Divorce American Style (1967)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Bud Yorkin

Writers:

Robert Kaufman (story)
Norman Lear (writer)

Release Date:

21 June 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

After 17 years, things have got too predictable and stale. They argue, they visit a marriage counselor...

Plot Keywords:

Divorce

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Dick Van Dyke	...	Richard Harmon
Debbie Reynolds	...	Barbara Harmon
Jason Robards	...	Nelson Downes
Jean Simmons	...	Nancy Downes
Van Johnson	...	Al Yearling
Joe Flynn	...	Lionel Blandsforth
Shelley Berman	...	David Grieff
Martin Gabel	...	Dr. Zenwinn
Lee Grant	...	Dede Murphy
Pat Collins	...	Herself
Tom Bosley	...	Farley
Emmaline Henry	...	Fern Blandsforth
Richard Gautier	...	Larry Strickland (as Dick Gautier)
Tim Matheson	...	Mark Harmon (as Tim Matthieson)
Gary Goetzman	...	Jonathan Harmon

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

National General Production Inc.

Trivia:

Tim Matheson's movie debut.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the night club scene,when the lady hypnotist turns toward the audience, a poof of cigarette smoke goes backward into reverse.

Quotes:

Dede Murphy: So, since when do men grow up? They just grow old. You know what I call this apartment sometimes? Boys' Town.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Suddenly Susan: Love and Divorce American Style: Part 2 (#1.16)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

Let's Fall in Love

Ridiculously unrealistic

This movie is extremely dated and was undoubtedly unrealistic upon release, no matter how hip the filmmakers thought they were being. Husbands impoverished by alimony and child support while their ex-wives live in the lap of luxury? Please. Post-divorce, women were (and are) the ones most likely to have financial struggles, due to the continuing inequities in society, but they have also proved themselves much less dependent than the women in this movie, going to heroic heights in trying to support themselves and their children. Of course, this movie never acknowledges that maybe a divorced woman could get a job! Actually, for all its melodrama (which is enjoyable in itself), 1945's Mildred Pierce is more realistic in this regard--after Mildred and her husband split up, she goes to work as a waitress and then (you go, girl!) opens her own restaurant. At least filmmakers Lear and Yorkin dealt more intelligently with social issues a few years later in All in the Family. This movie does have an excellent cast, down to the supporting players, but they deserve better. Sitcom great Dick Van Dyke never had much luck with movies, and Jean Simmons, a wonderful actress, made few films that were worthy of her talents. Debbie Reynolds and Jason Robards, happily, were in many better movies.