Divorce American Style
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| Divorce American Style | |
|---|---|
 Original poster |
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| Directed by | Bud Yorkin |
| Produced by | Norman Lear |
| Written by | Norman Lear Robert Kaufman |
| Starring | Dick Van Dyke Debbie Reynolds Jason Robards Jean Simmons |
| Music by | Dave Grusin |
| Cinematography | Conrad L. Hall |
| Editing by | Ferris Webster |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | June 21, 1967 (US) August 17, 1967 (UK) |
| Running time | 109 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Divorce American Style is a 1967 American satirical comedy film directed by Bud Yorkin. The screenplay by Norman Lear is based on a story by Robert Kaufman and focuses on a married couple that opts for divorce when counseling fails to help them resolve their various problems.
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[edit] Plot synopsis
After fifteen years of marriage, Richard and Barbara Harmon seem to have it all - two children, a split-level home in the suburbs, two cars in the garage . . . and a vague sense of ennui and the feeling something is missing. When they discover they no longer can communicate even to argue, they make an effort to salvage their relationship through counseling, but when their situation doesn't improve, they file for divorce. Richard finds himself living in a motel and trying to survive on $87.50 a week while Barbara tries to console herself in the arms of millionaire auto dealer Al Yearling. Fellow divorcé Nelson Downes hopes to convince Richard to wed his ex-wife Nancy and free him from the shackles of alimony payments, an unlikely scenario given his financial situation. As they try to muddle their way through their separate lives, Richard and Barbara eventually realize the marriage they had might not have been as bad as they thought.
[edit] Principal cast
- Dick Van Dyke ..... Richard Harmon
- Debbie Reynolds ..... Barbara Harmon
- Jason Robards ..... Nelson Downes
- Jean Simmons ..... Nancy Downes
- Van Johnson ..... Al Yearling
- Joe Flynn ..... Lionel Blandsforth
- Shelley Berman ..... David Grieff
- Martin Gabel ..... Dr. Zenwinn
- Lee Grant ..... Dede Murphy
- Tom Bosley ..... Farley
- Emmaline Henry ..... Fern Blandsforth
- Richard Gautier ..... Larry Strickland
- Tim Matheson ..... Mark Harmon
- Eileen Brennan ..... Eunice Tase
- Shelley Morrison ..... Jackie
[edit] Critical reception
In his review in the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert called the film "a member of that rare species, the Hollywood comedy with teeth in it" and added, "Bud Yorkin has directed with wit and style, and the cast, which seems unlikely on paper, comes across splendidly on the screen . . . The charm of this film is in its low-key approach. The plot isn't milked for humor or pathos: Both emerge naturally from familiar situations." [1]
Variety observed, "Comedy and satire, not feverish melodrama, are the best weapons with which to harpoon social mores. An outstanding example is Divorce American Style . . . which pokes incisive, sometimes chilling, fun at US marriage-divorce problems." [2]
Time Out New York cites "Two or three very funny scenes . . . and a first-rate batch of supporting performances." [3]
[edit] Awards and nominations
Norman Lear and Robert Kaufman were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay but lost to William Rose for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Lear also was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Written American Comedy.
