Modern Romance (1981)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Albert Brooks

Writers (WGA):

Albert Brooks (written by) &
Monica Mcgowan Johnson (written by)

Release Date:

13 March 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Robert was madly in love with Mary. Mary was madly in love with him. Under the circumstances they did the only thing they could do... they broke up.

Plot:

Albert Brooks directs himself as a successful film editor with far too many issues that affects the relationship between he and his remarkably patient girlfriend.

Plot Keywords:

Comedy Of Manners | Human Relationship | Satire | Film Making | Obsession

Cast

Albert Brooks	...	Robert Cole
Kathryn Harrold	...	Mary Harvard
Tyann Means	...	Waitress
Bruno Kirby	...	Jay
Jane Hallaren	...	Ellen
Karen Chandler	...	Neighbor
Dennis Kort	...	Health Food Salesman
Bob Einstein	...	Sporting Goods Salesman
Virginia Feingold	...	Bank Receptionist
Thelma Leeds	...	Albert Brooks' Mother (as Thelma Bernstein)
Candy Castillo	...	Drugstore Manager
James L. Brooks	...	David
George Kennedy	...	Himself and Zeron
Rick Beckner	...	Zeon
Jerry Belson	...	Jerry
Harvey Skolnik	...	Harvey
Ed. Weinberger	...	Ed
Meadowlark Lemon	...	Himself
Albert Henderson	...	Head Mixer
Clifford Einstein	...	Music Mixer (as Cliff Einstein)
Gene Garvin	...	Sound Effects Mixer
Hugh Warden	...	Bank Dick
Kelly Ann Nakano	...	Hostess
Joe Bratcher	...	Jim
George Sasaki	...	Japanese Businessman
Victor Toyota	...	Japanese Businessman
Roger Ito	...	Japanese Businessman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Bryar	...	Man in Phone Booth (uncredited)

Directed by
Albert Brooks

Writing credits (WGA)
Albert Brooks		(written by) &
Monica Mcgowan Johnson		(written by) (as Monica Johnson)

Produced by
Andrew Scheinman	....	producer
Martin Shafer	....	producer

Cinematography by
Eric Saarinen

Film Editing by
David Finfer

Casting by
Barbara Claman
Deborah Kurtz

Production Design by
Edward Richardson

Set Decoration by
James L. Berkey

Makeup Department
Carol Meikle	....	hair stylist
Christina Smith	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Stephen J. Fisher	....	unit production manager
Daniel McCauley	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Looney	....	second assistant director
Steve Perry	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Erik L. Nelson	....	property master
Larry Verne	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Ray Alba	....	sound effects editor
Jeff Bushelman	....	sound effects
Les Fresholtz	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Nelson	....	production sound mixer
Dan O'Connell	....	foley artist
Arthur Piantadosi	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tex Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Earl Sampson	....	boom operator
Pat Somerset	....	sound effects
Jeremy Hoenack	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bruce Birmelin	....	still photographer
Ross Cannon	....	second key grip
Joe Collins	....	key grip
Catherine E. Coulson	....	second assistant camera
Frederick Elmes	....	camera operator
Bob Farmer	....	best boy
Michael Katz	....	gaffer
Dennis Matsuda	....	first assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Linda Henrikson	....	costumer
Christine Zamiara	....	assistant costumer

Editorial Department
John Currin	....	apprentice editor
Michael D. Ornstein	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Lance Rubin	....	music adaptor
Shinichi Yamazaki	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Alan Falco	....	transportation coordinator (as Allan Larry Falco)

Other crew
Sharon Clark	....	assistant to producers
Ruth J. Gribin	....	pre-production secretary
Andree Juviler	....	location manager
Max Manlove	....	production assistant
Karen Martini	....	production secretary
Phyllis Shafrin	....	auditor
Gail Siemers	....	assistant: Mr. Brooks
Frankie Slater	....	unit publicist
Paula Wakefield	....	location manager
Carol Westphall	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Idyllwild, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

After the Foley session ends, you hear over the loudspeaker "we have Heaven's Gate, the short version". The long version of Heaven's Gate (1980) came out during the filming of this movie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Albert is high on Quaaludes, he puts on a record album and the disco hit "A Fifth of Beethoven" comes on. But watch the needle on the turntable - you can see the arm retracting and returning from the spindle while the music is playing.

Quotes:

Robert Cole: [selecting a prop for the space film he's working on] How much would you say this weighs?
Head Mixer: I don't know. Maybe it doesn't weigh anything - did you ever think of that? Maybe it's on one of those planets that doesn't have any gravity.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (2005)

Soundtrack:

MY OWN BEST FRIEND

Albert Brooks' greatest film (and that's saying something)

MODERN ROMANCE is one of the great unsung film comedies. It's not for everyone, in that the comedy is possibly too close-to-the-bone for people who like their comedy nice and painless. But in the post-Seinfeld era, when Curb Your Enthusiasm is a cult favorite, it is looking more and more like Modern Romance was WAY ahead of its time.

Real Life, Lost In America, and Defending Your Life are all great, but for some reason this film stands out to me as Mr. Brooks' greatest cinematic effort. (Stanley Kubrick was a fan, too-- he was trying to make his own film about jealousy, which would end up being EYES WIDE SHUT two decades later.)

The real shame is that this film is the only Brooks effort never released on DVD. We can only hope that Criterion might rescue it from oblivion with a nice special edition (with commentary by Brooks!)