Blume in Love (1973)

Director:

Paul Mazursky

Writer:

Paul Mazursky (writer)

Release Date:

15 February 1974 (Denmark)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

There's no such thing as a perfect marriage.

Plot:

Lawyer Stephen Blume, specialized in divorces, lives a paradoxical situation when, having his own marriage break up...

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Love | Divorce | Lawyer | Divorcee

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

George Segal	...	Stephen Blume
Susan Anspach	...	Nina Blume
Kris Kristofferson	...	Elmo Cole
Marsha Mason	...	Arlene
Shelley Winters	...	Mrs. Cramer
Donald F. Muhich	...	Analyst
Paul Mazursky	...	Hellman
Erin O'Reilly	...	Cindy
Annazette Chase	...	Gloria
Shelley Morrison	...	Mrs. Greco
Mary Jackson	...	Louise
Ed Peck	...	Ed Goober
Jo Morrow	...	Bar Hostess
Gigi Ballista	...	Older Man
Ian Linhart	...	Young Boy

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:X (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

St. Mark's Square, Venice, Veneto, Italy

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The role which ultimately went to Marsha Mason was originally given to another actress that was going to shoot another film. She called to ask the director, who declined, to push production of the film back for a couple of months. Mazursky hung up the phone and contacted his casting director, asking about Mason who just so happened to be at the casting office. When the actress walked in, the director hired her on the spot.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Soundtrack:

Mr. Tambourine Man

An intelligent screenplay ends in travesty.

I have enjoyed Paul Mazursky's direction on a few occasions, notably in Harry and Tonto. I like his work in Blume in Love as well, but am close to being disgusted with the repulsive ending. George Segal plays Blume, an obnoxious ex-husband of Susan Anspach. He has an overactive libido that gets him in trouble in this film in more ways than one. He spends the majority of the movie pining over the loss of his wife while comprehending why he can't perform sexually the way he wants to. The end of the story really got my goat (and yes, there is another goat in this picture I won't comment on here). Rape is no laughing matter, committed by anyone no matter what the situation. This film made light of the whole occurrence, and made Kris Kristofferson (Anspach's live-in boyfriend) look like a putz. To top it all off, the film ends happily, with the wrong people (immorally) getting back together. I would have been more content if the film stayed on its obsessive keel, maybe even if it went into a screwball comedy. Unfortunately, it traverses into absurdity and non-sensical behavior. I enjoyed the first half of this, had a bit of a titter or two, but was most displeased in Blume in Love's finish. Rating: Two stars.