For Two Actors, Being Roommates is a Tough Role to Play: A Retro Review for “The Goodbye Girl”

Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason in
"The Goodbye Girl"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

*With movie theaters closed for the time being, I’m going to take this time to review classics that I have yet to see.  I’m going to try to do these Retro Reviews as often as I can until the theaters reopen.  Hope you enjoy them!

Throughout the later half of the 20th century, Neil Simon proved himself to be one of the entertainment industry’s most prolific playwrights and screenwriters.  After gaining considerable attention for his work in theater, he soon built up an impressive résumé in film, adapting several of his plays for the screen, such as “The Odd Couple,” “The Sunshine Boys,” and “California Suite.” 

Being in the mood for something lighthearted, I remembered director Herbert Ross’ 1977 romantic comedy, “The Goodbye Girl,” which is an original screenplay from Simon.  Having only seen clips of it on television, I decided to watch it in its entirety and have some laughs from the smile-inducing setup.  What results are two hours of a breezy, wayward relationship that forms under unusual circumstances, inviting you into an enjoyable portrait of two people trying to succeed in New York City, all while being forced to tolerate each other.

Broadway dancer Paula McFadden (Marsha Mason) and her 10-year old daughter, Lucy (Quinn Cummings), live in a Manhattan apartment with her boyfriend.  When he leaves them to pursue an acting opportunity, Paula finds out that he subleased the apartment to an aspiring actor from Chicago, Elliot Garfield (Richard Dreyfuss).  When Elliot arrives, he and Paula must figure out how they will get along in their new predicament.

Mason provides an endearing performance as a dedicated, hardworking mother who’s trying to give her daughter the best life possible, despite the disruptions that tend to drop into their lives.  She presents an individual who shows a determination to get through any challenge, both in terms of being a parent and finding a way to support her household, and it’s this strong will that draws us to her character, a strength that presents itself well on both a comedic level and an emotional one.  Mason has us laugh when Paula must have comical confrontations with her new roommate, but also has us feel for her when the emotional part of her character’s arc comes to a head in the third act, and it’s a performance like Mason’s that makes this movie a romantic-comedy that’s much more than its laughs.

Dreyfuss gives an energetic performance as Elliot.  While his whole portrayal is terrific comedic work, his entrance into the movie is pure humorous gold.  As he begins his move into the apartment, Dreyfuss does excellent work in having you stand in Paula’s shoes as you begin to experience the annoyance that she feels of having Elliot barge into your life and impose his lifestyle and quirks on her, creating a scene that acts as a memorable introduction to what you can expect from this character. 

While Mason and Dreyfuss have unbreakable comedic chemistry, some of the best parts of the movie is when we see the dramatic side to their relationship.  This comes out quite a bit when certain things don’t go their way in their own endeavors, and they soon come to realize that they need each other more than they thought.  This helps to create another dimension to their bond as Paula and Elliot start to become close with each other.

Cummings, whose performance in this film marks her big-screen debut, presents a wise-beyond-her-years character who’s a significant help to her mom.  She often acts as her mom’s voice of reason, having a great sense of delivery, like when she’s discussing her mom’s type of men, speaking lines like, “Your type never hangs around long enough to stay your type.”  We’re also given an idea of the type of person that Lucy right at the beginning of the film, when her mom describes her as being born 26.  This is a perfect description of her character, with Cummings showing someone who has an uncommonly deep perception of the issues that her mother faces and helps her mother make sense of her current situation.

Simon’s screenplay takes a page of out of his stage play and screenplay, “The Odd Couple,” and gives it some intriguing and fun alterations.  While “The Odd Couple” dealt with two characters with conflicting lifestyles, “The Goodbye Girl” give us two characters who basically have the same high-strung personality and career goals, but can’t seem to stand each other nevertheless.  This keeps us invested to see how they will attempt to get along and work towards their common goals.  What’s important is not to let the sitcom setup fool you because none of the interactions between Paula and Elliot are overdone as a way to evoke maximum laughs; but instead, the setup has faith in itself to offer you a greta time while still keeping everything grounded.  In the middle of all of this is a relatable story of how, even when you’re an adult, it’s never too late to grow up and learn from your mistakes.

Ross, who directed Simon’s adaptations of “The Sunshine Boys” and “California Suite,” delivers both the wit and the heart that you would expect from the type of relationship that’s depicted.  He doesn’t resort to any over-the-top comedic antics to make the scenario of the film work, but rather allows for the natural chemistry between Mason, Dreyfuss, and Cummings to blend well with the genuineness of the screenplay to help construct a story that isn’t anything short of entertaining.

With its glowing and comical narrative of falling in love unexpectedly, “The Goodbye Girl” will have you greeting it with an enthusiastic “hello.”

Grade: A