"The Thrill of It All" is a rather frustrating film. Although it has a neat story idea and could have been a very funny movie, the main crisis in the film is so blown out of proportion that you can't help but think the story was way overdone and some subtlety would have really improved the film tremendously.
When the story begins, the Boyers (Doris Day and James Garner) appear to be a reasonably happy suburban couple. He's an OB/GYN and she's a stay at home mom who loves her kids (even though the oldest is pretty annoying). However, when she is by chance discovered by the owner of a soap company, she's asked to make a commercial for the company...and is a huge success. Soon, she's the main spokesperson for the company and she's earning much, much more than her husband.
Problems soon develop. One is that the husband is a Neanderthal who claims it's okay for his wife to have a career...until she has one. Another is a long series of problems which crop up....nearly all of which seem contrived and not actually serious problems for any normal family. But here in the film, it's all kooky and earth shattering...and the marriage is soon on the skids.
Subtlety is certainly a major problem with the movie and having tiny things continually turning into huge things impacted on my liking the film. As for the sexism, well, it was made in the 1960s and although Garner's character is an unlikable jerk, he is a 1960s male jerk who must be the only breadwinner or else his fragile ego cannot handle it. This is rather funny considering the film does star Doris Day, a woman who CONSTANTLY worked from the 1940s well into the 1970s supporting her various husbands.
Overall, an enjoyable domestic comedy but not one that really stands out due to some writing issues which makes it seem more like a sitcom than a movie. The concept of 'less is more' would really have helped this one. Oddly, however, I did really like seeing the writer (Carl Reiner) playing in various bad TV shows throughout the movie...this was pretty clever.
When the story begins, the Boyers (Doris Day and James Garner) appear to be a reasonably happy suburban couple. He's an OB/GYN and she's a stay at home mom who loves her kids (even though the oldest is pretty annoying). However, when she is by chance discovered by the owner of a soap company, she's asked to make a commercial for the company...and is a huge success. Soon, she's the main spokesperson for the company and she's earning much, much more than her husband.
Problems soon develop. One is that the husband is a Neanderthal who claims it's okay for his wife to have a career...until she has one. Another is a long series of problems which crop up....nearly all of which seem contrived and not actually serious problems for any normal family. But here in the film, it's all kooky and earth shattering...and the marriage is soon on the skids.
Subtlety is certainly a major problem with the movie and having tiny things continually turning into huge things impacted on my liking the film. As for the sexism, well, it was made in the 1960s and although Garner's character is an unlikable jerk, he is a 1960s male jerk who must be the only breadwinner or else his fragile ego cannot handle it. This is rather funny considering the film does star Doris Day, a woman who CONSTANTLY worked from the 1940s well into the 1970s supporting her various husbands.
Overall, an enjoyable domestic comedy but not one that really stands out due to some writing issues which makes it seem more like a sitcom than a movie. The concept of 'less is more' would really have helped this one. Oddly, however, I did really like seeing the writer (Carl Reiner) playing in various bad TV shows throughout the movie...this was pretty clever.