Milos Forman's first American release is part social satire, part farcical look at two morose, middle-class parents (Buck Henry, Lynn Carlin, both outstanding)
who begin to enjoy life only after their teenage daughter (sad-eyed Linnea
Heacock) runs away. At once funny and touching, Forman and veteran Bunuel
collaborator Jean-Claude Carriere ("Belle du Jour," "Diary of a Chambermaid") concoct a simple story of unexpected depth, a wry comedy that unfolds
gradually, gently lampooning marriage and family life while painting a sensitive portrait of the confused, disenfranchised youth scene of the 1960s. Forman
regular Vincent Schiavelli makes his debut here as a bell-bottomed marijuana
"expert," who carefully instructs a banquet hall full of clueless parents in the fine art of getting high. A young Kathy Bates and a spirited Carly Simon appear
briefly singing at a theatrical audition, while Georgia Engel and Audra Lindley turn in subtle, nuanced performances several years before their television
debuts on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Three's Company," respectively.
A beautifully observed, underrated gem.
who begin to enjoy life only after their teenage daughter (sad-eyed Linnea
Heacock) runs away. At once funny and touching, Forman and veteran Bunuel
collaborator Jean-Claude Carriere ("Belle du Jour," "Diary of a Chambermaid") concoct a simple story of unexpected depth, a wry comedy that unfolds
gradually, gently lampooning marriage and family life while painting a sensitive portrait of the confused, disenfranchised youth scene of the 1960s. Forman
regular Vincent Schiavelli makes his debut here as a bell-bottomed marijuana
"expert," who carefully instructs a banquet hall full of clueless parents in the fine art of getting high. A young Kathy Bates and a spirited Carly Simon appear
briefly singing at a theatrical audition, while Georgia Engel and Audra Lindley turn in subtle, nuanced performances several years before their television
debuts on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Three's Company," respectively.
A beautifully observed, underrated gem.