The Goodbye Girl

Amazon.com

The Goodbye Girl is a bittersweet comedy about relationships and taking chances. Though it deals with the human condition, what most quickly comes to mind are those wickedly comedic scenes featuring Richard Dreyfuss in an Oscar-winning role. He plays a struggling actor with a sharp tongue who has sublet an apartment from single mom Marcia Mason, a divorcée with horrific taste in men, who are always running out on her. She is left high and dry once more, stuck sharing her apartment with Dreyfuss when he hasn't the heart to enforce his lease and toss out mother and daughter.

Neil Simon's play shines under the direction of Herbert Ross as these two mismatched people find their contempt changing into mutual admiration. Quinn Cummings is more interesting than most precocious child stars; she seems brighter and her manner is prickly instead of cloying. Watch this film just for the scene in which Dreyfuss plays Richard III in an off-off-Broadway play. He lisps, he limps, he screams. It is the worst theater you will ever see--and thoroughly hilarious. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Customer Reviews:

My Wife's Favorite Movie.......2007-06-28

Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, great story, romantic, funny and extremely well written. Why they even thought to remake this 1977 classic for television is beyond me. You just don't find chemistry on film like this very often. Richard Dreyfuss won a much deserved Academy Award for his outstanding performance, and Marsha Mason was perfect as these two performers jelled into one of the best and funniest love relationships ever.

I had to buy this DVD for my wife, who could watch this movie morning, noon and night. A real Hollywood romantic comedy that set the tone for all that followed. Quinn Cummings will win your heart over as the young daughter of Marsha Mason. An extremely entertaining experience for adult couples, yet gentle enough for younger teens as well.

Golden Oldie!!!.......2007-05-18

This movie is one of Neil Simon's best, especially with the addition of Marsha Mason(his real-life wife!!) It is a fun, real life story and I loved it!!
Richard Dreyfuss is so young in this and I'm sure starting his brillant career
If you want a "feel-good" somewhat chick flick, then this is a sure bet, and I feel it is timeless!!!

The Goodbye Girl.......2007-05-13

Super movie. Funny, yet sophisticated! Both Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason are terrific! And so is "the kid"! Too bad they don't make 'em like this anymore!

Goodbye Girl.......2007-03-26

First saw this years ago, but never forgot it. A very funny, intelligent, typical Neil Simon film. Simply heartwarming.

a great Neil Simon story adapted for the screen.............2007-03-14

THE GOODBYE GIRL is a wonderful Neil Simon romantic comedy (with emphasis on screwball). The film takes the formula of THE ODD COUPLE (another wonderful film that examines the relationship between a pair of opposites trying to compromise in a living situation) with a twist. Paula McFadden (Marsha Mason) is an out-of-work dancer and single mother whose boyfriend has abandoned her and her young daughter, Lucy (Quinn Cummings)--not a surprise. However, he also subletted the apartment to his out-of-work actor friend, Elliot Garfield (Richard Dreyfuss). This wasn't what Paula had in mind. This wasn't what Elliot had in mind. Nevertheless, the eccentric Elliot--who chants and eats odd, diet specific food-- and the embittered Paula, who has vowed to stay away from actors--must agree to tolerate each other (to put it nicely). This doesn't come easily.

This film has so many wonderful and funny scenes, and Marsha Mason and Richard Dreyfuss have wonderful screen chemistry even when they are at each other's throats. Wonderfully entertaining......Dreyfuss basically steals the movie. You'll love it.

Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl (2004 TV Movie)

Average customer rating:

WHY ?????????
Great Movie!
a TV movie that you just might really enjoy
BETER THAN OTHER REVIEWS HAD POSTED!
Some Like It Others Don't!

Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl (2004 TV Movie)
Starring: Jeff Daniels , Patricia Heaton , Alan Cumming , Joe D'Onofrio , and Richard Benjamin
Director: Richard Benjamin
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000228EYK
Release Date: 2004-07-20

Amazon.com

More than a quarter-century after Herbert Ross directed Richard Dreyfuss to an Oscar and made an indelible cinematic impression out of Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl, a 2004 television remake starring Jeff Daniels and Patricia Heaton proved winning and funny in its own way. Daniels plays Elliot, an actor who subleases a New York City apartment already occupied by a dancer and single mom, Paula (Heaton), and her daughter (Hallie Kate Eisenberg). Focused on his stagecraft, Elliot is irked about sharing housing with strangers, and while Paula feels the same (to great comic effect), both come to lean on and finally love one another over time. The underrated Daniels is very good here, nuanced and thoughtful, and his work performing (as Elliot) in a stage production of Richard III is quite entertaining. Heaton is equally strong and frequently stirring; anyone with doubts about this film's casting will quickly forget them. --Tom Keogh

Description

The Goodbye Girl is a contemporary turn on Academy? Award-nominated Neil Simon's classic film about a dumped-on divorcee and an aspiring actor who become unwilling roommates in a New York City apartment.

Customer Reviews:

WHY ?????????.......2007-09-05

Except for a very few changes the script for this re-make his identical to the 1978 one which leaves your wondering why make it at all.
The actors do go through their lines at a much quicker pace than on the original, my guess is they did it to fit a 110 minute movie into 90 minutes. I am more of a fan of Heaton/Daniels than Mason/Dreyfuss but the fact is the latter ones were much, much better. Unlike Mason's character which evolved so much in the original, Heaton's character remains exactly the same throught this new version which makes it hard to root for her. Personally I identify her so much with ELR's Deborah that when she started kissing Daniels it felt like she was being unfaithful to Raymond.
My suggestion would have been for them to film Heaton and Daniels while they seat on a couch and watch the original Goodbye Girl, it sure would have been more entertaining than what they came up with.

Great Movie!.......2006-07-23

Tis movie is so much better than the 1970's version with Dreyfuss and Mason. Heaton and Daniels are a much better matching couple. These people are so fitting and right for these roles of a struggling and a struggling house wife/ dancer! Thank you Richard Benjamin for a great movie and great entertaiment.

a TV movie that you just might really enjoy.......2006-04-03

This made-for-TV film is one that I felt instantly inclined to pick up on DVD when I came across it on Amazon, due mostly in part to the recognizable and talented cast. Patricia Heaton appeared in a couple movies and landed some guest spots on television series before her breakthrough on "Everybody Loves Raymond," but this is one of the few films in which she stars. Many sitcom actors experience some difficulty transitioning to film, but Heaton has an apparent ease on camera and performs this role quite well, despite the fact that it is so different from her gig as Debra on "Raymond." In fact, any fan of that show who is familiar with Heaton's tough-as-nails, take-no-crap-from-anybody role may be a bit humored to see her in this movie as a character who is bawling over a guy within the first five minutes, but for her it works just fine. Heaton has a definite knack for humor and sarcasm in her acting, which gives her a nice distinction and gives her onscreen success.

"The Goodbye Girl" is a simple, sweet story of a single mother with a wise-beyond-her-years daughter and a reputation for falling for and being dumped by several actor types. As the sweet but undeniably cliched plot continues, another actor enters her life and shows a definite potential to establish a family with Heaton and her child.

There is not a whole lot to the storyline and therefore not much to really comment on in that aspect, but the cast was well chosen and gives the movie a nice touch. Jeff Daniels is a genuinely funny actor with many humorous scenes here, and young child starlet Hallie Kate Eisenberg (remember those infamous Pepsi commercials?) maintains those classic out-of-control curls and river-deep dimples to give a believable portrayal as Patricia Heaton's 10-year-old daughter. Eisenberg has grown quite a bit since doing all those movies as a tiny little girl, but she works very well alongside Heaton and seems to be doing just fine as a preteen star. It is also nice to see Heaton playing such a large part with a child actress. Of course, she played a devoted and loving mother on "Raymond," but in that show we actually don't see her interacting that much with her kids--it is mostly suggestive that she is with them a lot of the time. This movie has her and Eisenberg interacting all the way through, and the fact that they are more like friends than mother and daughter gives them both some good improvisational material to work with.

In short, "The Goodbye Girl" is a movie worth renting or buying if you like the cast and would enjoy seeing a lighthearted and entertaining family story.

