What Makes this Film Great | The Heartbreak Kid (1972)
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- čas přidán 2. 11. 2020
- Join me for a discussion of this Elaine May, Neil Simon classic.
For Educational Purposes Only.
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Full movie on CZcams: • The Heartbreak Kid (1972)
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More on the film:
Roger Ebert's '72 review: www.rogerebert.com/reviews/th...
2019 review by Ethan Warren (includes comparison with the '07 remake): www.brightwalldarkroom.com/20...
Richard Brody's review (2015): www.newyorker.com/culture/ric...
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Title music: "Adventure"
www.bensound.com - Krátké a kreslené filmy
To quote Rodger Ebert;Lenny is confronted with the fact at the end that he would rather desire than to possess.
He's thinking to himself, 'What have I got myself into?'
This film is one of the rarest things in all of cinema: the dark romantic comedy.
Like almost impossible to do lol Neil Simon Elaine May and Grodin.
Your commentary is so spot on, this is one of my all time favorite movies and you really helped me appreciate it even more.
I think the void we see at the end with Lenny is the residual emptiness he feels as the ferocious pursuit of Kelly is now over. Now what? One of my favorite a--time movies - Love Jeanne Berlin -
As I get ready for bed each night I have an old Letterman late night show playing in the back ground. Last night Charles Grodin was the guest and it made me want to watch this movie. I just finished it and then discovered your review. Thanks for the great insight! For some reason I wish you had a theater themed backdrop; maybe just a movie poster and a silver theater lobby style trash can or popcorn maker. I don't know, but I still love your channel and plan on watching all your videos.
Lenny is like a sociopath in this movie.
At the very least, he's sporting a serious narcissistic personality disorder.
Lamooooo
@@AaronHunter I agree with that also. At the end of the movie... he got what he wanted but found out he didn't fit in.
Everyone here should have gotten an academy award nomination; Neil Simon, May, and a super cast.👏
Agreed!
Eddie Albert was fantastic -
The quality of the acting was essential in making this the great film it was.
this is one of my favourite films. and yes your analysis is spot on.....I was a bit like Lenny (aren't we all?)...and yes is a dark dark comedy...
I still don’t know what we should read into Lenny at the end of the movie sitting on the couch. Was he having second thoughts again?
He almost knows that he will never be fulfilled at that moment. Wants to go back to being 10 again. Hums the music that he and Lila had idealising the past even though we know it wasn't gonna work. He's an empty person and that final wedding scene party just proves it to us. Repeating the same lines and opinions to the guests that his new father in law saw right through. His father in law is watching him like a hawk at the end. He knows he's full of it. Lenny is already thinking about being trapped and how the hell he will get out of this one. At least that's what I thought about it.
@@gavinbrando8255 Thank you for the feedback. True, Lenny is a flawed character. I think everyone has a little bit of Lenny inside of them. Always looking for more, Never being satisfied, or always thinking you can do better. That’s probably why the divorce rate is so high in this country. I’d like your cliff notes though. This film could be studied in an English class I think. Ha ha
It’s like the ending of California Split, also a great film about constantly wanting more and childish behavior
He sits there alone on the couch after the two kids leave him out of boredom. We see his deep introspection as if he is lost in thought. Mr. Corcoran notices this in a bit of shock as he realizes this guy just conned his way into the marriage and isn't man enough to live up to his intentions. As the camera fades and he see the credits with that song playing is actually a very unsettling ending.
He’s sitting there realizing what a sociopath he is. It’s a bit of tragic irony and poetic justice
The Heartbreak Kid is definitely the blackest and most uncomfortable romantic comedy ever made. It’s tale of misogyny and cynical view of traditional marriage seems quite taboo for its time and the ending is an interesting touch of tragic irony and poetic justice.
This movie is damn near impossible to find on any streaming service. The only place I’ve found it is here on CZcams. Great review!!!
Thank you so much for this analysis! I am the only person I know who ranks The Heartbreak Kid among their favorite films of all time; you point out numerous moments of cinematography that further deepen my already-great appreciation for this underrated classic. You have a new (and utterly delighted) subscriber.
Glad you found it!
Kevin Nealon has a great CZcams channel where he hikes with and interviews other celebs. He had Aubrey Plaza on and they both agreed that this was their favorite film ever…which is how I found it.
Love love Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York with Berlin. Nowhere to be fouind nowadays -
Incredible writing. Perfect casting. Brilliant direction. The Ben Stiller remake was a pale shadow of the original.
