Lovers and Other Strangers (1970)

Mike Vecchio and Susan Henderson are preparing for their upcoming wedding. However, they seem to be the only two people at the wedding that are happy. Mike's brother Richie and his wife ... See full summary »

Director:

Cy Howard

Writers:

Joseph Bologna (play), Renée Taylor (play) (as Renee Taylor)

Stars:

Gig Young, Bea Arthur, Bonnie Bedelia

Won 1 Oscar. Another 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Diane Keaton	...	Joan
Joseph Hindy	...	Ritchie
Richard S. Castellano	...	Frank (as Richard Castellano)
Bea Arthur	...	Bea (as Beatrice Arthur)
Cloris Leachman	...	Bernice
Gig Young	...	Hal
Anne Jackson	...	Kathy
Harry Guardino	...	Johnny
Anne Meara	...	Wilma
Bob Dishy	...	Jerry (as Robert Dishy)
Marian Hailey	...	Brenda
Michael Brandon	...	Mike
Bonnie Bedelia	...	Susan
Anthony Holland	...	Donaldson
Bob Kaliban	...	Hotel Clerk

Storyline

Mike Vecchio and Susan Henderson are preparing for their upcoming wedding. However, they seem to be the only two people at the wedding that are happy. Mike's brother Richie and his wife Joan are going through a divorce, which is upsetting his overly devout Catholic mother Beatrice. Also, Susan's father is carrying on an affair and her sex starved older sister Wilma is going through her troubles with her husband Johnny. All this is going on while Mike's best friend Jerry is trying to bed the maid of honor, Susan's cousin Brenda.

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Plot Keywords:

kitchen | wedding | extramarital affair | father in law | wedding reception | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

GP

Did You Know?

Trivia

Anne Meara's husband, Jerry Stiller and daughter, Amy Stiller, make a cameo appearance at the wedding reception.

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Goofs

Wilma and Johnny put their son to bed in their hotel room and continue their fight. Evidently, they go back down to the reception, leaving the boy in the room, until we see Wilma bump butts with her mother-in-law on the dance floor, taunting Johnny until he flicks her off and she runs after him. However, in the background, both of their sons are chasing each other around and dancing. Did the dark-haired son awaken suddenly and they took him back downstairs?

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Quotes

Richie Vecchio: Don't you understand, Joan and I are just not happy together.
Frank Vecchio: You hear that, Beatrice? They're not happy together.
Bea: I heard, Frank.
Frank Vecchio: So who's happy?
Bea: Who's happy?
Frank Vecchio: What, do you see me running around dancing in the streets?
Bea: Do you see your father running around dancing in the streets?
Frank Vecchio: What are you, better than me? You think your mother and I are happy?
Richie Vecchio: You mean you and mom aren't happy?
Frank Vecchio: [together with Bea] No!
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Roseanne: Daughters and Other Strangers (1993)

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Soundtracks

For All We Know
Music by Fred Karlin
Lyrics by Robb Royer (as Robb Wilson) and Jimmy Griffin (as Arthur James)
Performed by Larry Meredith
Courtesy of A&M Records

User Reviews

Great Wedding Film

This is one of the funniest wedding pictures I have ever seen. The film pretty much accurately portrays a lot of the things that go on around the time of a wedding. Things like the mother of either the bride or groom about to suffer a nervous breakdown, one couple on the verge of a divorce while the brother (or sister) is getting married or one of the groomsmen trying to make it with one of the bridesmaids. The writer must have been to a lot of weddings to really come up with this great slice of life comedy.

As for the cast, Bonnie Bedelia and Michael Brandon are perfectly cast as Susan and Mike, who seem to be the only ones that are happy while everyone else isn't. Cloris Leachman (a few months before taking the role of Mary Richard's annoying and overbearing neighbor Phyllis) is also great as Susan's mother, who is oblivious to her husband's philandering. Also, in a very quiet performance, Dianne Keaton makes a solid debut as Mike's soon to be ex-sister-in-law, who show's up even though she know's she has to face her in-law's as well as her estranged husband. However, Bea Arthur (a couple of years before her career defining role as overbearing liberal Maude) steals the show as Mike's overbearing, devoutly Catholic mother. This film is definitely a sleeper.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 August 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lovers and Other Strangers

Box Office

Gross USA:

$5,484,056

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1