Main Cast: Elliott Gould, Brenda Vaccaro, Angel Tompkins, Dabney Coleman, Leonard Stone
Release Year: 1970
Country: US
Run Time: 98 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
This romantic comedy finds Richard Burrows (Elliot Gould) as a medical student in residence engaged to marry the pregnant Jody (Brenda Vaccaro). When Jody abstains from sex and her mother moves in with the newlyweds, Richard engages in a series of love affairs with the hospital nurses. He meets Helen Donnelly (Angel Tompkins), the wife of a baseball player (played by Dabney Coleman). The two initially plan to divorce their respective spouses before Richard decides to work things out with his wife after the birth of their son. Jody loses weight at a health spa and also loses her desire for Richard. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
Review
I Love My Wife is a 1970 sex comedy with an identity crisis. It wants to be both a lighthearted sex romp and a serious look at the sexual revolution and the things that drive a man to adultery; it ends up as a lame and labored bore in which the laughs are few and far between. Robert Kaufman's script is largely to blame; it starts out fairly promisingly, but soon becomes a superficial mess that can't make up its mind which direction it should go at any time, and so constantly shifts gears without ever getting anywhere. The dialogue is leaden, the jokes are poor, false irony is ladled on to far too many scenes, and its attempts to be hip are embarrassing. Even more problematic, it creates a lead character that is intensely unsympathetic and ultimately irritating, and asks the audience to spend the entire film with him.Elliott Gould does the best that he can with the role, but he unfortunately can't transcend the character's basic unlikable nature. Brenda Vaccaro and Angel Tompkins do considerably better, but they can't save the film -- certainly not with Mel Stuart's desperate and confused direction working against them. I Love My Wife has a few bright moments, especially near the beginning, but overall it's a dull affair. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Joan Tompkins - Grandma; Helen Westcott - Mrs. Burrows; Ivor Francis - Dr. Korngold; Al Checco - Dr. Meyerberg; Joanna Cameron - Nurse Sharon; Todd Baron - Richard, Age 12; Frederic Downs - Minister; Dawn Lyn - Stephanie, Age 5; Heather North - Betty; Robert Kaufman - Devil; Tom Toner - John Bosley; Nikita Knatz - Art Teacher; Damian London - Leslie
Credit
Alexander Golitzen - Art Director, George C. Webb - Art Director, Helen Colvig - Costume Designer, Chris Christenberry - First Assistant Director, Mel Stuart - Director, David Saxon - Editor, David L. Wolper - Executive Producer, Lalo Schifrin - Composer (Music Score), Vilis Lapenieks - Cinematographer, Robert Kaufman - Producer, David L. Wolper - Producer, Stan Margulies - Producer, Frank R. McKelvey - Set Designer, Robert Kaufman - Screenwriter
