Watching Jill Clayburgh relegated to playing Kristen Wiig's pixilated, supportive mother in her last posthumous screen appearance in "Bridesmaids" made me flashback briefly to how vibrant a screen presence she was for that brief period between the late seventies and early eighties when the actress represented the feminist ideal on the big screen. For this 1978 dramedy, director/screenwriter Paul Mazursky bypassed several then-bigger names to cast Clayburgh as Erica, an affluent, late-thirtyish Manhattan woman who looks to be leading a charmed life – wife to Martin, a successful stockbroker; mother to Patti, a precocious fifteen-year-old daughter, and part-time employee at a Soho art gallery. However, in one flash of a moment as she talks of summer rental plans on Fire Island, a suddenly bereft Martin collapses and reveals he is in love with another woman, leaving Erica shattered as she battles between reason and rejection with her barely concealed anger.
From that point forward in the movie, Mazursky and Clayburgh take us on a hazardous journey of self-discovery which may appear predictable now after hundreds of Lifetime TV-movies but was quite groundbreaking at the time. True, there is a self-satisfying tone to a few of the scenes, especially the inevitable ones with Erica's bohemian, overly serene therapist, but what transcends those glitches is the honesty that permeates her comically awkward attempts at dating, her overreaction to Patti's sexual awakening, and the confessional conversations she has with her circle of best friends, an obvious inspiration for Michael Patrick King in "Sex and the City". The last quarter of the film gets a bit soft and talky, but the ambiguous ending is classic Mazursky.
The performances still hold up very well after all these years with Clayburgh at her undeniable peak fulfilling all the dimensions of an emotionally rich role. Michael Murphy has the unenviable task of playing Martin as both an adulterous weasel and a misguided fool, but he manages it well. As Saul, the popular modern artist who comes to embody everything ideal in an emotionally available male, Alan Bates handles a comparatively easier job with remarkable restraint. A popular child actress at the time, Lisa Lucas plays Patti with brittle sharpness, while Kelly Bishop, Pat Quinn and Linda Miller portray Erica's pals with believable dexterity. Only Cliff Gorman seems rather over-the-top as a lecherous artist on the make for the newly single Erica. The 2006 DVD thankfully offers a lively and informative commentary track from Mazursky and the late Clayburgh as well as the original theatrical trailer.
From that point forward in the movie, Mazursky and Clayburgh take us on a hazardous journey of self-discovery which may appear predictable now after hundreds of Lifetime TV-movies but was quite groundbreaking at the time. True, there is a self-satisfying tone to a few of the scenes, especially the inevitable ones with Erica's bohemian, overly serene therapist, but what transcends those glitches is the honesty that permeates her comically awkward attempts at dating, her overreaction to Patti's sexual awakening, and the confessional conversations she has with her circle of best friends, an obvious inspiration for Michael Patrick King in "Sex and the City". The last quarter of the film gets a bit soft and talky, but the ambiguous ending is classic Mazursky.
The performances still hold up very well after all these years with Clayburgh at her undeniable peak fulfilling all the dimensions of an emotionally rich role. Michael Murphy has the unenviable task of playing Martin as both an adulterous weasel and a misguided fool, but he manages it well. As Saul, the popular modern artist who comes to embody everything ideal in an emotionally available male, Alan Bates handles a comparatively easier job with remarkable restraint. A popular child actress at the time, Lisa Lucas plays Patti with brittle sharpness, while Kelly Bishop, Pat Quinn and Linda Miller portray Erica's pals with believable dexterity. Only Cliff Gorman seems rather over-the-top as a lecherous artist on the make for the newly single Erica. The 2006 DVD thankfully offers a lively and informative commentary track from Mazursky and the late Clayburgh as well as the original theatrical trailer.