "quasi-cocktail-party" scene in the blood donation center of the hospital. While dealing with red tape, hospital bureaucracy and clueless doctors, Julie discovers her husband's "little black book," which contains the names of her ...

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Plot Keywords:

hospital | red tape | bureaucracy | marriage | satire | 

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Taglines:

The little black book that became a national bestseller.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 October 1972 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Amantes Desconhecidos

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Otto Preminger Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Preminger was signed in a seven-picture deal with Paramount (perhaps the most lucrative director/studio contract up until that time). The deal fizzled directly after this movie's release. This was the fourth picture in that deal.

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Quotes

Dr. Bleiweiss: [yelling at an unconscious man] Mr. Messinger! Mr. Messinger! MR. MESSINGER! Dr. Spector, I'm not having much luck. Why don't you give it a try...
Dr. Timmy Spector: Certainly... RICHARD! RICHARD! RICHARD!
Julie Messinger: Jesus, is this what you do to someone in intensive care? Scream at him until he wakes up?
Dr. Bleiweiss: We do anything and everything in intensive care that might help, Mrs. Messinger.
Julie Messinger: [giving it a whirl] RICHARD! RICHARD!

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Crazy Credits

In the film's opening, three red-colored "legs-crossed icons" (the trademark that Saul Bass created for the film, as seen on the poster) converge on a blank screen to form one whole icon. The title appears and then below the title, it reads "AN OTTO PREMINGER FILM". Cast and crew are credited in the closing, but nowhere else. Preminger was the only one credited in the opening.

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Connections

Features Adventures of Superman (1952)

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Soundtracks

"Suddenly It's All Tomorrow"
Sung by O.C. Smith
Music by Thomas Z. Shepard
Lyrics by Robert Brittan
Orchestrations by Hershy Kay
Sitar by Collin Walcott

User Reviews

Great satire of the New York way of life

29 years before American Beauty, Otto Preminger destroys the icons of american life, from the husband to the mother to the medical doctor, in a vitriolic satire where only the wronged ones gain the viewer's sympathy.

Ever asked yourself why you should be faithful to your husband/wife? See this movie. I loved it.