The Goodbye Girl

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The Goodbye Girl is a 1977 American comedy film.

The original screenplay by Neil Simon centers on an odd trio - an egotistical struggling actor who has sublet a Manhattan apartment from a friend, the current occupant, his friend's girlfriend, who is unaware she's been abandoned, and her precocious pre-teen daughter. The dislike between the two adults is immediate and intense, but they resolve to overcome their differences and attempt to share the tight quarters as harmoniously as possible.

Directed by Herbert Ross, the film stars Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, Quinn Cummings. and Paul Benedict. The title song, performed by David Gates, became a pop hit.

The Goodbye Girl was subsequently developed into a 1993 Broadway musical of the same name starring Martin Short and Bernadette Peters.

The 2004 TNT remake with Jeff Daniels and Patricia Heaton is available in both VHS and DVD formats. This version keeps the screenplay from the original version.

Production

The film began as a screenplay called Bogart Slept Here starring Robert DeNiro. After several table readings it was decided DeNiro wasn't right and Neil Simon rewrote it as The Goodbye Girl. The film's exteriors were shot in New York City and the interiors were shot in Los Angeles.

The Paula McFadden character is actually based on actress Marsha Mason who portrays the character in the film. Screenwriter Neil Simon and Marsha Mason were married from 1973 to 1981.

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

• Best Picture (nominee)
• Best Actor in a Leading Role (Dreyfuss, winner)
• Best Actress in a Leading Role (Mason, nominee)
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Cummings, nominee)
• Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (nominee)

Golden Globes

• Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy (winner)
• Best Motion Picture Actor, Musical or Comedy (Dreyfuss, winner)
• Best Motion Picture Actress, Musical or Comedy (Mason, winner)
• Best Motion Picture Actress in a Supporting Role (Cummings, nominee)
• Best Motion Picture Screenplay (winner)

Trivia

• Thirty-year-old Dreyfuss was the youngest ever to win the Best Actor Oscar at the time. This record was surpassed by Adrien Brody, who was 29 when he won his award for The Pianist.
• The film originally was made by Warner Bros. and MGM. Due to several transactions over the years, Warner Bros. now holds all rights to it.
• Sources point to this film as the first romantic comedy to break the $100 million mark.
• Richard Dreyfuss has stated that he and Marsha Mason were brought in to read for a script called "Bogart Slept Here" with Neil Simon and Ray Stark. At the end of the reading Neil said, "It doesn't work, but they do." Six weeks later Neil presented them with an essentially a prequel to "Bogart Slept Here" called 'The Goodbye Girl".
• On an Episode of Comedy Inc., the character, "Answer Man", who shows up during arguments and solves them. In an argument about what is the greatest movie ever made, "Answer Man" says The Goodbye Girl is the greatest movie ever made.

External links

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Last updated on Sunday March 09, 2008 at 14:15:13 PDT (GMT -0700)
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