Themes: Single Life, Starting Over, Nothing Goes Right
Main Cast: Steve Martin, Charles Grodin, Judith Ivey, Steve Lawrence, Robyn Douglass
Release Year: 1984
Country: US
Run Time: 91 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
In a comedy as flat as the cardboard cut-outs of movie stars that appear in one scene, Steve Martin plays Larry Hubbard, a wild and lonely guy who has been dumped by his girlfriend. Since misery loves company, he takes up with Warren, a fellow Lonely Guy (Charles Grodin), and eventually both Warren and Larry find some surprising companions, especially after Larry writes a best-selling Lonely Guy Guide. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
Review
The Lonely Guy was one of several transitional Steve Martin films in which the comedian began losing some of his "wild and crazy guy" persona and adopted a more human quality. Unfortunately, the transition is by no means complete in The Lonely Guy, seeing as the film is somewhat schizophrenic. It's trying to be both ironic and romantic, postmodern and engaging, but ends up falling unsatisfactorily between the two poles. Things are not helped by Arthur Hiller's uncertain direction, which keeps the film moving along at a decent pace for the first half hour or so, but then lets it steadily bog down for the remainder of the film. By the time the credits roll, the goodwill that the beginning of the movie built up has largely been dissipated. Still, there are a number of funny sequences (such as the restaurant scene), and if Martin can't pull the disparate parts of his character into a cohesive whole, he still makes for good company. Even better is Charles Grodin who nails his part from start to finish. Robyn Douglass does well as Martin's ex-girlfriend, but Judith Ivey can't do much with her under-realized character. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Joyce Brothers - Herself; Randi Brough - Schneider Twin; Julie Payne - Rental Agent; Madison Arnold - Lonely cop; Dominic Barto - Holdup Man No.2; Ed Beheler - Jimmy Carter Look-alike; Leslie Bevis - One of the Seven Deadly Sins; Hunt Block - Couple in Bar; Charles Bouvier - Lonely Guy; Charles de Vries - Ship's Maitre d'; Richard Delmonte - Raul; Lamya Derval - One of the Seven Deadly Sins; Badja Djola - Native; Matthew Faison - Lonely Guy; Jenny Gago - One of the Seven Deadly Sins; Michael Greer - Counterman; Daniel P. Hannafin - Park Guard; Erica Hiller - Carol, Girl in Bank; Erik Holland - Ship's Officer; Rance Howard - Minister; Gloria Irizarry - Woman at Elevated; Billy James - Bridge Jumper #2; Marie Laurin - One of the even Deadly Sins; Alan Leach - Bookstore Man; Jose Martinez - Gang Member; Nicholas Mele - Maitre d'; Santos Morales - Janitor; Kenneth O'Brien - Holdup Man; Hardy Rawls - Man on Roof; Roger Robinson - Greeting card supervisor; Stephanie Segal - Agent at Party; Beau Starr - Cop No. 2; Joan Sweeny - Girl in Blood Bank; George Tyne - Director at Party; Leslie Wing - Brenda, Girl in Bar; Martin Beck - Lonely Guy; Ken Hixon - Guest in Church; Eb Lottimer - Groom; Helen Verbit - Woman in Window; Sarah Abrell - Bride; Jade D. Bari - Cabbie; Steven Hurwitz - Man on Roof; Tom Kubiak - Man on Roof; Robina Suwol - Girl at Party; Andy Garcia; Doug Smith - Man on Roof; Candi Brough - Schneider Twin; Joanne Dalsass - Model at Party; Hugh Douglas - Narrator; Jerry Grayson - Man Who Gets Shot; Karyn Harrison - Girl in Bank; Charlie Laiken - Man on Roof; Lena Pousette - Frieda; Georges Saurel - Waiter
Credit
Lynn Stalmaster - Casting, Toni Howard - Casting, Betsy Cox - Costume Designer, Jack Roe - First Assistant Director, Arthur Hiller - Director, Raja Gosnell - Editor, William H. Reynolds - Editor, William E. McEuen - Executive Producer, Jerry Goldsmith - Composer (Music Score), Glenn Frey - Songwriter, John Bettis - Songwriter, Del Armstrong - Makeup, Bob Thomas - Camera Operator, James D. Vance - Production Designer, Victor J. Kemper - Cinematographer, Arthur Hiller - Producer, Dorothy Wilde - Producer, Linda de Scenna - Set Designer, Albert J. Whitlock - Special Effects, Robert Willard - Special Effects, Larry Jost - Sound/Sound Designer, Kerrie Cullen - Stunts, Dean Smith - Stunts, Neil Simon - Screenwriter, C.O. Erickson - Co-Executive Producer, Bruce Jay Friedman - Book Author, Stan Daniels - From Screenplay by, Ed Weinberger - From Screenplay by
