Awards: Oscar for Best Supporting Actress (Goldie Hawn), Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress (Goldie Hawn), GG nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress (Ingrid Bergman), Best Song; nominated for Writer’s Guild for Best Adapted Comedy.
Trivia: The three kids seen behind the GTO in the GM 5th Avenue showroom during Walter Matthau and Goldie Hawn’s NY walkabout are David and Jenny Matthau and I.A.L. Diamond’s son Paul.
Quote:
Dr. Julian Winston: I must say, it’s grotesque. A woman your age, throwing yourself at a kid like that!
Stephanie: And what about that eh, father-daughter thing of yours, if you don’t think that’s ridiculous…
Dr. Julian Winston: Well, it’s different for a man. If a man is with a younger woman it looks entirely appropriate, but when it’s the other way around, it’s disg…
Stephanie: Well, you go to your church and I’ll go to mine.
Follow Lucy and Jenny live during the movie on Twitter every Friday night at 7PM EST at @JennyCrusie and @LucyMarch or #PopD! Pause your DVD at the beginning of the studio logo (MGM lion, Columbia lady, etc.) and then push play at 7PM to coordinate your watching with the Twitter feed.
To sum up Jenny and Lucy’s responses to this movie:
Tagline: Wake up! Make love! Fall over laughing!!!
Director: Gene Saks
Writer: Neil Simon
Awards: Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Mildred Natwick), Writer’s Guild nomination for Best American Comedy Screenplay
Trivia: Neil Simon based this story on his first marriage.
Quote: Ethel: [to Corie, after just climbing up the stairs to Paul and Corie's top-floor apartment] I remember when you were a little girl, you said you wanted to live on the moon… I thought you were kidding.
Description: Nicole catches Peter stealing and since a thief is exactly what she needs . . .
The Ratings The Popcorn Poll says: Lucy says: NRC
Structure:4.5
Comedy:5
Romance:3
A very enjoyable, fun movie. But, alas, when forced to adhere to the standard of what a true romantic comedy is, I have to come down that it’s not. Although I really, really want it to be.
Follow Lucy and Jenny live during the movie on Twitter every Friday night at 7PM EST at @JennyCrusie and @LucyMarch or #PopD! Pause your DVD at the beginning of the studio logo (MGM lion, Columbia lady, etc.) and then push play at 7PM to coordinate your watching with the Twitter feed.
Story: Nicole catches Peter in her house in the middle of the night trying to steal the paintings her father has forged. It doesn’t make things any easier when he kisses her.
Note: Why yes, this is very similar to Faking It. It’s also one of Jenny’s favorite movies of all time, feminism be damned. She aspires to be this good.
Tagline: A movie about those who appreciate the finest things in life… for free!
Director: William Wyler
Writers: George Bradshaw, Harry Kurnitz
Awards: WGA nomination for Best Comedy
Trivia: William Wyler first considered making this film as a follow up to Roman Holiday (1953); as in that film, Gregory Peck would have played the male lead opposite Audrey Hepburn. At that time he had a darker mood in mind.
Quote:
[Nicole describes the burglar to her Papa]
Nicole Bonnet: Well, it was pitch dark and there he was. Tall, blue eyes, slim, quite good-looking… in a brutal, mean way, Papa. A terrible man!
Charles Bonnet: This tall, good-looking ruffian with blue eyes, he didn’t, er, molest you in any way, did he?
[Nicole is staring off dreamily]
Charles Bonnet: Well, did he?
Nicole Bonnet: Not much.
Cary Grant gets grubby and Leslie Caron cleans up.
The Ratings The Popcorn Poll says: Lucy says: 5
Structure: *****
Comedy:*****
Romance:*****
Cary Grant at his best, and his best is pretty damn good. Romance gets a 5 for both wonderful romances – Cary and Leslie, and Cary and Trevor.
Jenny says:5
Structure:*****
Comedy:*****
Romance:*****
Okay, maybe the structure should be 41/2 for how long it takes to get through the set-up, but I never got bored. Also, I love this movie.
The Popcorn
Something with chicken and citrus and pasta that Lucy made. It was delicious. Also chocolate cupcakes that Lucy made. Lucy’s on a roll.
Follow Lucy and Jenny live during the movie on Twitter every Friday night at 7PM EST at @JennyCrusie and @LucyMarch or #PopD! Pause your DVD at the beginning of the studio logo (MGM lion, Columbia lady, etc.) and then push play at 7PM to coordinate your watching with the Twitter feed.
Story: Walter is not happy about being blackmailed into spotting planes alone on a remote island in the Pacific during WWII. Then a French headmistress lands on the island with seven little schoolgirls.
Tagline: No tagline. How weird is that?
Director: Ralph Nelson
Writers: S.H. Barnett, Peter Stone, Frank Taloff
Awards: Oscar for Best Screenplay; Oscar nominations for Editing and Sound; Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture; Writer’s Guild nomination for Best Comedy
Trivia: In later years, Cary Grant always claimed his role in this film was most like his real personality. He claimed he kept in touch with most of the girls as they grew up and had families of their own.
Quote:
Catherine Freneau: Look at their clothes.
Walter Eckland: They’re my clothes.
Catherine Freneau: But they’re filthy.
Walter Eckland: No, they’re dirty, I’m filthy.
Last week we talked about the idea that so many of the movies we’d seen had good structure and good comedy but failed with the romance which brought the whole movie down, and we wondered what would happen if we found a movie with a strong romance and a flawed structure. And now we have in American Dreamer and we know that the romance will carry the movie even if the plot is a mess because we’re so emotionally involved with the characters. And Lucy, who was a virgin to this movie, says that she’ll absolutely watch it again for the great romance (Tom Conti squee from both of us here) even though she still doesn’t know what the hell was going on with the mystery plot. I know what was going on with the mystery plot because I’ve seen the movie a million times, and it’s still an awful plot. I don’t care. I love this movie.
Lesson learned: Nail the romance and you can get away with murder.
The Ratings The Popcorn Poll says: Lucy says: 4 (because I’d watch it again in a heartbeat)
Structure: *
Comedy: ****
Romance: ***** Jenny says: 4 (because the romance is so strong)
Structure: *
Comedy: ****
Romance: *****
The Popcorn
Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing, thanks to Lucy.
Follow Lucy and Jenny live during the movie on Twitter every Friday night at 7PM EST at @JennyCrusie and @LucyMarch or #PopD! Pause your DVD at the beginning of the studio logo (MGM lion, Columbia lady, etc.) and then push play at 7PM to coordinate your watching with the Twitter feed.
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