‘Goodbye Girl’ fine antidote to violence

Press, 1 May 1978, Page 12

‘Goodbye Girl’ fine antidote to violence

The Goodbye Girl, Westend, GA.

Few films can be enjoyed by everyone, no matter what their age or outlook, but Neil Simon’s “The Goodbye Girl” is one of them.

It is light, frothy and humorous but it is distinguished by an acting performance from Richard Dreyfuss which was good enough to win him the Oscar as best actor. Paula (Marsha Mason) lives in New York with her 10-year-old daughter Lucy (Quinn Cummings) and an actor, Tony, whom we never meet. Tony skips the country, but not before he has sold the lease of their apartment to a friend and fellowactor, Elliott.

The fun begins when Elliott (Dreyfuss) arrives late on a wet night to move into his apartment, only to find Paula and Lucy there — and determined not to move.

The pace is fast and the dialogue typically Simon — quick, neat and easy to follow. This is helped by unusually good voice projection by Mason and Dreyfuss.

Much of the humour is wry: Mother: “Just remember. be tactful.” Daughter: “What’s tactful?” Mother: “Lie.” The domestic cross-fire between Mason and Dreyfuss

sometimes cuts to the bone, while Dreyfuss’s efforts as a ridiculously camp Richard 111 in an 'Off-Off Broadway flop are funny, but would probably be more easily understood by a New York audience. As an antidote to the violence, sex and mechanical mayhem which seems to dominate our theatres at the moment “The Goodbye Girl” could hardly be bettered. And as a special bonus. Quinn Cummings gives one of the finest performances yet seen from a young girl. Herbert Ross, the director, brings everything together superbly.

CINEMA Russell Jones