The movie chronicles a young man's (Richard Benjamin) love and passion in his own kinky way.The movie chronicles a young man's (Richard Benjamin) love and passion in his own kinky way.The movie chronicles a young man's (Richard Benjamin) love and passion in his own kinky way.
Renée Lippin
- Hannah Portnoy
- (as Renee Lippin)
Lewis J. Stadlen
- Mandel
- (as Lewis Stadlen)
Francesca De Sapio
- Lina, Whore in Rome
- (as Francesca DeSapio)
D.P. Barnes
- Dr. Spielvogel
- (as D. P. Barnes)
Arline Bletcher
- Elevator Lady #2
- (uncredited)
John Carradine
- Judge
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Mike De Anda
- Mr. Harero
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaA news article noted that Mike Nichols urged producer/director Ernest Lehman to cast Richard Benjamin, who had acted in Nichols' Catch-22 (1970). Benjamin had three years previously shot to fame in Goodbye, Columbus (1969), another Philip Roth novel adapted to the screen.
- Quotes
The Monkey: Is this your idea of a love affair, where you treat a woman as a leper?
- ConnectionsFeatured in Film Extra: Richard Benjamin (1973)
Featured review
It would probably be a good idea for anyone getting involved in a relationship to see this movie
Whoa! I've heard of some screwed up people, but Alexander Portnoy (Richard Benjamin) belongs in a class on his own. Through a session with his psychiatrist, he tells the story of how his overbearing mother (Lee Grant) kept a little bit too tight a rein on his sexuality during his formative years, and he ended up with a mangled view of relationships. He dates a number of women, but none of them work out. As Alexander says at one point: "I'm living my life as a Jewish joke."
The sad part is, much what happens in "Portnoy's Complaint" probably really happened. Philip Roth's two most famous novels (the other one was "Goodbye, Columbus") both dealt with Jewish neurosis. Alexander's mother is truly the sort of mother whom no one wants to have (she takes a certain bizarre interest in the results of people's bodily functions). Some people may wonder why they made this into a movie, but it definitely shows a side of life that we too often forget about. And anyway, regardless of one's opinion of it, "Portnoy's Complaint" is a much more justifiable movie than "Independence Day" or Bio-Dome".
The sad part is, much what happens in "Portnoy's Complaint" probably really happened. Philip Roth's two most famous novels (the other one was "Goodbye, Columbus") both dealt with Jewish neurosis. Alexander's mother is truly the sort of mother whom no one wants to have (she takes a certain bizarre interest in the results of people's bodily functions). Some people may wonder why they made this into a movie, but it definitely shows a side of life that we too often forget about. And anyway, regardless of one's opinion of it, "Portnoy's Complaint" is a much more justifiable movie than "Independence Day" or Bio-Dome".
helpful•2811
- lee_eisenberg
- May 8, 2005
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Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $614,416
- Runtime1 hour 41 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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