The Heartbreak Kid | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Elaine May |
Screenplay by | Neil Simon |
Based on | "A Change of Plan" by Bruce Jay Friedman |
Produced by | Edgar J. Scherick |
Starring | Charles Grodin Cybill Shepherd Jeannie Berlin Audra Lindley Eddie Albert |
Cinematography | Owen Roizman |
Edited by | John Carter |
Music by | Garry Sherman |
Production company | |
Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 106 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $5.6 million (US rentals) [1] |
The Heartbreak Kid is a 1972 American romantic black comedy film directed by Elaine May and written by Neil Simon, starring Charles Grodin, Cybill Shepherd, Jeannie Berlin, Audra Lindley, Eddie Albert, and Doris Roberts. [2] It is based on the short story "A Change of Plan", written by Bruce Jay Friedman and first published in Esquire in 1966. [3]
In the film, a self-absorbed salesman (Grodin) marries his girlfriend (Berlin) after a short courtship. During his honeymoon, the salesman increasingly tires of his bride, finding that her earlier habits during courtship now irritate and repel him. Before the end of the honeymoon the salesman falls for a college-aged heiress (Shepherd) and impulsively courts her against her father's (Albert) wishes.
At the 45th Academy Awards, Berlin was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and Albert for Best Supporting Actor. The Heartbreak Kid was ranked number 91 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs , a list of the funniest American films ever made, and was remade in 2007.
![]() | This article needs an improved plot summary.(August 2022) |
In New York City, after a short courtship, emotionally shallow, self-absorbed Lenny Cantrow, a sporting goods salesman, is married to Lila, an earnest young woman who expects long-term emotional commitment from Lenny.
During their honeymoon in Miami Beach, Lenny meets and pursues the beautiful but shallow Kelly Corcoran, a college student on holiday with her wealthy parents. When Lila is severely sunburned, Lenny quarantines her to their hotel room while he engages in a series of rendezvous with Kelly, lying to Lila about his whereabouts and making outlandish stories to explain why he was late. Lenny tells Kelly that she is the woman he has been "waiting for" all of his life, and that he just "timed it wrong". After meeting with Kelly several times over the course of only three days, Lenny impulsively ends his marriage in order to pursue an indifferent Kelly, leaving Lila heartbroken after only five days of marriage.
Lenny follows Kelly to her parents' home in Minnesota, where he tells Kelly he wants to marry her, to which Kelly responds that she is flattered and already has a boyfriend. A little later in Lenny's car, the two kiss. Lenny continues trying to impress Kelly, but her resentful and protective father stands in his way. Following an awkward dinner where Lenny inanely praises Midwestern produce as having "no deceit", Mr. Corcoran tells Lenny he sees through his ploy, and offers him a $25,000 bribe to leave. Lenny angrily refuses and soon marries Kelly.
At the reception, Lenny engages in fairly mindless conversation with several of the guests, one of whom owns a company that manufactures tear gas, which Lenny says there is a lot of money in. He is reduced to quoting cliches to two uncomprehending children and is left alone as the party continues around him.
Bristol Myers Squibb (Palomar Pictures International) owns the rights to The Heartbreak Kid (1972) and Sleuth (1972). [4]
The film is a black comedy, examining love and hypocrisy through a lens of pointed, subtle humor. Though it contains broad jokes, occasionally going for "laughs without shame", [5] Elaine May is credited with emotionally grounding the film and providing "a real understanding of character" through eliciting the kind of "caustic, almost powerful humor that comes from moments of wincing recognition when human foibles are accurately captured and revealed". [6] As another reviewer wrote in Sight & Sound , May's strength lies in her "obsessive and affectionate observations of character". [7]
May shared with her late comedy partner Mike Nichols (1931–2014) a sparse, dialogue-oriented style and a quizzical perspective. She places an emphasis on character comedy; The Hollywood Reporter commented on her stylistic decisions to derive humor "from situations rather than obvious one-line jokes" and make comedic choices which "flow effortlessly from rhythmic dialogue, explosions of laughter". [8] The New Yorker 's Pauline Kael wrote: "Elaine May has the rarest kind of comic gift: the ability to create a world seen comically". [9]
May's focus on comedic honesty, backlit by pain and misfortune, stylistically influenced a new generation of films. She helped push comedy into a "golden age as the result of the rise of the semi-surreal comedy of mishap, pain, insult, and desperation". [2]
The Heartbreak Kid is a particularly Jewish story, with The Village Voice calling it "the culminating work of Hollywood's Jewish new wave". [10] All the filmmakers are Jewish: Friedman, Simon, May, the producer Edgar J. Scherick, and the composers Burt Bacharach and Hal David. The story follows Lenny Cantrow, the embodiment of the Jewish archetype of the "schlemiel" (bungler), as he dumps Lila (Jeannie Berlin), a "kvetchy Jew" and "sloppy, incipient yenta", [11] for the girl of his dreams, an all-American WASP. The film is a deadpan fever dream of shiksa-chasing, taking place in what Bruce Jay Friedman dubs in the original short story as the land of "strange blonde people".
