The Goodbye Girl (2004 TV Movie)

Buy This Item The Goodbye Girl (2004 TV Movie) by Warner Home Video  Available from Amazon  $37.98  on 11-16-2008     More than a quarter-century after Herbert Ross directed Richard Dreyfuss to an Oscar and made an indelible cinematic impression out of Neil Simon's <I>The Goodbye Girl</I>, a 2004 television remake starring Jeff Daniels and Patricia Heaton proved winning and funny in its own way. Daniels plays Elliot, an actor who subleases a New York City apartment already occupied by a dancer and single mom, Paula (Heaton), and her daughter (Hallie Kate Eisenberg). Focused on his stagecraft, Elliot is irked about sharing housing with strangers, and while Paula feels the same (to great comic effect), both come to lean on and finally love one another over time. The underrated Daniels is very good here, nuanced and thoughtful, and his work performing (as Elliot) in a stage production of <I>Richard III</I> is quite entertaining. Heaton is equally strong and frequently stirring; anyone with doubts about this film's casting will quickly forget them. <I>--Tom Keogh</I> Reader Reviews 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

The Goodbye Girl (2004 TV Movie) Available from Amazon Price: $37.98 Updated on 11-16-2008.

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