Ben’s good, but he can’t hold Charles Grodin’s jock strap.👍
The King of Comedy and The Heartbreak Kid (1972) are 2 films that have a very unique and subtle darkness to them. Most dark comedies, even the great ones (Fargo, In Bruges, Harold and Maude, Dr. Strangelove, MASH), tend to present the harshness and bleakness of their stories right on the surface. But these 2 films are the only ones in which a vague and eerie sadness lingers with the viewer throughout the films. It's one of the rarest and most fascinating sensations I've ever had while watching a film. Can someone recommend some other films like what I tried to describe?
I completely agree with your point here, you nailed the feeling this film gives the viewer. I though maybe I was missing something as I heard it was a comedy. Turns out it's genius comedy as it's real and deep and makes your heart hurt just a little.
I would think of Groundhog Day also with a kind of darkness. Also I think Heartbreak Kid could easily be starring Bill Murray and Groundhog Day starring Charles Grodin!
Sideways
The Graduate!
Better off Dead 1985
Thanks for a superb analysis of one of my all time favorite films.
Great analogy of Lenny! It's definitely dark but many probably still see Grodin's character in a positive light! Maybe there is some of Lenny in all of us!
That was very interesting! I just had an egg salad sandwich and remembered that scene! So searching for that scene on you tube brought me to your review....learned a lot about how this film was made...thanks!
I rarely write comments but I wanted to say thank you and well done with your review. It's a very bitter dark comedy indeed, setting the ground for more to come, for example "Sideways" (2004). Again, well done Aaron for bringing the love for cinema.
Thanks for your incisive commentary, Aaron! You do a great job of examining how the comedic script, edgy cinematography, economical editing and.... I don't how to put this.., darkness seeking? diecting all meld together into a powerful work of art.
One of my favorite films.It’s great because many men identify with Lennie but won’t admit it.
Wow such a great review video with great creator background details and indepth analysis.Keep em coming :)
Lenny typifies Ayn Rand’s philosophy… Man’s highest calling is living for your own happiness…Lenny made a mistake in his first marriage, took action and created a situation where his second marriage may be better for him…..Haertbreak is one of my favorite movies along with Micky and Nicky.
Watched this film for the first time last night - I grew up in the 70s but this film was a bit before my time - I'd never even heard of it till last night. I was watching a podcast and Graham Lineham ( genius writer of Father Ted, The It crowd rtf etc) and he was asked what his favourite 🎥 of all time was and he said this film. I love Cybil Shepard ( I used to *love* Moonlighting) but I didn't know who the other actors were but I enjoyed it.
I'm off to watch another favourite of his - The Simpsons - Homie goes to clown college. Thanks for uploading this review 👏🇬🇧😊
There were some early scenes which could easily have been prosaic and unmemorable under another director but were lovely with May's handling (singing in the car) - - - and later the prolonged not-crying scene in the restaurant with flashes to the faces of older women patrons! Commentary by camera. So often in this movie the camera was perfect! I didn't expect to like this film, and I didn't - but perhaps that's the point, and sign of a job well done. For my viewing, Elaine May's wickedly wonderful humour gets its best run when she both writes and directs.
One of my favorite movies!
i didnt enjoy the film much when i first watched it, i think the switch to minnesota towards the end threw me off and it felt like i was watching a different film but this analysis has convinced me to give it another try!!
I think he's embellishing the strong points a bit much and omitting some of the false and odd ones. But I completely agree in that Lenny is the true annoying creep, while Lila is just innocently irritating, yet lovable.
I didn't want to root for Charles Grodin's character, but I couldn't help it. I hated how he hurt his wife, but I didn't want him to experience total karma after he gave up everything to be with Cybil Shepherd's character. I liked how he was able to win over two of her guy friends/bodyguards.
I am not sure why he wanted to be with Cybil Shepard's character, other than that she was sexier than his wife, more fun, and less rude and annoying. But that is not enough to want to marry someone. There was evidence that she could also be a bit shallow. However I completely understand why he would not want to be with his first wife. She was rather self-centered, was she not? How about stubborn and resistant to reason, too? Grodin's character married her only because he wanted to have sex with her, rather, with someone, and she wouldn't have sex with him unless he married her.
@@soilmanted It seemed like this movie was playing to the stereotype of the Jewish man wanting to achieve the dream of landing a blonde, WASP bombshell (in the Ben Stiller remake, which I haven't seen, the first wife is the blonde bombshell). I found both female love interests in this film to be physically attractive, with Cybil probably having the slight edge, lookswise. The first wife seemed more human, whereas Cybil's character had more class. I think the movie did a good job of showing how Grodin's character fell in love with both women. A sequel would have been nice to see how things went with the second marriage.
Probably because Lenny isn’t just some evil cad. He actually has more in common with the kind of hopeless romantic main characters who are most popular in rom-coms, it’s just that his traits are exaggerated and pushed to a much further extreme.
