Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970)

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

Director:

Frank Perry

Writers:

Eleanor Perry (screenplay by), Sue Kaufman (from the novel by)

Stars:

Richard Benjamin, Frank Langella, Carrie Snodgress

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 8 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	...	Alice Cooper (as The Alice Cooper Band)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Bruce	...	Michael Bruce (as 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:

new york city | infidelity | satire | extramarital affair | based on novel | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the gallery, the artwork on display is the Hatstand, Table and Chair by the British pop artist Allen Jones which were exhibited for the first time in 1970, the same year the film was made.

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Quotes

George Prager: Well what about it, you coming over?
Tina Balser: I um - I have to go to a committee meeting at my daughter's school. As a matter of fact I just on the way out the door.
George Prager: Tomorrow? Wait, tomorrow's Saturday. Monday?
Tina Balser: Monday I promised Jonathon I'd go down and pick our Christmas cards for this year.
George Prager: [exhales annoyed] Your life really is full of crap isn't it?

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Alternate Versions

Original version runs 104 minutes. Alternate TV version was prepared by director Frank Perry substituting different footage for many sequences; this version runs 95 minutes.

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Connections

Referenced in Best of the Worst: Night Beast, Trick or Treat, and Skull Forest (2013)

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Soundtracks

Ride With Me Baby
(uncredited)
Written by Mars Bonfire

User Reviews

Housewife has Good Reason to be Mad

I've often wondered if the lady of the title is crazy-mad,or angry-mad.Probably some of both.Benjamin's husband is one of the truly most detestable characters of domestic drama.Selfish,overbearing,pompous,ego-centric,domineering,callous,insensitiv e-and those are his good qualities.In all fairness,I don't think that Richard Benjamin likes him either.He's not a character,he's a caricature.And Langella's lover is every bit as much a swine.Oh,granted,he's sexy and sensuous,but he's every bit as much a villain-and equally immature.Maybe things were different back then,but Tina's decision to stick around after the nonsense her husband pulled,seen in a 90's perspective,makes one wonder as to any masochistic tendencies in her makeup.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 November 1970 (France)

Also Known As:

Diary of a Mad Housewife

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$2,782,256

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