Diary of a Mad Housewife [VHS]
by Frank Perry
![Diary of a Mad Housewife [VHS]](/images/Diary-of-a-Mad-Housewife-VHS-B00000F37T-L.jpg)
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Actor: Carrie Snodgress, Frank Langella, Frannie Michel, Lorraine Cullen, Richard BenjaminDirector: Frank Perry
Cinematographer: Gerald Hirschfeld
Producer: Frank Perry
Editor: Sidney Katz
Producer: Ronald H. Gilbert
Writer: Eleanor Perry
Writer: Sue Kaufman
Edition: VHS Tape
Format: NTSC
Running Time: 95 minutes
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Publisher: Goodtimes Home Video
Studio: Goodtimes Home Video
VHS Movie Reviews of Diary of a Mad Housewife [VHS]
Movie Review: "You're thawing....and you're just beginning to vibrate..."
Summary: 5 Stars
"Diary of a Mad Housewife" seems, on its surface, to be a character study of stereotypes. Richard Benjamin completely over the top as social climbing, acquisitive lawyer Jonathan Balser, who mercilessly criticizes and belittles his wife. Carrie Snodgress totally passive and reactive as the put-upon, poor little harrassed housewife Tina (albeit in a REALLY spectacular apartment). Frank Langella a cardboard cutout of a sadistic misogynist. And yet....and yet. Thanks to the exquisite talents of the three leads, this film rises above the character-development limits of its script to become a fascinating study of its era (just barely pre-feminist) and of the anatomy of an extramarital affair. Richard Benjamin IS over the top as Jonathan, but since the story is told from Tina's diary entries and from her viewpoint as his desperately unhappy wife, she would naturally portray him as almost a caricature, his faults magnified to an epic degree. Viewed from that perspective, his performance is funny, sad, pathetic, and outstanding. One of his earliest scenes, in which he methodically recites to his wife what she is to pack for his business trip, specifying brand names, colors, and exact amounts, is beautifully done and shows Jonathan at his most jaw-droppingly irritating. Carrie Snodgress brings dignity and a touch of pathos to Tina, and communicates volumes with those gorgeous, expressive eyes of hers. The changes Tina experiences as the affair progresses are both wonderful and painful to behold because there is so much truth and naturalness in Ms. Snodgress's performance. Ah, and Frank Langella....I was only eight years old when this movie came out and didn't see it until many years later, but I can imagine the impact he must have had on female moviegoers at the time -- somewhat equal to the effect he has on ME every time I watch him! It's easy to call George Prager a classic woman-hating jerk, but like the other two lead characters, that's much too simple. Frank gives the most complex performance of the entire film, and it's an emotional tour de force, thrilling to watch. From George's very first appearance at a loud cocktail party where he treats Tina to several nasty criticisms of her appearance, to his first moment of seduction when they meet again weeks later (the quote in this review's title - a truly wonderful line, perfectly delivered in that hushed, velvet voiced way in which Frank Langella has no equal), to the gentle, almost-tenderness of Tina and George's first encounter, to their final, harrowing scene, he dominates the screen with effortless and confident sensuality. There is a moment, just after the first encounter, where George tells Tina that she'll be like all those other females who think that "sex -- particularly great sex -- has to be love." Tina replies, "I could never love you...ever," and a look crosses his face for a split second that wholly captures the complicated essence of George. Blink and you'll miss it, but it's a marvelous piece of acting by Frank. George is an arrogant, self-absorbed, ambitious, sadistic pig, but he's way more than that. He's also full of self-loathing (surprising at first, but his final scene reveals why), longing (for love and connection, even as he relentlessly drives it away), fear (also revealed in his final scene), and anger (hints at a bad childhood, more fully revealed in the book). It's a tribute to Frank Langella's talent that he developed George to this extent in view of the script's limits. "Diary of a Mad Housewife" is quite of its era on the surface, especially evident in the subplot which culminates in the painfully funny fiasco of the cocktail and cigarette-drenched "omelette party". But the characters, and the wonderfully talented actors who potray them, are timeless, and because of this, it's a marvelous film that transcends its time to become a classic, and one that deserves a wide audience. Highly recommended!
Summary of Diary of a Mad Housewife [VHS]
From Wikipedia: Diary of a Mad Housewife is a 1970 drama film about a frustrated wife, portrayed by Carrie Snodgress, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won a Golden Globe award in the same category. The film was adapted by Eleanor Perry from the 1967 novel by Sue Kaufman and directed by Perry's then-husband, Frank Perry. The film co-starred Richard Benjamin and Frank Langella. Plot Tina Balser is in a loveless marriage with Jonathan, an insufferable, social-climbing lawyer in New York City. He treats her like a trophy, refuses to back her in disputes over the raising of their children and belittles her in public. Searching for relief, she has an affair with writer George Prager, but this only drives her deeper into despair. She then tries group therapy, but this also proves fruitless when she finds her male psychiatrist, Dr. Linstrom, is no more understanding than the other men in her life.Movies most talked about in Video Genres
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