The Goodbye Girl
1977 · Movie · PG · 111 min · ★ 6.9 · 72% critics
After her partner abruptly leaves, a struggling performer and her young daughter face eviction and end up sharing their home with an eccentric, cash-strapped stage actor who claims the lease. Forced into an uneasy roommate arrangement, the trio navigates clashing habits, sharp banter, and unexpected warmth while trying to rebuild their lives in New York.
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Details
- Years
- 1977
- Release date
- 1977-11-27
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Critic score
- 72/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.9/10 (185 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a sharp, warm romantic comedy with lots of bickering-turned-bonding and a theater-world backdrop, in the vein of Play It Again, Sam or The Sunshine Boys; Not for you if you dislike stagey performances or precocious-kid humor.
Pros: witty back-and-forth; strong lead chemistry; warm, funny tone | Cons: some dated moments; stagey acting style; predictable rom-com beats
Themes
- ballet dancer
- theater play
- family abandonment
- single mother
- precocious child
- manhattan, new york city
- aspiring actor
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Actor · 1978
- Academy Award — Best Actor · 1978 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Picture · 1978 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Actress · 1978 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Original Screenplay · 1978 · nominated
Show all 6 awards →
- Academy Award — Best Supporting Actress · 1978 · nominated
Cast & crew
Richard Dreyfuss
as Elliot Garfield
Marsha Mason
as Paula McFadden
Quinn Cummings
as Lucy McFadden
Paul Benedict
as Mark
Barbara Rhoades
as Donna
Theresa Merritt
as Mrs. Crosby
- MS
Michael Shawn
as Ronnie
Patricia Pearcy
as Rhonda
- GC
Gene Castle
as Assistant Choreographer
Marilyn Sokol
as Linda
Directed by Herbert Ross