Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York

This movie is funny in places, bitter in some, too. The song they play (over and over) when she's at the party will stick in your head so far you'll need a songectomy.

This is a highly, highly recommended film. Very difficult to categorize it. Does not easily fit into the categories of chick flick, rom com, or even comedy vs. Drama.

It is that rare film that can be truly heart warming without being sappy. It is not a retread.

Jeannie Berlin absolutely deserves high praise for this. As great as she was in the 'heartbreak kid', the slays in this.

I have no idea if it is 'in print', etc. But if you are alone one evening, your plans fell through, etc. Watch this.

This film made the film co-op rounds in the mid to late 70's and I probably saw it 3-4 times in college.

As a heterosexual male, just 'getting started', this helped me take the first view into the female psyche.

"Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York" is a quirky and dark romantic comedy that offers a unique take on the typical love story. With a runtime of 113 minutes, the 1975 film, directed by Sidney J. Furie, follows the life of a shy young woman, Sheila Levine (played by Jeannie Berlin), who moves to the bustling city of New York and finds herself in a complicated love triangle.

Based on the novel by Gail Parent, the film takes a different direction, offering a romantic drama with comedic elements. The story focuses on Sheila's journey as she navigates life in the big city, finding herself drawn to her roommate's boyfriend. The film effectively captures the challenges and emotions of a young woman striving to find her place and happiness in a new and fast-paced environment.

While the film has its charming moments, it falls short of being a truly memorable cinematic experience. The tone is inconsistent, veering from light-hearted to sentimental, and at times, confusing. The criticism by Pauline Kael of The New Yorker sums it up: "A confused, part-liberated rehash of old Hollywood attitudes." The film struggles to find a balance between its comedic and dramatic elements, resulting in a somewhat jarring viewing experience.

However, the film is not without its merits. Berlin's performance as Sheila is commendable, conveying a range of emotions with subtlety and depth. The film also captures the essence of 1970s New York, offering a glimpse into a bygone era of the city's history.

Overall, "Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York" is an interesting yet flawed take on the romantic comedy genre. While it has its moments of charm and emotion, the inconsistent tone and confusing narrative let it down.

A really good movie. Much better "young woman finding herself in the big city" than was "Frances Ha," or even "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (thought that obviously has other qualities). Patient, intelligent, warm, and funny, with enough conflict and growth to make it interesting and rewarding. I have an advantage in that I haven't read the book, so I can take the movie at face value. And from that vantage it works. Jeannie Berlin is wonderful, with the same ability to own the camera whenever she's on screen that she displayed last year in "Café Society". When she wants to look like a fish out of water, escaping an overbearing mother by moving to NYC, that's what you see. Awkward, unsure of herself, without any real outward appeal. But when she's supposed to be beautiful, indeed she is - you can't take your eyes off of her.

I happened to live in NYC at the time that this movie takes place, and the feel is just right.

My wife has been looking for a copy of this for years, and finally our daughter hunted one down on the "Loving The Clasics" label, whatever that might be. And it's in its original aspect ratio!

HBO in the 1970s kindled my still vibrant love for movies in a powerful way. Being able to view movies you never heard of or wouldn't have ventured out to see even if you had gave this young guy a thorough education of film.

SHEILA LEVINE IS DEAD AND LIVING IN NEW YORK left an indelible impression on me. I still - 27 years later-remember certain scenes, especially Sheila dancing with a broom to a song I think was called "Love Me or Love People" and her talk with Roy Scheider. Every review I've read of this film lambasted it and called it the death of Academy Award nominee Jeanne Berlin's(for THE HEARTBREAK KID) career. To this impressionable 12 year old Italian boy who was a sickly child. Ms. Berlins shattering, stammering performance is burned ion my head. She was as alien a creature to me as E.T. was and like that little rubber puppet made me feel sorry and commiserate with her plight of being an outcast so strongly that it inadvertently helped ms cope with my own problems. Its a great, full fledged performance. Its as if Jeanne Berlin's character of the pathetic wife in HEARTBREAK left to be on her own in the big city. This and HEARTBREAK KID should be watched in tandem to get the full effect of an incredible one two acting punch.

Of course my review here is based on feelings and I would love to watch it again through 39 year old eyes and review it again as a film rather than as a memory. I may than agree with the critics about its screenplay(which I remember as being thin) and its murky look(very dark cinematography) but will positively not budge on my perception on Ms. Berlins landmark performance. I would love to see it as a film and experience its charms all over again. Me and my broomstick are waiting. Hopefully Paramount will reunite me with a dear old friend.

Amazon Instant Video (a great resource for 70s film buffs)had this up for sale about 2 years ago. I purchased it immediately (sadly it-like vLOOKING FOR MR GOODBAR and LITTLE DARLINGS are no longer available)-and have it permanently in my pc. The Paramount transfer is good-and while I still do not think of this movie as the diisaster critics of the day thought-I do see its shortcomings. Roy Scheiders zombielike performance makes you wonder what Levine saw in him. Or was it the old "marry a doctor (or fill in blank)" scenario? His lackluster performance nearly kills the film more than Berlins (the critics interpretation-not mine). The song still stays with you-and upon hearing it for the first time in over 30 years-its everything about the song I remember. I was pleasantly surprised how nice the score in general was. The cinematography, the ratchety editing and the thin screenplay add to this films myth of being one of the worst of its year. I still am not of the critics thinking, and now that this film is part of my collection-I haven't seen THE LAST OF SHEILA-but thats for another review.