@@zeltzamer4010 Interesting point. Lenny being a hopeless romantic makes his character more likeable despite doing something so hurtful. I would also add that this was one of those rare movies where the hopeless romantic male protagonist succeeds with both the nice girl and the dream girl without heartbreak. He doesn't get burned by either girl and essentially gets to choose which girl he wants.
I enjoyed your review and analysis. Thank you.
How many men who watched this movie considered Lenny to be a hero, a winner? My guess is, a lot!
The pecan pie scene is absolutely hilarious
Love this movie ❤
Great choice colors
Change your environment. Relax. Talk to the audience like friends. Your yt clip is actually inspiring me to upgrade my social media skills. Keep going
Great content. Just subscribed
I was an avid movie-goer in the 70’s. I remember not liking this movie an now knowing why. It was Lenny’s character. I probably related to Lila as the romantic falling in love with a selfish person. Not liking Lenny is probably a nod to grodin’s depiction of the character. I’ll watch it again and see if I have a new appreciation or not. Thanks Aaron for the new perspective.
Really nice.
That 'trendsetters' i.e. movie critics admire Lenny's character is a sad commentary...
What kind of car did Lenny drive?
Today Lennie would be arrested as a stalker.
Elaine does a great job 👏 in this movie ❤
I doubted that the class-lecture technique would work but it's arresting.
you're in my spot
This is one of my favorite movies.....It is funny and heartbreaking all at once.....Eddy Albert, famous for Green
Acres was like a cold stone in this movie...Boomers like me will remember this flick...All of you Gen Z and
Millennials were probably in second grade...This movie would probably offend you anyway so..............................
I agree, Lenny sucks. I can’t imagine anyone watching this and not thinking that right off the bat. Jeannie Berlin crushes this performance, she was pretty foxy back then too.
I enjoyed your synopsis.
Lenny really is a jerk concerned with his own universe.
Why did Kelly decide to marry Lenny?
Admiration for this black comedy is not approbation of the sociopathic lead character. As Seinfeld commented about his eponymous show, all the characters are despicable. I find it strange that some fans think they are role models.
Films often work by constructing an empathy bond between the protagonist and the viewer - that's one of the reasons we follow them on their narrative journey. Because that's the standard (not the only, but the standard) viewer-protagonist relationship, it's understandable to me why many viewers would seek to bond with, then excuse the actions of, a misguided or untrustworthy protagonist. In the case of this film, it's there in all the contemporary reviews of the film that excuse Lenny's behaviour.
@@AaronHunter of course the genius of this film in both the casting of inherently likable Grodin and inspired directing makes us root for Lennie as he lurches maniacally from one improbable episode to the next. He is not wo redemptive elements. His military service, his casual gift of his worldy goods to Lila, his vicious self recrimination in the car when he realized that his entire fantasy with Kelly was self delusion and his chivalrous and sincere offer to release her back to her life. What the film doesn't say is that in real life, there is no happy ending for such a character.
you are so right about Richard Brody being so wrong - i find lenny's presence gruelling, and this surely the most painful comedy ever
Great fun movie. The remake not good.
The remake ignored the powerful dynamic between Lenny and the father.
Travis Bickle isn’t a psychopath that’s a bad take, just because he doesn’t obey the law
I agree. Lenny is a schmuck.
Lenny's character is loathsome enough all by itself without looking for anti Semitism under every rock.
I don’t see any remarks suggesting anti-semitism but as a Jewish man Lennie is clearly a Jewish guy looking for a shiksa goddess.
With all due respect, Shepard could have been a Muslim terrorist, Lennie would have made it work 😆
@@siberiamoscow you say “with all due respect”.Where is the respect?Nothing funny about Muslim terrorists this week
@@howardtennenhouse7849 The shiksa goddess found him, hit on him, and he made it happen.
She just wanted a summer fling.He wanted her until he got her.Brilliant film.
weed made it good
Neil Simon's script was annoying, like Lila. Elaine May did the best she could with it. Brought some depth to the story that Simon hadn't put in it. I liked the way Eddie Albert performed his part, very funny. Lila was also very convincing, and so was Cybil Shepard. Charles Grodin, not so much. Maybe it was Neil Simon's dialog that wasn't convincing. I found it hard to relate to the character. And 1972 was years after the switch from "wait until marriage" to "sex outside of marriage was perfectly normal" that occurred in the 50's and 60's. So Simon's script seemed out of date. Also, attention to the Jewishness and non-Jewishness of the two love-interests seemed peculiarly superficial.
Sorry, but no....
I would have liked the movie better if Grodin wasn't such a weasel and nerd. They could have picked a cooler actor.
@Kat Harman Get real! Every viewer wants a protagonist they can mildly relate with.
ROT IN PEACE, Charles Grodin.
@@imbluz well, that's a lovely way to end that conversation.