Cactus Flower

Adapted from the Broadway play, Cactus Flower is nonthink entertainment given superlative star treatment by Walter Matthau, Ingrid Bergman, and Goldie Hawn. Hawn, in her Oscar-winning debut, plays Toni, a twentysomething free spirit engaged to dentist Julian Winston (Matthau), who isn't ready to give up his bachelorhood just yet. To avoid marriage, he lies to Toni and tells her that he is already married (with children) to his assistant, Stephanie (Bergman). At first, Stephanie is against the idea of being dishonest, but because of the secret love she harbors for Julian, she gives in. Romantic entanglements ensue, leading to a touching conclusion. Ingrid Bergman always had a flair for light comedy, but was only given rare opportunities to show it (Indiscreet, The Yellow Rolls-Royce). Matthau is wonderfully befuddled, and Hawn began the first in a series of kooky characterizations. With hilarious support from Jack Weston, Rick Lenz, and Eve Bruce, Cactus Flower is a blossoming laugh fest!

I am surprised by the relatively low rating this film has. It is a screwball comedy & romance film rolled together by someone besides Billy Wilder but it does a really good job & even won an Oscar.

It is Ingrid Bergman's first film in the US since the 1950's & even though she is no longer the young bombshell she was in her early films, she brings off a difficult role quite handsomely. This film proves she had multiple talents beyond her good looks.

Goldie Hawn who won an Oscar in this, her first film, as supporting actress is very good as the modern sophisticated yet quirky latest mistress to Dentist playboy, love them & leave them Walter Mathaw. Goldie is delightful to all the senses in this role which with a great cast set her up as a slam dunk for this early career award.

This film is not real deep, but is a gem that has stood the test of time very well. Not sure why it's average is so low as I give it a solid 8.

Saks's 'Cactus Flower' is delightful comedy that revolves around a free spirited young lady Toni (Goldie Hawn), her liar of a dentist boyfriend Julian (Walter Matthau) and his always dependable and honest assistant, Stephanie (Ingrid Bergman). It's pretty much a love triangle that stretches to a love rectangle tangled with lies leading to hilarious situations. While the movie is light and fun, it's also ahead of its time as it touches themes like feminism and gender stereotype.

I was surprised to learn that Ingrid Bergman was in her 50s during filming. At most I guessed her to be in her early 40s. She looks amazing. The actress has always had a flair for comedy and she brings class to her role. A supercute Goldie Hawn is absolutely charming and vivacious. I couldn't have pictured anyone other than Walter Matthau as Julian. The rest of the cast are impressive.

'Cactus Flower' is a well made movie. Quincy Jones's music has a foottapping effect. The cinematography and editing are solid. Saks never derails from the main story.

This film has plenty of laugh out loud moments but my favourite one is the final dance sequence. That had me pretty much rolling on the floor. To sum it up, 'Cactus Flower' is a wonderful comedy. I'll be revisiting it sometime.

This film has not exactly remained fresh in the minds of film buffs, and it's a crying shame. Its witty screenplay adaptation should have netted Oscar nominations for the great screenwriter I.A.L. Diamond's adaptation, and Ingrid Bergman's flawless performance. It must have been an honor for Goldie Hawn at such a young age to work with Bergman, looking more than a decade younger than her 54 years--fifty four! When she's on the screen, it positively twinkles.

This is a film which may appear dated at first, but it actually made me wish I was around during the swingin' 'sixties. Hawn's fashions are as tacky as Bergman's are chic. (That's one minor flaw--isn't her character a little too soignée for a gal who still lives with her sister? But then again, would we have Ingrid any other way?) And who wouldn't want to hang out at a nightclub called The Slipped Disc?

The best compliments I can pay to this film is that it somehow made me nostalgic for a decade that I never saw, and that it left me wanting more. Speaking of wanting more, I wonder what ever became of sexy supporting actor Rick Lenz? (He resembles Griffin Dunne in this film.) This was his film debut, and I don't see any other major roles in his filmography. As for Goldie Hawn, she's done so much since then it's easy to not be impressed, but I can't imagine any other actor in the role, either.

Since the movie is based on a play, the line delivery may seem a bit stage-y, but it did not inhibit my enjoyment at all. In fact, I am amazed at how funny it still is after over thirty-five years. Because this film represents a bygone era, it has unjustly slipped from the consciousness of film buffs. It is more linked to the era films that came before it than the ones that followed. But don't let that stop you from savoring the delights it has to offer. Grade: A

Ingrid Bergman, playing dentist Walter Matthau's faithful receptionist who harbors a little crush on her boss, is absolutely wonderful in this film. She handles the witty repartee in the script with aplomb and steals a terrific scene where she and Goldie Hawn talk in a record booth (Ingrid's monologue is a front, but her face tells you she believes in it with all her heart). Matthau is an odd choice for the leading man (he's too old for Goldie Hawn and too unrefined for Bergman, not to mention too unfocused to be a dentist), but I liked the way he tries hard to please Goldie and stumbles around trying to free himself from a lie. Hawn (who won a Supporting Oscar) is just as fresh and bubbly as she is today. This bedroom farce isn't terribly sophisticated (and faintly reminds one of "Any Wednesday" besides), but it's a welcome relief from the noisy, teen-oriented comedies churned out of present-day Hollywood. "Cactus Flower" is a lovely sigh! *** from ****