Customer Reviews

Lovers & Other Strangers [VHS]

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I used to watch the Academy Awards so religiously that the names of the nomineees as well as the winners stayed with me for years. I immediately recognized "Lovers and Other Strangers" as a nominee and winner from years ago. However, I don't think I had ever seen it available on TV so, naturally, I didn't miss the opportunity. I am glad I watched it. This is a fun movie along the lines of that old TV show "Love American Style". By that I mean that it is a compilation of stories within a story and with love, sex,and humor as the main ingredients. "Lovers and Other Strangers" is clearly above the quality of the aforementioned TV show but it is not blessed with the overall quality of a major motion picture. It is one of those movies that is known as a "sleeper".

The movie focusses on a young couple near the eve of their wedding. The inter-related stories involve their friends and family and focusses on their relationships. A brother is getting a divorce, a best man is on the make, an aunt and uncle are discerning their own sexuality, a father-in-law is manipulating his love affair, etc. etc.. There is a lot of humor in these sidebars and there is a lot of truth in them as well. Indeed, the whole movie is a somewhat dated look at relationships in general with some touching discoveries along with some embarassingly "on the mark" looks at ourselves.

Because of the varied stories intermixing with one another, the movie moves along well and it culminates in a meaningful way. We see hope for one damaged relationship while we see another avoid getting off on the wrong foot. We see plenty more in the overall process and we leave with a good feeling. Our lives may not be changed by "Lovers and Other Strangers" but we are probably more apt to turn off the TV, buy that present, remember that birthday, and monitor our own relationships a bit better.

"Lovers and Other Strangers" was nominated for a couple of major Oscars including a Best Supporting Actor nomination for the good acting of Richard Castellano. The award it won was for Best Song ("For All We Know"). Usually, when the only Oscar a movie wins is for Best Song, it's an indication to buy the CD and not the DVD. In the case of "Lovers and Other Strangers" it's the movie that's worth buying.

A big wedding, funny relatives, bittersweet relationships, a very young Diane Keaton -- what's not to love? In crowded theaters, Bob Dishy and Richard Castellano stole the show. Castellano still stands out, as do Gig Young and Bea Arthur. Favorite moment (for guys): a Steadicam shot of Bonnie Bedelia's face as she walks toward a bed. Not even Liz Taylor's face could rival Bedelia's for those few seconds. Favorite moment (for gals): Harry Guardino blowing a sweet, macho kiss to Anne Meara during the wedding ceremony.

This film is a funny but sad commentary on marriage as seen through the eyes of different generations. The cast is wonderful, especially Bea Arthur as the wife and mother whose line, "I can understand you wanting to leave, but I can't understand you leaving" shows the difference in how women have changed in the way they look at marriage. Diane Keaton, Gig Young, Anne Jackson, and Richard Castellano are all excellent in their roles.

This is one of my top 10 movies and the song,"For All We Know" by the Carpenters fits perfectly with the theme.

This is over 30 years old, but still a classic. Diane Keaton fans will love her in one of her first roles. We still use some of the lines, especially "So, what's the story, Richie?" and I often tell my husband his hair smells like raisins just to let him know I still love him. I just wish Icould buy a copy at a reasonable price!!!!

this is a family comedy. By that I mean it is a comedy about the tensions within a family, and not that it should be rated a G which indeed it should not. there are married people who are just starting out, just breaking up, just pretending to be happily married, and those who are just happily married. there are no guns, no fist fights, no crashes, etc. But it is highly enjoyable if you ask me

Lovers and Other Strangers is one of the funniest films I've ever seen. The acting is outstanding and the timing so fine-tuned that the comedy is almost non-stop without being corny or tasteless. The casting was brilliantly done and the movie gets high marks in my book for great cinematography and choreography, especially in the wedding scenes. The plot flows along at a very good pace without ever feeling rushed or too slow; and every scene only made me even more interested in finding out what would happen next and how--or if--certain interpersonal problems amongst the characters would be resolved.

Actually, the movie has more than one plot, although most if not all of the subplots revolve around the wedding of the somewhat nervous Mike Vecchio (Michael Brandon) to his very pretty and self-confident girlfriend Susan (Bonnie Bedelia). Mike isn't always so sure he wants to marry Susan; he prefers that they continue to live together. Of course, they are living together unbeknownst to the family elders, some of whom would have had a stroke if they knew Mike and Susan were living together before the wedding.

