The Goodbye Girl

"I don't - like - the panties - hanging - on - the rod!"
In 1977, movie theater audiences were treated to what is probably Neil Simon's best writing with the film "The Goodbye Girl". Directed by Herbert Ross (1927-2001, who later directed "Steel Magnolias" in 1989), the film stars Richard Dreyfuss as the aspiring actor Elliot Garfield, Marsha Mason as former dancer Paula McFadden and Quinn Cummings as Paula's 10-year old daughter Lucy. The film begins with Paula and Lucy returning to their New York City apartment from a long day of shopping. They are preparing to move to California with Paula's boyfriend, Tony Deforest (not shown), who is another aspiring actor that just got an acting job in a Hollywood film. Upon getting home, Tony isn't there, but she finds a note that he left for her. The note is not what Paula wanted or expected to hear: Tony left without her and Lucy. Paula learns from building manager Mrs. Crosby (Theresa Merritt, 1924-1998) the next morning that loveable Tony did something else too: he sublet the apartment. Not...

A chick flick for guys too
I saw the Goodbye Girl when it first came to theaters. At the time I was 12 and was really not interested in seeing it. I made quite a fuss as my parents dragged me into the theater. Now, many years later I can be honest and tell the world how much I liked the film.

Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason play mismatched people stuck rooming together when Mason's ex dumps her and sublets his apartment to Dreyfuss. Mason's character has a young daughter, played by Quinn Cummings, and the three end up tolerating each other until resentment turns to acceptance turns to caring turns to love. It's an old story but it's never been done better than this.

As an adult now, I think the film appeals to me because the male character is more than just window dressing in a story about how hard a woman's life is. Guys don't want to be beat over the head and this movie doesn't do that. Each character has their own chance to have a breakdown, and in the end we find a little of ourselves in all of...

A Romantic-Comedy Classic
Dumped yet again by her less than scrupulous lover, Marcia Mason is in for quite a surprise when she finds out that her apartment has been sublet to Richard Dreyfuss ( who plays an actor about to begin his first off-Broadway play, Richard III ). Mason's wise-cracking daughter,(played by Quinn Cummings) is fantastic as a cynical 10 year old and almost steals the movie away from the main 2 characters. When Dreyfuss agrees to let Mason and her daughter share the apartment with him, the sparks start to fly. Immediately Dreyfuss begins to assert his egocentric personality by laying down the rules of the house "I DON'T like the panties drying on the rod !! " and their relationship goes down hill from there. But naturally, as it always goes in this type of romantic comedy, the 2 main characters eventually begin to warm up to each other and have a relationship of their own. It's a movie about taking chances and allowing yourself to be vulnerable just ONE more time...

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