Product Details

• Actors: Diane Keaton, Tuesday Weld, William Atherton, Richard Kiley, Richard Gere
• Directors: Richard Brooks
• Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Paramount Home Video
• VHS Release Date: May 6, 1997
• Run Time: 136 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300216853
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,649 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Editorial Reviews

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Based on the mid-'70s novel by Judith Rossner (which itself was based on a true story), this film was supposed to be the one that established Diane Keaton's credibility as a "serious" actress--and yet she won the Oscar for the other film she did the same year, Annie Hall. Still, Looking for Mr. Goodbar is a solid and intriguing film, which offered the first substantial film roles to Richard Gere and Tom Berenger. Keaton is a repressed Catholic school teacher who works with deaf children. In the midst of the sexual revolution, she discovers her own appetite for carnal pleasure--but tries to keep it physical, avoiding emotional entanglement, until she meets Mr. Really Wrong. Keaton is solid but director Richard Brooks can't keep this from dragging. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A glimpse of what cinema can be., August 7, 2005

By	Samuel Chell (Kenosha,, WI United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is raw, risk-taking cinema--from the no-holds-barred performance of a lifetime by Dianne Keaton to the bold and imaginative direction of Richard Brooks. Moreover, it captures the woman's point of view more convincingly than any other film that comes to mind. As spectators we remain inside Keaton's head as well as capable of judging her in her obsessive, doomed quest for personal fulfillment at all costs. The sordid climax (no wonder profit-dependent Hollywood swore off such films) is all the more remarkable because we see it through the eyes of the victim. When Dianne Keaton's desire and death wish converge and she loses the capacity to see, the movie necessarily fades to black as well.

I was so blown away by the film that I immediately read its literary source. This is one of the few times the book has proved a disappointment compared to the movie. As a prose stylist, Judy Rossner doesn't begin to match the artistry of Keaton and Brooks not to mention the psychological depth that is normally off limits to a medium as surface-bound as film.

42 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Annie Hall Meets Mr. Goodbar, November 25, 2002

By	C. MacNeil "Three Rivers Reviewer" (Fort Wayne, IN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Released in 1977 and based on Judith Rossner's best-seller, "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" was touted as the star turn for Diane Keaton, but it was "Annie Hall" that swept her to the Academy podium that year. A Catholic teacher of deaf children, Keaton's portrayal of a sexually repressed woman looking for scores in all the wrong places is unsettling in an generally inaudacious - and brutal - film. But, the talent that she is, Keaton keeps our attention and is nearly upstaged by Tuesday Weld in an Oscar-nominated supporting role. "Goodbar" takes us to the darker side of casual sexal encounters and issues a warning that we ought not delve too deeply into the darkness without a light on in our brains. The film also marked the first substantial work of Richard Gere and Tom Berenger. But it remains Keaton who carries the film, and she does it splendidly and achieves the intended goal of making us squeamish about the dangerous underpinnings of sexual experimentation. The film's closing scene is harrowing and also achieves its own goal to send the viewer off with an unsoothed boding of doom, and it gives us no hope. Panned critically at the time, the film nonetheless is a showcase of Keaton's dramatic talents, something she'd had little chance to do until then. She alone makes the film worth watching.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Looking in the right place for good cinema, December 27, 2005

By	todd rich "scoop 69" (hickory, nc United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Looking for Mr. Goodbar (DVD)

I normally don't review movies that haven't been converted to dvd. However, for this Richard Brooks, film adaptation of the Judith Rossner book , based on the true, series of events, in the life of Rosanne Quinn, I'm making an exception. Diane Keaton plays the lead , as Therea Dunn , an attractive, intelligent, independent, sexually curious, young woman who happens to be a school teacher. From it's riveting beginning sequences to it's unforgettable ending," Looking for Mr. Goodbar" exemplifies great directing , acting , and writng. Filmed during a period when American cinema focused on character driven stories and themes..this film stands out as one of the most unforgettable. Originally penned, as a star making vehicle for Diane Keaton, the film highlights unforgettable performances by a series of future stars like Richard Gere, Levar Burton , Tom Berringer, and Tuesday Weld ( in her OSCAR winning performance). Although, "Looking for Mr. Goodbar" was originally released in 1977, it's overall lessons and character journeys are still relatable, today. On that aspect, it ensures this film a long shelf life. Some scenes are dated and the soundtrack is obviously past it's expiration date. However, after the first twenty minutes , you quickly forget that this was produced almost three decades ago.The characters are portrayed so richly and so authentic , that you become sucked into it. I don't see this film as a warning for young barhoppers or sexually liberarated women. Once again...it's based on a true story. So , how can anyone tamper with reality? The film sticks to the book and the book sticks to the actual case, that sparked the interest in the first place. The cinematography and script are excellent and Richard Brooks did a phenominal job, layering circumstances and allowing his actors to go to depths that most actors would shy away from. Personally , I used to think of Diane Keaton as just another pretty actress ( especially in her youth). However , after seeing her performance in this film , I will always consider her just as brave and creative and dedicated to her roles , as her contemperaries(Robert Deniro , Al Pacino, John Voight , Marlon Brando, ect.). If you're a fan of dramatic films, such as "Midnight Cowboy"," The Deer Hunter",or "Boogie Nights", " Looking for Mr. Goodbar" is one that should definately not be missed. I'm not sure why it hasn't been released on dvd, yet. Hopefully, it will, as it deserves to be preserved and recognized as one of the best films of the 1970's.