Neil Simon takes a semi-autobiographical chapter from his own life and turns it into an incredibly kind tale of finding love after death and divorce. James Caan is a not so merry widow and Marsha Mason is a not so gay divorcée. They are both ironically leaving JFK around the same time, he coming in from a get-away to Europe and she returning from Reno. Not running into each other, they also miss seeing each other at a posh Manhattan restaurant, he on a date with an exotically dressed model and she with an incredibly tall man who wants to take her dancing. Thanks to his playboy brother (Joseph Bologna) and her best friend (Valarie Harper), they end up in several awkward phone conversations and she seems to think she's got a stalker on her hands. But they finally agree to a five minute meeting, and boy, when they do, sparks fly....
The conflict in the relationship comes from each of their personality quirks, aspects of themselves that seem to bother them more than the other. He can't seem to forget his late wife, and she is gun-shy about another relationship. But the sudden rush into marriage, which brings out each of their insecurities while on a honeymoon where he once took his late wife, threatens to separate them due to these personality disorders, and it will take time apart for them to sort through these issues.
The stars are both extremely attractive here, and after playing some not-so-nice roles on screen, Caan finally becomes a likable guy, one you truly root for. Mason, Mrs. Neil Simon in real life, seems to be playing a variation of herself, and is as usual, adorable and quirky. Bologna and Harper, both married to other partners (who seem to be conveniently out of town all the time), add into the mix, and are absolutely wonderful. Fresh from her long-running TV role of "Rhoda", Harper is a delight, providing some snappy lines like a modern day Eve Arden. Bologna is likable too in spite of his character's obvious insincerity, and that adds a lot of humor into the mix.
A pretty musical score by Marvin Hamlish, a love theme sung by Marilyn McCoo and excellent location photography also add to the charm of Simon's simple but witty tale of two people in transition who find each other when they're really not looking for anybody to replace whom they've just lost. There's a very funny finale where Mason rushes through the streets of Manhattan trying to avoid running into restaurant patrons, a handyman spraying the sidewalk and a man on a unicycle. Only in New York from the mind of Neil Simon, who also throws in a hysterical sequence at the 42nd Street Library where a young girl groans at Mason and Caan for making too much noise. Only in 1979 New York, kids. Only in 1979 New York.
The conflict in the relationship comes from each of their personality quirks, aspects of themselves that seem to bother them more than the other. He can't seem to forget his late wife, and she is gun-shy about another relationship. But the sudden rush into marriage, which brings out each of their insecurities while on a honeymoon where he once took his late wife, threatens to separate them due to these personality disorders, and it will take time apart for them to sort through these issues.
The stars are both extremely attractive here, and after playing some not-so-nice roles on screen, Caan finally becomes a likable guy, one you truly root for. Mason, Mrs. Neil Simon in real life, seems to be playing a variation of herself, and is as usual, adorable and quirky. Bologna and Harper, both married to other partners (who seem to be conveniently out of town all the time), add into the mix, and are absolutely wonderful. Fresh from her long-running TV role of "Rhoda", Harper is a delight, providing some snappy lines like a modern day Eve Arden. Bologna is likable too in spite of his character's obvious insincerity, and that adds a lot of humor into the mix.
A pretty musical score by Marvin Hamlish, a love theme sung by Marilyn McCoo and excellent location photography also add to the charm of Simon's simple but witty tale of two people in transition who find each other when they're really not looking for anybody to replace whom they've just lost. There's a very funny finale where Mason rushes through the streets of Manhattan trying to avoid running into restaurant patrons, a handyman spraying the sidewalk and a man on a unicycle. Only in New York from the mind of Neil Simon, who also throws in a hysterical sequence at the 42nd Street Library where a young girl groans at Mason and Caan for making too much noise. Only in 1979 New York, kids. Only in 1979 New York.