A Perfect Couple

Last updated
A Perfect Couple
APerfectCouple1979Poster.jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed by Robert Altman
Written by Allan F. Nicholls
Robert Altman
Produced byRobert Altman
Starring Paul Dooley
Marta Heflin
Titos Vandis
Belita Moreno
CinematographyEdmond L. Koons
Edited byTony Lombardo
Music byAllan F. Nicholls
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
  • April 6, 1979 (1979-04-06)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1.9 million [1]

A Perfect Couple is a 1979 romantic-comedy film co-written and directed by Robert Altman and starring Paul Dooley, Marta Heflin, Titos Vandis, and Belita Moreno.

Contents

Plot

An older man, played by Paul Dooley, tries romancing a younger woman, played by Marta Heflin. She is part of a travelling band of bohemian musicians who perform gigs in outdoor arenas around the country. He joins them on the road and tries to fit into their communal lifestyle. The film features multiple musical numbers.

Cast

Production

The role of Sheila Shea was originally written for Sandy Dennis. Paul Dooley was seriously allergic to cats though, and when cat-lover Dennis would come to the script readings with up to five cats at a time, he was briefly hospitalized. As a result, Allan Nicholls re-wrote the role of Sheila Shea from an Earth Mother type to the young singer/groupie played by Marta Heflin.

The band depicted in the film, Keepin' 'Em Off the Streets, was a real group consisting of actors and singers who had previously worked with Nicholls on Broadway musicals. They had been broken up for a time but reunited specifically for the film. [2]

Music

Songs used in the film include:

Reception

Roger Ebert gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of four and wrote: "The movie looks like several good ideas for several movies, made all at once and regardless of whether the pieces fit easily together. That's too bad, because the movie's got so many interesting things in it, so many original characters and, yes, so much interesting music that it shouldn't have been allowed to become such a stylistic confusion." [3] Janet Maslin of The New York Times was negative, writing, "If Mr. Altman keeps on operating at such a small fraction of his powers, his masterworks may begin to look more and more like happy accidents." [4] Variety wrote, "Immensely likeable in some parts, and a complete turn-off in others, 'Perfect Couple' reaffirms both Altman's intelligence and his inaccessibility." [5] Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times called the film "perhaps the least attractive and least interesting movie Altman has ever made. It is also what his movies never have been, which is dull." [6] Bruce McCabe of The Boston Globe stated, "I don't want to go so far as to say that this film is Robert Altman's creative death knell but it's plain that he's in deep trouble ... Simply put, Altman doesn't seem to be able to tell a story, any kind of story, any more." [7] Penelope Gilliatt of The New Yorker wrote, "This is not a closely thought-out film, or even a fluent one. Altman may be working too fast. The picture is not packed, in dialogue or characterization." [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Soylent Green</i> 1973 film by Richard Fleischer

Soylent Green is a 1973 American ecological dystopian thriller film directed by Richard Fleischer, and starring Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, and Edward G. Robinson in his final film role. It is loosely based on the 1966 science-fiction novel Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison, with a plot that combines elements of science fiction and a police procedural. The story follows a murder investigation in a dystopian future of dying oceans and year-round humidity caused by the greenhouse effect, with the resulting pollution, depleted resources, poverty, and overpopulation. In 1973, it won the Nebula Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film.

<i>Nashville</i> (film) 1975 American satirical musical comedy-drama film by Robert Altman

Nashville is a 1975 American satirical musical comedy-drama film directed and produced by Robert Altman. The film follows various people involved in the country and gospel music industry in Nashville, Tennessee, over the five-day period leading up to a gala concert for a populist outsider running for president on the Replacement Party ticket.

<i>Heaven Can Wait</i> (1978 film) 1978 film by Warren Beatty and Buck Henry

Heaven Can Wait is a 1978 American sports fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Warren Beatty and Buck Henry about a young man being mistakenly taken to heaven by his guardian angel, and the resulting complications of how this mistake can be undone, given that his earthly body has been cremated. It was the second film adaptation of Harry Segall's play of the same name, the first being Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Neeley</span> American singer, actor, musician, composer, and record producer

Teddie Joe "Ted" Neeley is an American singer, actor, musician, composer, and record producer. He is known for portraying the title role in Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), a role for which he was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and has reprised numerous times.

<i>Sixteen Candles</i> 1984 film by John Hughes

Sixteen Candles is a 1984 American coming-of-age comedy film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling, and Anthony Michael Hall. Written and directed by John Hughes in his directorial debut, it was the first in a string of films Hughes would direct, centering on teenage life. The film received positive reviews from critics and was a box-office success, earning $23.6 million against a $6.5 million budget, and launched Ringwald to fame.

<i>Real Life</i> (1979 film) 1979 American comedy film directed by Albert Brooks

Real Life is a 1979 American comedy film starring Albert Brooks, who also co-authored the screenplay. It is a spoof of the 1973 reality television program An American Family and portrays a documentary filmmaker named Albert Brooks who attempts to live with and film a dysfunctional family for one full year.

<i>Popeye</i> (film) 1980 film by Robert Altman

Popeye is a 1980 American musical comedy film directed by Robert Altman and produced by Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions. It is based on E. C. Segar's Popeye comics character. The script was written by Jules Feiffer, and stars Robin Williams as Popeye the Sailor Man and Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl. Its story follows Popeye's adventures as he arrives in the town of Sweethaven.