The subplots are very entertaining and as they flesh out the movie they also show how complicated relationships really are and how deep feelings can alter the stability of a relationship; but of course this is all done with comedy to make everything light and enjoyable at once. There's Mike's brother Ritchie (Joseph Hindy) who is estranged from his wife Joan (Diane Keaton); they're on the verge of divorce while Mike and Ritchie's parents, Bea (Bea Arthur) and Frank (Richard S. Castellano) desperately try to convince Ritchie and Joan to remain together. There's also Mike's buddy Jerry (Bob Dishy) who loves "to score" with the ladies and there are plenty of laughs when Jerry tries to get Susan's friend Brenda (Marian Hailey) into bed with him. Even more complications ensure when Susan's father Hal (Gig Young) is romancing another woman (Anne Jackson as Kathy) in bathrooms (yes, bathrooms) throughout the film; and of course Hal's wife Bernice (Cloris Leachman) has no idea her husband is cheating on her.

We also see some of the characters going to confession; and there are great cameos by Conrad Bain as a priest and Jerry Stiller as a guest and the father of a flower girl at Mike and Susan's wedding.

Of course, from here the action can go in numerous directions and I'm not about to give out spoilers! You'll enjoy it; I'm sure.

Lovers and Other Strangers is a perfect example of a classic comedy that, at least in my opinion, is every bit as funny now as it was when it was first released back in 1970. This film is wonderful for fans of the actors in the film; and people who love very funny movies will want this for their collections.

Viewing this film after a hiatus of some 40 years, I find it still one of my favorite comedies. Bea Arthur and Richard Castellano are outstanding in their character roles as is Gig Young- all representing the earlier generation coping with the exigencies of the "new" generation of the 60's. The entire cast turns in a fine performance and I would highly recommend this film as one of the best comedies of its genre.

A 1970 MOVIE THAT STILL RINGS TRUE TODAY. EXCELLENT PERFORMANCES BY ALL ESPECIALLY RICHARD CASTALLANO AND GIG YOUNG. VERY ENJOYABLE MOVIE.

This is one of the funniest movies for an entire generation. Funny & sad at the same time but, You will laugh.

Here's a film that's reminsicent of the old ABC-TV series LOVE AMERICAN STYLE. It even has a similar cast of famous faces.

LOVERS AND OTHER STRANGERS ran on Broadway for two months in the autumn of 1968. Written by Renée Taylor and Joseph Bologna and directed by Charles Grodin, this generally melancholy stageplay concerns an imminent wedding that causes crisis in the lives of several couples. Richard S. Castellano is the only original cast member to appear in the movie version. (Also in the play: Gerald S. O'Laughlin, Dick Van Patten and Ron Carey.)


SYNOPSIS--
Beatrice (Bea Arthur) and Frank Vecchio (Castellano) have been married half their lives, but never happily, for she knows that he's been unfaithful in the past. For what the Vecchios consider a trivial reason, oldest son Ritchie (Joseph Hindy) and wife Joan (Diane Keaton) want to end a 6 year union. Mom and Dad try their best to talk both of them out of it. Their youngest boy Mike (Michael Brandon) has upcoming nuptials with Susan Henderson (Bonnie Bedelia), yet he'd rather continue living together just as they've been secretly doing all along.

Susan's parents (Gig Young and Cloris Leachman) also have a rocky marriage due to Hal's cheating with Bernice's best friend, Kathy (Anne Jackson), who's utterly miserable because Hal never keeps his promise to divorce Bernice.

Susan's sister, Wilma (Anne Meara) is love-starved because husband Johnny (Harry Guardino) would rather ride his exercise bike and watch old movies like SPELLBOUND on TV. Wilma's frequent carping about sex may soon bring them to divorce court.

A blind date is arranged by Mike (the groom, remember?) for his friend Jerry (Bob Dishy) and bridesmaid Brenda (Marian Hailey), who is Susan's cousin. Brenda has never been with a man and her evening with Jerry is in part spent moving from room to room until she's somewhat reassured that climbing into bed is the right thing to do. They and the other couples have heart-to-heart talks, and that's the focus of this story: communication about dissatisfaction.


Of all the above actors, Castellano is most surprising. Unlike "fat Clemenza" in THE GODFATHER, here he plays a thoughtful man and this comes through in Castellano's expressions and remarkably soulful eyes. Bea Arthur brings her typical hard edge to Mrs. Vecchio. Sadly, Gig Young's difficult life of physical and emotional problems are deeply etched in his face. Anthony Holland's fey wedding planner should be amusing but isn't. Diane Keaton's makeup is very unflattering. Anne Jackson succeeds in the toughest role of all, sustaining believable crying jags. Her final scene is deeply touching.

"Lovers and Other Strangers" is a dated and minor picture, but worth watching for the varied performances of its talented ensemble.