Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970)

Director:

Frank Perry

Writers:

Sue Kaufman (novel)
Eleanor Perry (writer)

Release Date:

10 August 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

I, Tina Balser, Housewife, Did Not Do My Chores Today. I Did...Something Else!

Plot:

A housewife with an abusive husband has an affair with a writer.

Plot Keywords:

Writing | Extramarital Affair | Yuppie | Psychiatrist | Infidelity

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Richard Benjamin	...	Jonathan Balser
Frank Langella	...	George Prager
Carrie Snodgress	...	Tina Balser
Lorraine Cullen	...	Sylvie Balser
Frannie Michel	...	Liz Balser
Lee Addoms	...	Mrs. Prinz
Peter Dohanos	...	Samuel Keefer
Katherine Meskill	...	Charlotte Rady
Leonard Elliott	...	M. Henri
Valma	...	Margo
Hilda Haynes	...	Lottie
Donald Symington	...	Pediatrician (as Don Symington)
Alley Mills	...	Women's lib girl (as Allison Mills)
Alice Cooper	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Bruce	...	Himself... guitarist for the Alice Cooper band
Glen Buxton	...	Himself... guitarist for the Alice Cooper band
Jeanette Du Bois	...	Vera
Dennis Dunaway	...	Himself... bassist for the Alice Cooper band
Kurt Garfield	...	Carpenter
Jason Holt
William Kiehl	...	Elliot Asher
I.W. Klein	...	Stuttering man in group therapy
George Loros	...	Malcolm
Lester Rawlins	...	Dr. Linstrom
Renee Semes	...	College Girl in group therapy session
Neal Smith	...	Himself... drummer for the Alice Cooper band

Runtime:

95 min | 104 min (original version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | USA:R

Company:

Frank Perry Films Inc.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Empty Nest: Diary of a Mad Housewife (#6.6)" (1993)

Experiments in editing

There are two different versions of this movie, one for t.v. and one on video. They're both the same length, but they are incredibly different in tone. On t.v., the movie is about a harried housewife who has a brief (mostly offscreen) affair as part of her attempt to make sense of her life. On video, the movie is a dark portrayal of an illicit affair, emphasizing the sexual dysfunctions of everyone involved. If one reads the book, it is clear that both versions are unsatisfying--the best solution is a "Director's Cut," like the one I made on my own, that incorporates all the scenes and brings the running time up to a tolerable 2 hrs even. This makes it an almost perfect adaptation of the book, and a very fulfilling movie. Here's hoping someone, someday, has the sense to release this great old film on DVD this way.

Career-defining roles for Carrie Snodgrass, Richard Benjamin and Frank Langella, as well as a wonderful blend of humor and drama.

And the little brats are just great: "Why, even the salad isn't normal--mooky oranges and cut up plants!"