<i>Stroszek</i> 1977 film by Werner Herzog

Stroszek is a 1977 German tragicomedy film directed by Werner Herzog and starring Bruno S., Eva Mattes, and Clemens Scheitz. Written specifically for Bruno S., the film was shot in Plainfield, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. Most of the lead roles are played by inexperienced actors.

<i>O.C. and Stiggs</i> 1987 film directed by Robert Altman

O.C. and Stiggs is a 1987 American teen comedy film directed by Robert Altman, based on two characters that were originally featured in a series of stories published in National Lampoon magazine. The film stars Daniel H. Jenkins and Neill Barry as the title characters. Other members of the cast include Paul Dooley, Jane Curtin, Martin Mull, Dennis Hopper, Ray Walston, Louis Nye, Melvin Van Peebles, Tina Louise, Cynthia Nixon, Jon Cryer and Bob Uecker.

<i>3 Women</i> 1977 film by Robert Altman

3 Women is a 1977 American independent experimental psychological dramatic mysterious thriller film written, produced and directed by Robert Altman and starring Shelley Duvall, Sissy Spacek and Janice Rule. Set in a dusty California desert town, it depicts the increasingly bizarre relationship between an adult woman (Duvall), her teenage roommate and co-worker (Spacek) and an middle-aged pregnant woman (Rule).

<i>California Split</i> 1974 film by Robert Altman

California Split is a 1974 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Altman and starring Elliott Gould and George Segal as a pair of gamblers. It was the first non-Cinerama film to use eight-track stereo sound.

<i>Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bulls History Lesson</i> 1976 film by Robert Altman

Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson is a 1976 revisionist Western film directed by Robert Altman and based on the 1968 play Indians by Arthur Kopit. It stars Paul Newman as William F. Cody, alias Buffalo Bill, along with Geraldine Chaplin, Will Sampson, Joel Grey, Harvey Keitel, and Burt Lancaster as Bill's biographer, Ned Buntline. It was filmed in Panavision by cinematographer Paul Lohmann.

<i>Health</i> (film) 1980 ensemble comedy film directed by Robert Altman

HealtH is a 1980 American ensemble comedy film, the fifteenth feature project from director Robert Altman. It stars Carol Burnett, Glenda Jackson, James Garner, Lauren Bacall, and Paul Dooley, and was written by Altman, Dooley and Frank Barhydt. The film's title is an acronym for "Happiness, Energy, and Longevity through Health".

<i>An Almost Perfect Affair</i> 1979 film

An Almost Perfect Affair is a 1979 romantic comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie and starring Keith Carradine and Monica Vitti. The plot is about an affair between a filmmaker and a film producer's wife, set during the Cannes Film Festival.

<i>The Odd Couple</i> (film) 1968 film based on the play of the same name directed by Gene Saks

The Odd Couple is a 1968 American comedy film directed by Gene Saks, produced by Howard W. Koch and written by Neil Simon, based on his 1965 play. It stars Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau as two divorced men – neurotic neat-freak Felix Unger and fun-loving slob Oscar Madison – who decide to live together.

<i>Staircase</i> (film) 1969 British film

Staircase is a 1969 British comedy-drama film adaptation of a two-character play, also called Staircase, by Charles Dyer.

<i>Half a Sixpence</i> (film) 1967 British film by George Sidney

Half a Sixpence is a 1967 British musical film directed by George Sidney starring Tommy Steele, Julia Foster and Cyril Ritchard. It was choreographed by Gillian Lynne. The screenplay by Beverley Cross is adapted from his book for the 1963 stage musical of the same name, which was based on Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul, the 1905 novel by H. G. Wells. The music and lyrics are by David Heneker.

Marta Heflin was an American actress who appeared in several Robert Altman films, including Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and A Perfect Couple. Known for her waifish appearance, Heflin also acted in various New York stage musicals prior to her film career, such as Fiddler on the Roof, Hair, and Jesus Christ Superstar.

<i>Chapter Two</i> (film) 1979 film by Robert Moore

Chapter Two is a 1979 American Metrocolor romantic comedy-drama film directed by Robert Moore, produced by Ray Stark, and based on Neil Simon's 1977 Broadway play of the same name. It has a 124-minute running time. It stars James Caan and Marsha Mason, in an Academy Award-nominated performance.

References

  1. ↑ Aubrey Solomon, Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History, Scarecrow Press, 1989 p259
  2. ↑ "A Perfect Couple - History". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . American Film Institute . Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  3. ↑ Ebert, Roger (April 9, 1979). "A Perfect Couple". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  4. ↑ Maslin, Janet (April 6, 1979). "Screen:'Perfect Couple,' Altman's Musical". The New York Times . C13.
  5. ↑ "Film Reviews: A Perfect Couple". Variety . April 4, 1979. p. 20.
  6. ↑ Champlin, Charles (April 6, 1979). "A 'Couple' by Altman". Los Angeles Times . Part IV, p. 1.
  7. ↑ McCabe, Bruce (April 6, 1979). "Altman ruins 'Couple'". The Boston Globe . 57.
  8. ↑ Gilliatt, Penelope (April 16, 1979). "The Current Cinema". The New Yorker . 143.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.