The Goodbye Girl

M-G-M/Warner. Director Herbert Ross; Producer Ray Stark; Screenplay Neil Simon; Camera David M. Walsh; Editor Margaret Booth; Music Dave Grusin; Art Director Albert Brenner

Richard Dreyfuss
Marsha Mason
Quinn Cummings
Paul Benedict
Barbara Rhoades
Theresa Merritt

Richard Dreyfuss in offbeat romantic lead casting, and vibrant Marsha Mason head the cast as two lovers in spite of themselves.

Story peg finds Mason, once-divorced and now jilted, finding out that her ex-lover has sublet their NY pad to aspiring thesp Dreyfuss. Mason has two other problems: a precocious daughter, Quinn Cummings, and her own thirtyish age which will prevent a successful resumption of a dancing career necessary to make ends meet.

The Neil Simon script evolves a series of increasingly intimate and sensitive character encounters as the adults progress from mutual hostility to an enduring love.

Performances by Dreyfuss, Mason and Cummings are all great, and the many supporting bits are filled admirably.

1977: Best Actor (Richard Dreyfuss).

Nominations: Best Picture, Actress (Marsha Mason), Supp. Actress (Quinn Cummings), Original Screenplay

(Color) Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1977. Running time: 110 MIN.

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