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The Goodbye Girl
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The Goodbye Girl (1977) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.1/10   4,619 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 6% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Herbert Ross
Writer:
Neil Simon (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Goodbye Girl on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1 February 1978 (Australia) more
Genre:
Comedy | Romance more
Tagline:
Thank you Neil Simon for making us laugh at falling in love...again.
Plot:
After being dumped by her live-in boyfriend, an unemployed dancer and her 10-year-old daughter are reluctantly forced to live with a struggling off-Broadway actor. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 9 wins & 9 nominations more
User Comments:
Another successful Simon "Odd Couple" story more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Richard Dreyfuss ... Elliot Garfield
Marsha Mason ... Paula McFadden
Quinn Cummings ... Lucy McFadden
Paul Benedict ... Mark
Barbara Rhoades ... Donna
Theresa Merritt ... Mrs. Crosby
Michael Shawn ... Ronnie
Patricia Pearcy ... Rhonda
Gene Castle ... Assistant Choreographer
Daniel Levans ... Dance Instructor
Marilyn Sokol ... Linda
Anita Dangler ... Mrs. Morganweiss
Victoria Boothby ... Mrs. Bodine
Robert Costanzo ... Liquor Store Salesman
Pancho González ... Mugger (as Poncho Gonzalez)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl
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Runtime:
111 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The musical version of the movie entitled "The Goodbye Girl" opened at the Marquis Theater on March 4, 1993, ran for 188 performances, was nominated for the 1993 Tony Award for the Best Musical and starred Bernadette Peters and Martin Short. Both actors received Tony Award nominations for their performances. more
Goofs:
Continuity: During the Spagettii dinner, Lucy is talking, holding a fork wrapped with Spagettii, a second later, in mid-sentence, it is empty. more
Quotes:
Elliot Garfield: You know I love listening to you talk. I hate living with you but your conversation is first rate. more
Movie Connections:
References Richard III (1955) more
Soundtrack:
Goodbye Girl more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
14 out of 15 people found the following comment useful:-
Another successful Simon "Odd Couple" story, 12 February 2006
10/10
Author: theowinthrop from United States

Neil Simon is consistent. He loves to use and reuse the "ODD COUPLE" plot with variations in one play or another: in the original ODD COUPLE, it's female version (shown in the early 1990s), the sequel film with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, the play (and movie) THE SUNSHINE BOYS - where the apartment is a lifelong comedy team partnership, and this one. Here it is Marcia Mason and her daughter, Quinn Cummings, who are always being deserted by Mason's husband or her series of boy-friends who usually are actors. Mason has become determined never again to trust or date an actor. But the apartment happens to be in the name of her last boyfriend, and he has made a subletting deal with out-of-town actor Richard Dreyfus. Dreyfus is determined to stay in the apartment while in New York (he is starring in a production within the city - off Broadway). He and Mason gradually agree to cease their hostilities and to share the apartment, but Mason finds Dreyfus weird: he is only eating special food, and he chants and plays the guitar at night. On the other hand Quinn Cummings finds he's not such a bad guy (he helps her when she has a headache, relaxing her to sleep).

The play that Dreyfus is appearing in the lead role in is Shakespeare's RICHARD III. It is being produced by Paul Benedict (a rare big part for that good comic actor), but his ideas about the production are upsetting Dreyfus. Dreyfus is approaching the role in the classical, "Olivier" form - the master, evil Machiavellian monarch. Machiavellian to be sure in Benedict's version, but also gay. As Benedict pushes it, it is the story of "the Queen who would be King". Dreyfus's performance of the play within the film, following Benedict's direction, is an everlasting comic joy.

The highs and lows of the two warring suite mates follows a romantic course, as they gradually fall in love with each other. Will this actor prove to be another one of those typically selfish actors that Mason resents, or will he prove to be different to her and Cummings - will he be the real love of her life?

A first rate comedy, and Dreyfus' Oscar - a well earned one.

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A unique film in the Warner library pikachu_fan_number_9
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Jack Lemmon? sebone747
Rape... Elastigirl_
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