Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Richard Brooks

Writers:

Richard Brooks (writer)
Judith Rossner (novel)

Release Date:

13 March 1978 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A dedicated schoolteacher spends her nights cruising bars, looking for abusive men with whom she can engage in progressively violent sexual encounters.

Plot Keywords:

Bar | Schoolteacher | Sex | Teacher | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Diane Keaton	...	Theresa Dunn
Tuesday Weld	...	Katherine
William Atherton	...	James
Richard Kiley	...	Mr. Dunn
Richard Gere	...	Tony Lo Porto
Alan Feinstein	...	Martin
Tom Berenger	...	Gary
Priscilla Pointer	...	Mrs. Dunn
Laurie Prange	...	Brigid
Joel Fabiani	...	Barney
Julius Harris	...	Black Cat
Richard Bright	...	George
LeVar Burton	...	Cap Jackson
Marilyn Coleman	...	Mrs. Jackson
Carole Mallory	...	Marvella

Runtime:

135 min | Argentina:136 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (1988) | Finland:K-18 (1978) (cut) | Iceland:16 | France:-18 | Netherlands:16 (uncut version) | Australia:MA (TV rating) | France:-16 (re-rating) | South Korea:18 | Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Norway:18 | Singapore:R21 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

When Teresa meets Tony in the bar, she is reading "The Godfather", just as she does in the original novel. He comments that he has seen the movie. Diane Keaton (Teresa) plays the part of Kay in The Godfather (1972).

Quotes:

Martin: Teaching's a waste of time, I'm writing a novel.
Theresa: Isn't everybody.
Martin: Getting divorced too.
Theresa: Isn't everybody.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Saturday Night Live: Art Garfunkel/Stephen Bishop (#3.13)" (1978)

Soundtrack:

She's Lonely

Not for all

I saw this film last year and I was completely blown away. It's amazing to see how meticulously Theresa's double life has been put together. The scenes are tightly knit in such a way as to not only emphasize the differences between Theresa's multiple roles (patient and kind teacher, lover of many, disco-freak, junkie) but also to steadily bring the story to an unforgettable climax. Diane Keaton is great in a demanding role and should have been nominated for an Academy award.

This is a masterpiece about the complexity of the human soul - although I don't think it has been / will ever be appreciated by many. Conventional life leaders, stay away, you won't even begin to understand this.

10