BETER THAN OTHER REVIEWS HAD POSTED!.......2006-01-08

I really enjoyed the show. It was a very funny and romanitic movie. The acting was very good and thescript was fine for television. I like Daniel over Dryfuss anyday. It is definetly worth a watch.

Some Like It Others Don't!.......2005-12-11

Okay I like this movie and found it almost as good as the original movie but I want to say that I thought it was mean and bratty for the previous reviewer to say that all of the other reviewers were crazy! I like this movie but I can understand and accept that not everyone liked it as much as I did and after all as they say everyone's entitled to their own opinions so just accept that and get over it! By the way I also disagree with the guy who said Hallie Kate Eisenberg was ugly. I personally think she is one of the most adorable child actresses ever!

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I Kissed Dating Goodbye Video Series

Manufacturer: Multnomah Publishers
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Building on his best-selling book and popular conference series, Joshua Harris offers biblical direction for those seeking a love that'll last a lifetime! Open, honest, and often humorous, this powerful media package uses drama, on-the-street interviews, personal testimonies, and segments taped before a live audience to explore relationships in Josh's incomparable way. Three sessions (Love / Purity / Trust) will help singles of all ages gain a biblical perspective on how to readjust their relationships in light of Scripture. Plus nearly two hours of bonus features! Approximately 5 hours.

Average customer rating:

What a creepy movie.
Don,t bother!!!!
Clever low budget

Kiss the Girls Goodbye
Starring: Kiss the Girls Goodbye
Manufacturer: Vintage Home Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002OXUTW
Release Date: 2004-08-24

Description

DON'T TALK TO STRANGERS! Carl Ray Hicks (Frankie Ray), a piano teacher with psychopathic tendencies due to his overbearing mother, picks up and kidnaps Dawn (Stephanie Shaub) while she's hitchhiking a ride home to her mother. Keeping her stashed in a secret area of his house, he begins subjecting her to various torture rituals to satisfy his violent desires. Bound to each other in a love/hate relationship, when Dawn finally escapes she finds herself undeniably drawn to return for the fulfillment only Carl could provide for her.

Customer Reviews:

What a creepy movie........2006-08-02

It was definitely worth picking out from my local video store. Thank goodness, this was not a slasher horror movie. I love this movie cause it was creepy and strange. It made the story seem more real compared to the recently produced and commercialized horror movies. Carl is an evil man. He made me cringe everytime he was flirting with the girls. You can tell from this, he doesn't know how to socialize cause he spent so much time being home alone and browbeatened by his mom. What a psychotic family. This is a movie worth seeing.

Don,t bother!!!!.......2006-07-12

I ordered this movie,having never seen it. Once is more than enough. It was just an all-around dud. It might appeal to some people,but it just didn,t grab my interest. Buy at your own risk.

Clever low budget.......2005-06-03

With a good director, good unkown actors, and a good script, this is what quality story telling is about. The story is compellig and twisted, but you can't take your eyes away. The dialogue is witty and snappy. The funniest scene is when the killer talks to his Mom on the phone and she's telling him her story as to why she ran out of toilet paper on Tuesday instead of Sunday.The sickest is the dinner with the killer, the captive and Mom.I highly reccomend this taunt thriller. It never goes where you think it will.

[18 Feature Films] Seven Doors to Death, Hot Rod Girl, Blonde Savage, They Made Me a Criminal, Silver Horde, Bird of Paradise, Outpost in Morocco, Renfrew of the Royal Mounted, Dark Room, Aerialist, Return of Michael Campion, Peter Hurok's Store Part 1 & 2, Goodbye Grandpa, Where Are They?, Executioner, Explorer, Encounter

Average customer rating:

[18 Feature Films] Seven Doors to Death, Hot Rod Girl, Blonde Savage, They Made Me a Criminal, Silver Horde, Bird of Paradise, Outpost in Morocco, Renfrew of the Royal Mounted, Dark Room, Aerialist, Return of Michael Campion, Peter Hurok's Store Part 1 & 2, Goodbye Grandpa, Where Are They?, Executioner, Explorer, Encounter

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000EPI4RC

Product Description

SPECIAL FEATURES: Digitally Mastered, Interactive Menus, Chapter Selections, Digitally Enhanced Audio 5.1

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DVD

DVD