An Unmarried Woman
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An Unmarried Woman
Plot
A New York wife learns about the satisfactions of single life in this landmark 1970s "woman's film." Unlike her dysfunctional friends, vibrant Erica (Jill Clayburgh) seems to have it all: a nice Upper East Side home, a well-adjusted teenage daughter (Lisa Lucas), a job at a Soho art gallery, and a loving husband, Martin (Michael Murphy). Erica falls apart, however, when Martin leaves her for a younger woman. Finally, at her female therapist's urging, Erica ventures out into the world of singlehood, finding solace in female bonding and even casual sex. As she adjusts to her new life, Erica realizes that she likes her freedom and independence. But when she falls in love with sensitive bearded artist Saul (Alan Bates), Erica must decide whether to turn down a lucrative job to spend the summer with her man in Vermont or forge ahead with her new existence. One of a group of new "women's pictures" made in the wake of post-1960s feminism, including Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and The Turning Point (1977), An Unmarried Woman updated the genre's concern with relationships and love by turning the heroine's unwedded status into a positive growth experience. The great female stars of the past like Joan Crawford and Bette Davis may be gone, as Erica and her friends mourn, but so is the all-consuming suffering of classical weepies, as writer/director Paul Mazursky ends the film on a note of reserved affirmation. While some critics (including feminists) complained that Saul was too much of a romantic fantasy, An Unmarried Woman was praised for Clayburgh's performance, and earned Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. A hit with 1978 audiences, An Unmarried Woman provoked viewer debate over Erica's final choice and its meaning for women. Either way, An Unmarried Woman astutely pointed to how far the new 1970s woman had come -- and how far she still needed to go. ~ Lucia Bozzola, RoviReview
Jill Clayburgh made a big impact as the heroine of this 1970s examination of the liberation of a woman whose life seemed to be ruined by divorce. As in other films of the era, throwing off the shackles of marriage is just the first step in the protagonist's realization of her own self-worth. Director Paul Mazurksy is a fine delineator of characters, and in this detailed, beautifully acted film, he is determined to substitute all-too-human characters for Hollywood stereotypes. Disturbingly real and vivid, An Unmarried Woman is an iconic feminist film and was surprisingly popular at the box office; Clayburgh, the script by Mazursky, and the picture itself were all nominated for Oscars. The film's power is aided by Alan Bates's performance as Clayburgh's newfound, artistic love, even though that character also drew the lion's share of criticism, as an idealized solution to Erica's situation. ~ Michael Betzold, RoviCast
- Jill Clayburgh - Erica Benton
- Alan Bates - Saul Kaplan
- Michael Murphy - Martin Benton
- Cliff Gorman - Charlie
- Pat Quinn - Sue
Credit
Albert Wolsky - Costume Designer, Terry Donnelly - First Assistant Director, Paul Mazursky - Director, Stuart H. Pappe - Editor, Bill Conti - Composer (Music Score), Mike Maggi - Makeup, Pato Guzman - Production Designer, Arthur Ornitz - Cinematographer, Paul Mazursky - Producer, Tony Ray - Producer, Edward Stewart - Set Designer, Dennis L. Maitland - Sound/Sound Designer, Arthur Piantadosi - Sound/Sound Designer, Paul Mazursky - Screenwriter| An Unlikely Weapon: The Eddie Adams Story (2008 Film), An Unholy Exorcism: The Devil Inside (2011 Film) | |
| An Unopened Letter (1914 Film), An Unreasonable Man (2005 Film) |
Wikipedia on Answers.com:
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An Unmarried Woman
| An Unmarried Woman | |
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| Directed by | Paul Mazursky |
| Written by | Paul Mazursky |
| Starring | Jill Clayburgh Alan Bates Michael Murphy |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) |
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| Running time | 130 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $24,000,000[1] $12,900,000 (rentals) |
An Unmarried Woman is a 1978 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Mazursky.
It tells the story of the wealthy New York wife Erica Benton (Jill Clayburgh) whose “perfect” life is shattered when her stockbroker husband Martin (Michael Murphy) leaves her for a younger woman. The film documents Erica's attempts at being single again, where she suffers with confusion, sadness, and rage. As her life progresses, she begins to bond with several friends and finds herself inspired and even feels happier by her renewed liberation. The story also touches on the overall sexual liberation of the 1970s. Erica eventually finds love with a rugged, yet sensitive British artist (Alan Bates).
The film was nominated for three Academy Awards. It co-stars Cliff Gorman, Kelly Bishop and Pat Quinn. It was released on DVD January 10, 2006.
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Contents
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Cast
- Jill Clayburgh as Erica
- Alan Bates as Saul
- Michael Murphy as Martin
- Cliff Gorman as Charlie
- Pat Quinn as Sue (as Pat Quinn)
- Kelly Bishop as Elaine
- Lisa Lucas as Patti
- Linda Miller as Jeannette
- Andrew Duncan[disambiguation needed
] as Bob - Daniel Seltzer as Dr. Jacobs
- Matthew Arkin as Phil
- Penelope Russianoff as Tanya
- Novella Nelson as Jean
- Raymond J. Barry as Edward
- Ivan Karp as Herb Rowan
Awards
It was nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actress (Jill Clayburgh) and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. Mazursky's screenplay won awards from the New York Film Critics Circle and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.
Jill Clayburgh won the award for Best Actress at the 1978 Cannes Film Festival.[2]
The film was also nominated for several 1978 New York Film Critics Circle Awards, including Best Film, Best Direction, Best Actress (for Jill Clayburgh) and Best Supporting Actress (for Lisa Lucas).[3]
Reception
Vincent Canby wrote "Miss Clayburgh is nothing less than extraordinary in what is the performance of the year to date. In her we see intelligence battling feeling — reason backed against the wall by pushy needs."[4]
Pauline Kael in The New Yorker :" An Unmarried Woman may give Mazursky the popular success that his films Blume in Love, Harry and Tonto and Next Stop, Greenwich Village should have given him - Erica (Jill Clayburgh), the heroine, sleeps in a T-shirt and bikini panties. There are so few movies that deal with recognizable people that this detail alone is enough to pick up one's spirits...Jill Clayburgh has a cracked , warbly voice - a modern polluted-city huskiness...When Erica's life falls apart and her reactions go out of control, Clayburgh's floating, not-quite-sure, not-quite-here quality is just right."[5]
References
- ^ "An Unmarried Woman, Box Office Information". The Numbers. http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1978/0UNWO.php. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: An Unmarried Woman". festival-cannes.com. http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2008/year/1978.html. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
- ^ "An Unmarried Woman: Awards & Nominations". MSN Movies. http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie-awards-and-nominations/an-unmarried-woman/?ipp=45. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
- ^ Fox, Margalit and Dennis Hevesi contributed reporting, "Jill Clayburgh Dies at 66; Starred in Feminist Roles", The New York Times, November 5, 2010. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
- ^ Reprinted in review collection, When the Lights Go Down, Pauline Kael
External links
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