MovieChat Forums > The Heartbreak Kid (1972) Discussion > 3/10. Here's why:

3/10. Here's why:

posted 9 years ago by IMDB_Vits
4 replies | jump to latest

The gags in THE HEARTBREAK KID are so subtle that you have to pay a lot attention at times to really get them. That was hard for me because I didn’t care about any of the characters. LENNY is a douche. No, that’s not the point of the movie. The point is that he’s never satisfied with what he has. Being a douche is another subject. I don’t know if KELLY is supposed to be a woman that seduces you with her mysterious being or a free spirit... or maybe both? Either way, she comes off as annoying. LILA is the most one-dimensional character in the movie. I disliked her, but not in the way LENNY did. The actors do what they can with the material, but there’s not much to do. The last 10 minutes are unnecessarily stretched into 30 minutes, so the final act drags. Luckily, Eddie Albert steals the show and the theme song is great.

You can read comments of other movies (including the (better) remake) at http://vits-ingthemovies.blogspot.cl/2015/10/comments-round-up-september-2015.html

Any thoughts?

[–] jgs1935 9 years ago

9.5/10
One of the best films of its era. Grodin and Shepherd play their characters to perfection. Watch Shepherd's expressions and mannerisms -- she's so consistent and believable. I think her character actually represents wanting of freedom and having been somewhat repressed. Grodin is excellent, you're drawn right in. Albert and Lindley are great as the parents. And the wedding of Lenny & Kelly leaves the viewer with plenty of things to think about.

Casting and script came together. Shepherd's beauty is breathtaking.

"No cheesecake [photos]." -- Hazel (Shirley Booth)

[–] srklondie 9 years ago

You should've gone to the op's blog before you replied to him. There you would've seen that he actually rated the '07 remake of this minor masterpiece an 8 out of 10, and then you would realize that replying to him would probably be a waste of your time. I'm not as generous as you, but I give it a pretty strong 8. It's one of the better comedies of the seventies. The casting of this film was pure genius. Trying to pick a better cast would be an exercise in futility.

[–] jgs1935 9 years ago

Thanks for your reply. I did come across a mention of the remake as superior, although that might have been from another poster. I've never had the chance to watch the remake closely (not that I really want to), but what I did see while babysitting my nieces was not very impressive -- to say the least.

I've always been primarily a TV fan, and all of the best series' qualities stem from superior casting. This film's cast could not be improved upon, as you stated, and it's one of several movies I'm compelled to watch often -- despite my preference for spending time with TV series.

"No cheesecake [photos]." -- Hazel (Shirley Booth)

[–] srklondie 9 years ago

By the way, I see that you discussed Lois Nettleton in a couple of your other posts. She's one of my goddesses. I absolutely melt whenever I see her on-screen. She was not only an angelic looking creature, but she was also an exceptionally fine actor.

P.S. You should check out the YouTube video of Lois on ' The Dating Game ', from 1971.