The character of Lila in particular has been labelled extremely stereotypical; Film Quarterly likened her to a female Portnoy, publishing a review stating "Philip Roth's friendly anti-Semitism is strikingly similar to Friedman's". [11] Some critics have expressed concerns that the movie forwards a stilted vision of the modern female Jew and implicitly asks the question: "Why be married to a cloying, unsophisticated, slightly overweight Jewish girl who speaks with a discernible sing-song Jewish intonation ( Yiddish influence) when you can perhaps conquer a very Waspy-looking, knockout blonde shiksa type?" [12] This is despite the intentions of Jeannie Berlin, who told The New York Times that she did her best to honor the character and give Lila depth: "You see, I didn't want to make that girl stupid. It would have been so easy to do Lila stupid. I don't think Lila was stupid. I think every single thing she did was justified to her... And she really was terrifically in love". [13] For the role of Lila, Simon wanted Diane Keaton, but May thought the intended contrast between Jewish and gentile wouldn't be strong enough. [2]
Lenny's behavior as a classic nebbish Jew is thoughtless, as he leaves Lila high and dry on their honeymoon. Charles Grodin said afterwards that although he played the character with full sincerity, he had "pretty much indelibly stamped [himself] into the moviegoing public's consciousness as a jerk". [2] Still, he said, many viewers misread the film as an illustration of precisely Jewish annoyances and not as critique: "The number of men who tell me how much they loved the movie and how much they identified with the character, while flattering, is also somewhat frightening". [2]
The final moments of the film depict Lenny failing to communicate with Kelly's gentile family. It highlights how he gave up his personal cultural traditions, and how he misses them. Having walked down the aisle to Kelly as a large cross hung overhead, Lenny sits on the couch by himself, swimming in a sea of midwestern Christianity, as listless and alienated as ever. [12]
The film has received almost universal praise from critics. As of 2024 the film had an approval rating of 92% at review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 60 reviews, with an average score of 7.60/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "An uproariously funny confluence of top-shelf talent, The Heartbreak Kid finds bittersweet humor in attitudes toward love and marriage in early '70s America." [14] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [15]
Vincent Canby of The New York Times declared it to be "a first-class American comedy, as startling in its way as was The Graduate ". [16] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3.5 stars out of 4 in a review that concludes: "It's a comedy, but there's more in it than that; it's a movie about the ways we pursue, possess, and consume each other as sad commodities". [17] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune awarded the same 3.5/4 grade and wrote that "the heavy-handed comedy undermines the serious aspect of the movie—we really can't believe that Lenny would marry her in the first place. The overall high quality of the acting, however, does sustain the film". [18] Variety called it a "bright, amusing saga" until the "audience is jolted by a sudden shut-off ending with no climax whatsoever". [19] Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote that Grodin and Berlin "bring off hugely difficult comedy assignment with great style. Amidst increasing farcical events, they both somehow manage to preserve a sense of credible, foolish but sympathetic individuals lurking beneath the follies". [20] The Washington Post thought that the film "has its faults, but it's also one of the most entertaining and original American film comedies of the last few years". [21] The Independent Film Journal called it an "unquestionably brilliant comedy". [6] Leonard Maltin gave the film 3 stars out of 4, and described it as "Either hilarious or horrifying, depending on your point of view; directed for maximum impact by May." [22]
Variety noted in its review that the sudden ending of the film might have been indicative of another ending that had been planned, and later noted that Fox handed out a synopsis at screenings including an ending where "as they sail for Europe on their honeymoon, Lenny makes some startling discoveries about Kelly - and 'The Heartbreak Kid' comes to its bitingly funny end". [19] [23]
Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Eddie Albert | Nominated | [24] |
Best Supporting Actress | Jeannie Berlin | Nominated | ||
Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Charles Grodin | Nominated | [25] |
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Jeannie Berlin | Nominated | ||
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | Neil Simon | Nominated | ||
National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Eddie Albert | Won [lower-alpha 1] | [26] |
Best Supporting Actress | Jeannie Berlin | Won | ||
Cybill Shepherd | 4th Place | |||
New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Eddie Albert | Runner-up | [27] |
Best Supporting Actress | Jeannie Berlin | Won | ||
Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Comedy – Adapted from Another Medium | Neil Simon | Nominated | [28] |
In 2000, the film was ranked 91st in the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Laughs list. [29]
Although released on DVD in 1998 and in 2002, the film currently (as of 2022) is out of print. In 2022 it was announced the Brooklyn Academy of Music would offer a rare screening of the film. [30]
A remake of the film was released in 2007 that stars Ben Stiller, Michelle Monaghan, Malin Åkerman, Jerry Stiller, Rob Corddry, Carlos Mencia, Scott Wilson, and Danny McBride.
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. His accolades include two Academy Awards, four BAFTA Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Hoffman has received numerous honors, including the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1997, the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1999, and the Kennedy Center Honors Award in 2012. Actor Robert De Niro has described him as "an actor with the everyman's face who embodied the heartbreakingly human".
