Corie (Jane Fonda) is a flighty and flustered newly married wife to button-down lawyer Paul Bratter (Robert Redford). The newlyweds are deeply in love. They move into their tiny 5th floor walk up NYC flat. Corie's mother Ethel Banks (Mildred Natwick) surprises them with a visit while the place is still empty. Their upstairs neighbor is the quirky Victor Velasco (Charles Boyer). Corie invites him over secretly setting him up with her mother on a blind date a couple days later. It's a wild night of unfamiliar foods and too much drink. Corie loves it but Paul and Ethel can't stand it.
I love the first hour. It is hilarious and filled with gut-busting laughs. The Neil Simon script is fun frivolity. It lost me a little when Corie starts screaming divorce. It's a really sharp turn and it threw me off. It's opportunity for a hilarious fight. The D word is a step too far. I actually love the silent fight while the telephone guy is fixing the phone. The other thing is that the characters indicate more white bread actors. Corie seems to be a princess while Paul really does need to be a stuff shirt. Neither is a description of Fonda or Redford. However it's still early enough in their careers that they could play these supposed bland characters. Both Natwick and Boyer are delightful.
I love the first hour. It is hilarious and filled with gut-busting laughs. The Neil Simon script is fun frivolity. It lost me a little when Corie starts screaming divorce. It's a really sharp turn and it threw me off. It's opportunity for a hilarious fight. The D word is a step too far. I actually love the silent fight while the telephone guy is fixing the phone. The other thing is that the characters indicate more white bread actors. Corie seems to be a princess while Paul really does need to be a stuff shirt. Neither is a description of Fonda or Redford. However it's still early enough in their careers that they could play these supposed bland characters. Both Natwick and Boyer are delightful.