The Goodbye Girl (1977)

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writer:

Neil Simon (written by)

Release Date:

17 March 1978 (Finland)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Thank you Neil Simon for making us laugh at falling in love...again.

Plot:

After being dumped by her live-in boyfriend, an unemployed dancer and her 10-year-old daughter are reluctantly forced to live with a struggling off-Broadway actor.

Plot Keywords:

Dancer | Beautiful Woman | Girl | Male Female Relationship | Homeless

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 9 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Richard Dreyfuss	...	Elliot Garfield
Marsha Mason	...	Paula McFadden
Quinn Cummings	...	Lucy McFadden
Paul Benedict	...	Mark
Barbara Rhoades	...	Donna
Theresa Merritt	...	Mrs. Crosby
Michael Shawn	...	Ronnie
Patricia Pearcy	...	Rhonda
Gene Castle	...	Assistant Choreographer
Daniel Levans	...	Dance Instructor
Marilyn Sokol	...	Linda
Anita Dangler	...	Mrs. Morganweiss
Victoria Boothby	...	Mrs. Bodine
Robert Costanzo	...	Liquor Store Salesman
Pancho González	...	Mugger (as Poncho Gonzalez)

Also Known As:

Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Sources point to this film as the first romantic comedy to gross 100 million dollars.

Goofs:

Continuity: A drunken Elliott enters the apartment and sits on the window ledge, knocking a potted plant to the ground far below. A few moments later the plant has returned.

Quotes:

[after finding out the play has closed]
Elliot: That's O.K., Now I'm free to take that other job.
Lucy: What other job?
Elliot: I'm looking, I'm looking !

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Saturday Night Live: Richard Dreyfuss/Jimmy Buffett, Gary Tigerman (#3.19)" (1978)

Soundtrack:

Goodbye Girl

Marsha Mason Does Helen Trent ***1/2

Poor Marsha Marson. All of her relationships end in failure. The guy simply walks out. She has a precocious daughter, devilishly played by Quinn Cummings. The latter received a supporting actress nomination and faded from the movie scene real fast. Where are you Quinn darling?

Forced to share an apartment with a stranger, Mason may finally be on the right track. Richard Dreyfuss is that man and in a surprise Oscar winning performance (Richard Burton was also up for Equus that year), he is perfect in the role as the charmer.

By movie's end Dreyfuss has to go off to somewhere but unlike the other men in her life, will return. How do we know he is coming back? Just see this delightful film and find out.