Cybill Lynne Shepherd is an American actress, singer and former model. Her film debut and breakthrough role came as Jacy Farrow in Peter Bogdanovich's coming-of-age drama The Last Picture Show (1971) alongside Jeff Bridges. She also had roles as Kelly in Elaine May's The Heartbreak Kid (1972), Betsy in Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976), and Nancy in Woody Allen's Alice (1990).
Charles Sidney Grodin was an American actor, comedian, author, and television talk show host. Known for his deadpan delivery and often cast as a put-upon straight man, Grodin became familiar as a supporting actor in many Hollywood comedies of the era. After a small part in Rosemary's Baby in 1968, he played the lead in Elaine May's The Heartbreak Kid (1972) where he received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
Gene Wilder was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He was mainly known for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). He collaborated with Mel Brooks on the films The Producers (1967), Blazing Saddles (1974) and Young Frankenstein (1974), and with Richard Pryor in the films Silver Streak (1976), Stir Crazy (1980), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) and Another You (1991).
Elaine Iva May is an American comedian, filmmaker, playwright, and actress. She first gained fame in the 1950s for her improvisational comedy routines with Mike Nichols before transitioning her career, regularly breaking the mold as a writer and director of several critically acclaimed films. She has received numerous awards, including a BAFTA Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award. She was honored with the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2013, and an Honorary Academy Award in 2022.
Martin Brest is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. After his feature debut, Going in Style (1979), he directed the action comedies Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and Midnight Run (1988), which were critical and commercial hits.
The Flamingo Kid is a 1984 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall and produced by Michael Phillips. It stars Matt Dillon, Richard Crenna, Héctor Elizondo, and Jessica Walter. The film tells the story of a working class boy who takes a summer job at a beach resort and learns valuable life lessons.
Steambath is the second play by American author Bruce Jay Friedman. It was first performed Off-Broadway at the Truck and Warehouse Theater where it opened on June 30, 1970, closing on October 18, 1970, after 128 performances.
Bruce Jay Friedman was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. He was noted for his versatility of writing in both literature and pop culture. He was also a trailblazer in the style of modern American black humor. The themes he wrote about reflected the major changes taking place in society during the 1960s and 1970s. Many of his stories were inspired by the events of his personal life.
Edgar J. Scherick was an American television executive and producer of television miniseries, made-for-television films, and theatrical motion pictures.
Jeannie Berlin is an American film, television and stage actress and screenwriter, the daughter of Elaine May. She is best known for her role in the 1972 comedy film The Heartbreak Kid, for which she received Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress. She later played the leading role in Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York (1975), and has acted in films such as Margaret (2011), Inherent Vice (2014), Café Society (2016), The Fabelmans (2022), and You Hurt My Feelings (2023). She also acted in the HBO miniseries The Night Of (2016), the Amazon Prime series Hunters (2020), and the HBO series Succession (2019–2023).
A New Leaf is a 1971 American black comedy film written and directed by Elaine May in her directorial debut based on the short story "The Green Heart" by Jack Ritchie. It stars May, Walter Matthau, Jack Weston, George Rose, James Coco, and Doris Roberts. Prior to the film, May was better known for her collaboration as a stage comedian with The Graduate director Mike Nichols.
The 38th New York Film Critics Circle Awards, announced on 3 January 1973, honored the best filmmaking of 1972.
Kevin Anthony "Moochie" Corcoran was an American child actor, director and producer. He appeared in numerous Disney projects between 1957 and 1963, leading him to be honored as a Disney Legend in 2006. His nickname, Moochie, established him as an irrepressible character in film.
Bone is a 1972 American black comedy crime film written, produced, and directed by Larry Cohen in his directorial debut. It stars Yaphet Kotto, Joyce Van Patten, and Andrew Duggan. The film tells the story of a home invasion perpetrated by Kotto's character, who soon realizes that his victims are less wealthy and far unhappier than they initially appeared.
The Heartbreak Kid is a 2007 American romantic dark comedy directed by the Farrelly brothers. It is a remake of the 1972 film of the same name and stars Ben Stiller in the main role, Michelle Monaghan, Malin Åkerman, Jerry Stiller, Rob Corddry, Carlos Mencia, Scott Wilson, and Danny McBride. It tells the story of a sports shop owner who ends up in a rushed marriage with a woman and meets a true love interest during a trip to Mexico.
Portnoy's Complaint is a 1972 American comedy film written and directed by Ernest Lehman. His screenplay is based on the bestselling 1969 novel of the same name by Philip Roth. It was Lehman's first and only directorial effort. The film starred Richard Benjamin, Karen Black and Lee Grant, with Jack Somack, Jeannie Berlin and Jill Clayburgh in supporting roles.
In the Spirit is a 1990 American comedy film starring Marlo Thomas and Elaine May, directed by noted acting coach Sandra Seacat, with a screenplay co-authored by May's daughter Jeannie Berlin and Laurie Jones, both of whom also appear in the film.
Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York is a 1975 black comedy film directed by Sidney J. Furie about a shy young woman who moves to New York City and falls in love with the boyfriend of her extroverted roommate. The film was co-written by Kenny Solms and Gail Parent, and based on her novel. The film was shot on location in New York City.
The 7th National Society of Film Critics Awards, given on 29 December 1972, honored the best filmmaking of 1972.
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