There are men who trail-blaze a perception standard for the rest of us, unfortunately. When a woman who has been walked out on, gets attracted to another man, she naturally tries to curtail her instincts fearing the worst. ‘Goodbye Girl’ is a light hearted, yet sensitive take on the travails of a single mother as she tries to share her apartment with a struggling actor, while keeping the balance of her just-wounded heart intact.Paula McFadden has already seen the back of a struggling actor-boyfriend, who dumps her and her 10 year old daughter Lucy to pursue a film career in Hollywood. While exiting, he sub-lets their apartment to another struggling actor, Eliot Garfield, who lands up one day, expecting to find an empty home, but finds a paranoid woman and child instead. Paula’s financial problems and her legal back foot force her to allow Eliot to move into the apartment. What follows is a series of image battles between the two, fuelled by sexist motives and predispositions. In the meanwhile, Eliot finds himself getting attached to Lucy and Paula begins to see him as more than a sub-lessee.
Initially, the humor in the movie appears silly and contrived. This could have been written with a more serious undertone that shows Paula’s inner struggles and Eliot’s increasing attraction towards her despite her irritation quotient. But as the movie progresses, there are comedic elements such as Eliot’s stage portrayal of a gay Richard III that are unique and genuinely funny. At no point in the movie, is the gravity of the situation-a woman and her child at tenterhooks, waiting to see if history will repeat itself, lost.
At the same time, the struggles of Eliot as he battles the perception of being frivolous slapped on him have been portrayed superbly. Neil Simon’s Oscar-nominated screenplay and Herbert Ross’ direction manage to steady the emotional plane quickly enough to avoid giving mere lip-service to the situation.
Richard Dreyfuss and Marsha Mason deserve kudos for their portrayal of Eliot and Paula. These are two individuals who are seemingly past their prime and burdened by life’s realities. While Eliot is the slave of his craft, Paula is of her bitter experiences. His energy finds her sobbing. Her doubts find his taunting. Special performances, that won Dreyfuss an Oscar for Best Actor, the youngest to win this at the time. Quinn Cummings does a good job of portraying an irritatingly precocious child, forced to grow up beyond her years.
‘The Goodbye Girl’ is a mature comedy, a rare one at that.