Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl (2004)

The Goodbye Girl

I first saw this play at the movie theatre with Richard Dryfus and Marsha Mason. I was really too young to understand it at the time. I do know that I did not need to see it again. The story was not difficult to follow and it was a cute story about a woman scorned by failed relationships with earlier roommate (male actors) and she wanted to change her life for the better.

The remake of the movie was really funny. The script stayed very much on cue with the Richard Dryfus movie. But, I really laughed myself to death on this one. The setting and fashion was more up to date. But I felt that Jeff Daniel played a little less intense a personality than Richard Dryfus. Richard Dryfuss played a little too intense a character. He seemed to be rather rude and self centered, whereas Daniels was more human in my opinion. Especially when the play was being performed. When you see his face in the dressing room after his performance on its opening night! I am laughing as I am writing this, I can still see his expression!

Perhaps being older has made the difference in my viewpoint, but I am so happy to have this movie in my video collections. I am not disappointed, I think it is funny.

Bobbi February 18, 2008

good

I bought this for my wife. She loves the original movie. she said this one not as good, but the dialog was almost word for word.
she enjoyed.
February 15, 2008

WHY ?????????

Except for a very few changes the script for this re-make his identical to the 1978 one which leaves your wondering why make it at all.
The actors do go through their lines at a much quicker pace than on the original, my guess is they did it to fit a 110 minute movie into 90 minutes. I am more of a fan of Heaton/Daniels than Mason/Dreyfuss but the fact is the latter ones were much, much better. Unlike Mason's character which evolved so much in the original, Heaton's character remains exactly the same throught this new version which makes it hard to root for her. Personally I identify her so much with ELR's Deborah that when she started kissing Daniels it felt like she was being unfaithful to Raymond.
My suggestion would have been for them to film Heaton and Daniels while they seat on a couch and watch the original Goodbye Girl, it sure would have been more entertaining than what they came up with. September 4, 2007

Great Movie!

Tis movie is so much better than the 1970's version with Dreyfuss and Mason. Heaton and Daniels are a much better matching couple. These people are so fitting and right for these roles of a struggling and a struggling house wife/ dancer! Thank you Richard Benjamin for a great movie and great entertaiment. July 23, 2006

a TV movie that you just might really enjoy

This made-for-TV film is one that I felt instantly inclined to pick up on DVD when I came across it on Amazon, due mostly in part to the recognizable and talented cast. Patricia Heaton appeared in a couple movies and landed some guest spots on television series before her breakthrough on "Everybody Loves Raymond," but this is one of the few films in which she stars. Many sitcom actors experience some difficulty transitioning to film, but Heaton has an apparent ease on camera and performs this role quite well, despite the fact that it is so different from her gig as Debra on "Raymond." In fact, any fan of that show who is familiar with Heaton's tough-as-nails, take-no-crap-from-anybody role may be a bit humored to see her in this movie as a character who is bawling over a guy within the first five minutes, but for her it works just fine. Heaton has a definite knack for humor and sarcasm in her acting, which gives her a nice distinction and gives her onscreen success.

"The Goodbye Girl" is a simple, sweet story of a single mother with a wise-beyond-her-years daughter and a reputation for falling for and being dumped by several actor types. As the sweet but undeniably cliched plot continues, another actor enters her life and shows a definite potential to establish a family with Heaton and her child.

There is not a whole lot to the storyline and therefore not much to really comment on in that aspect, but the cast was well chosen and gives the movie a nice touch. Jeff Daniels is a genuinely funny actor with many humorous scenes here, and young child starlet Hallie Kate Eisenberg (remember those infamous Pepsi commercials?) maintains those classic out-of-control curls and river-deep dimples to give a believable portrayal as Patricia Heaton's 10-year-old daughter. Eisenberg has grown quite a bit since doing all those movies as a tiny little girl, but she works very well alongside Heaton and seems to be doing just fine as a preteen star. It is also nice to see Heaton playing such a large part with a child actress. Of course, she played a devoted and loving mother on "Raymond," but in that show we actually don't see her interacting that much with her kids--it is mostly suggestive that she is with them a lot of the time. This movie has her and Eisenberg interacting all the way through, and the fact that they are more like friends than mother and daughter gives them both some good improvisational material to work with.

In short, "The Goodbye Girl" is a movie worth renting or buying if you like the cast and would enjoy seeing a lighthearted and entertaining family story. April 3, 2006

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