Thursday's Game

Filmed in 1971, but inexplicably shelved until 1974, Thursday's Game is a delightful comedy which features some moments of sheer comedic magic and a clutch of very strong performances. It's enormously surprising to find so few reviews here on the imdb, as this is a film that I would have expected to have a high number of fans. Perhaps the fact that it is a rarely-seen film - a "lost" movie, if truth be known - has something to do with it.

Gene Wilder is fabulous as Harry Evers, a TV producer who fears for his job after the rapid decline in viewing figures for a game-show that he is in charge of. On Thursday evenings, he gets his one and only chance to unwind when he meets up with a gang of guys for casual poker games. One week, the game goes sour and the guys have a bust-up, resulting in the cancellation of any future Thursday night games. However, Harry can't bear the thought of Thursday nights at home, so he fixes up a clever ruse with another poker-playing friend Marvin (Bob Newhart). Instead of calling it quits, the devious twosome tell their wives that the game is still going on and meet up for nights on the town. This weekly taste of freedom has an inevitable influence on both men, and soon they find themselves questioning whether they are truly happy in their respective marriages.

The film is sure to strike a chord with men who have ever found themselves questioning their commitment to their partners. Is it better to be in a sharing relationship where certain sacrifices may have to be made, or is it better to have total freedom even if it means accepting a degree of loneliness? Within this serious storyline, though, Thursday's Game manages to be side-splittingly funny. The scene where Wilder visits his agent (Rob Reiner, in a terrific cameo appearance), only to find out that his agent has never even heard of him, is simply priceless. And the poker bust-up sequence is wickedly funny too. Ellen Burstyn, as Wilder's gullible wife, gives a performance that it as heartfelt as it is touching. Similarly, Nancy Walker as Wilder's employment advisor has some wonderful moments. Thursday's Game is definitely worth seeking out - an absolute gem that everyone should see.

I'm not sure if Young Frankenstein or Thursday's Game was the reunion between Gene Wilder and Cloris Leachman, but either way, they were joined in the 1974 t.v. film Thursday's Game. Director Robert Moore joined Leachman and Wilder with Bob Newhart and Ellen Burstyn to illustrate two men and their journey to figuring out society through their friendship. Each with their own career paths and lives that have taken unexpected turns, the only thing that was constant in their lives were the weekly poker games that took place on Thursday night. Navigating society, their marriages, and their jobs, the two would let nothing stand in their way to have nights to themselves, even the end of the poker game.

Harry Evers, a television producer who is at the helm of a flop t.v. show is nervous that he is going to get fired if the ratings on his show continue to tank. While waiting to meet with a jobs counselor, Harry runs into his friend Marvin Ellison (Bob Newhart) whom he plays in a weekly poker night with. Marvin tells Harry about his newest innovation in the garment business and asks him to venture into it with him. Unwilling to take a handout from his friend, Harry declines the offer, clinging to his job as a television producer still hoping to line something up in case he loses his job. Both of the men, needing extra money anyway, reluctantly agree to the new terms of their weekly poker game to raise the stakes. When they both come out big winners, their friends become angry and banish them from the game. Needing the solace of each other's struggling, and seeking time to themselves they decide to continue the ruse that the poker game is still going on. Harry tells his wife Lynne (Ellen Burstyn), and Marvin tells his wife Lois (Cloris Leachman) that the poker game is still happening, while the two enjoy nights out with each other weekly. Harry eventually loses his job, and Marvin's innovation takes off leaving the two traveling incredibly different societal paths. While out of work, Harry coils within himself and his marriage begin to suffer; Marvin, enjoying riches through his work is also experiencing a breakdown in his marriage as he grows increasingly displeased in his marriage. Will the two ever figure out how to experience happiness, and what does it even mean to be happy in a society that demands financial gain to equate to worthiness?

Gene Wilder's Harry is the ultimate illustration for every individual that plays it safe in life, and never takes any risks. He lives his life in such guarded restriction that he never experiences true joy because he is constantly overthinking his choices. His hesitation in all areas of his life translates to his marriage as well, as he keeps himself from really communicating with his wife about things that matter. Wilder's portrayal of this character was divine, making the relatable character come to life for the whole audience. Bob Newhart's Marvin, likewise, was the ultimate illustration of every person who thinks that the next big break is going to bring happiness. Of course, if you don't start out with happiness, for Marvin, in his home, you will never make yourself happy by throwing more money on top of a negative situation.

Thursday's Game provided wonderful social commentary on what it means to be successful, and just how different that definition of success means to society and to the individual. The depressing side of this film is that humanity and society demand financial success in order to view someone as successful. Of course, there is so much more to a person than their job title, but the unfortunate reality is that fact is often ignored. When you go to a party, you don't hear a lot of people asking "what dream to you strive for?" but you will often hear "What to you do for a living?". In capitalist America, work makes you; Thursday's Game does a great deal to expose the intricacies of the members of society, rather than the society itself.

I saw this on TV in 1974. I subsequently found out it had been completed 3 years earlier, but could not be sold as a movie. Hence it was a throw-away on TV.

WHAT A SHAME! It is one of the sweetest films I have ever seen. Wilder and Newhart lead an all-star cast in a low-key, and funny story about two men who continue to "play" their Thursday night poker game, long after it ends (on a hilarious note).

Really, nothing happens in the film. It is just a story about these two men's marriages.

James Brooks wrote it. He also was responsible for As Good as it Gets, Terms of Endearment, and a lot of well-crafted TV shows. He's the real deal, and so was this film.

I finally located a VHS copy, and now have one to watch whenever I want.

James L. Brooks wrote this funny/sad, grown-up television movie about two poker pals (Gene Wilder and Bob Newhart) who inadvertently neglect their spouses in search of deeper meaning in their lives. Filmed in 1971, "Game" is a beautifully nuanced and sardonic middle-age-crazy tale with a sensational ensemble cast, nicely photographed in gritty colors by the esteemed Joe Biroc. Robert Moore directed in a quirky but sure-handed fashion, working from a tight script which never takes a cheap shot. Wilder (along with Ellen Burstyn as his wife) is at the peak of his charms here as an actor, and he and Newhart make a surprisingly fine beleaguered-buddy team. Well-received in its day, the movie has been unjustly forgotten (how it wound up on TV is anyone's guess); this has the look and prestige of a theatrical feature.

I'm not the only person who's seen this!!!...I'm quite surprised at that. I saw it sometime during the late '70s, and it was quite memorable because Gene Wilder played his part as a gambling addict very straight and serious. I especially remember the scene with Wilder and Newhart in the children's playground.