For Pete's Sake

Struggling financially, a young couple needs quick cash to invest in pork bellies, prompting the wife to concoct a series of wild schemes to raise the cash. This is basically a vehicle for Streisand to engage in some zaniness, trying to duplicate the success of "What's Up, Doc?" a couple of years earlier. Unlike the latter film, however, this one does not have a particularly inspired script. Babs tries hard, but is unable to raise the material beyond a level of mild amusement. To pay off loan sharks, she goes through a series of jobs, including prostitution (taken rather lightly), each meant to setup hilarious situations but the payoff isn't there.

Pete (Michael Sarrazin) and Henrietta Robins (Barbra Streisand) are a Brooklyn couple with money problems. Cab driver Pete hears a tip on pork bellies from his dispatcher and the couple decides to buy the futures. Nobody is willing to lend them the money and Henrietta goes to a loan shark in secret. When the debt comes due, she has to work in increasingly weirder jobs while hiding it from her husband.

It starts poor. Henry is not particularly that appealing. The pork bellies McGuffin does not taste good. I didn't like this movie at first and didn't know where it was going. Then it starts to get edgier and then it gets weirder. The silliness gets funny. Streisand is able to do stupid comedy and she eventually gets there. The movie should start silly and forget about the pork bellies. Pete is a bit of wet blanket but he does get into a funny screwball situation with a judge. This is good for a few giggles in the second half.

This romantic comedy from 1974 features Barbra Streisand as she was reaching her stride as an acting and comedy talent. Her husband is 1970's star Michael Sarazzin as the tall, long-haired, bell bottomed jeans taxi driver who fills the role as the romantic interest. The other talent on display is Estelle Parsons as the social climbing sister-in-law who delivers a long list of catty remarks aimed at putting the couple down; no doubt resulting from jealousy over their hot sex life. The 1970's produced a lot of great movies, including comedies, and this is certainly one of them. It is full of belly laughs from start to finish. Streisand is the harried housewife trying to make ends meet in the inflationary 1970's. Her interactions with her friends and business people in her Brooklyn neighbourhood will delight viewers. When she gets involved in a crazy scheme to raise money for her husband's foray in the futures market, the gags come in rapid succession. Lots of fun, it's a look back at the 1970's with anxieties that now seem somewhat homespun by today's standards. I saw it when it first came out and seeing it again was well worth the time.

Barbra Streisand shines as a woman helping her husband (Michael Sarrazin) get through school, whatever it takes. What takes place is very funny because he has no idea what she does all day as he's working as a cab driver in New York City. She keeps all of her hilarious misdeeds from him, hoping to be able to make the money he needs for school. She'll do anything...all for Pete's sake. My rating: 8

In New York, the housewife Henrietta Robins (Barbra Streisand) and the taxi driver Pete (Michael Sarrazin) have financial difficulties since they got married very young and Pete has not concluded the college education. When Pete receives an inside information from a coworker that the pork bellies will raise their price since the Americans and the Russians are negotiating a great business transaction, Pete needs US$ 3,000.00 to invest in the market. Henrietta decides to help Peter and secretly makes a loan with a mobster. However the price of the pork bellies fall and she is not able to pay the loan. The loan shark promises to kill Pete and Henrietta accepts that her debt be sold to a madame by a higher amount. After many problems, her debt is increased and sold to mobsters and then to a cattle thief. What will happen to Henrietta and Pete?

After forty-four years from its release, "For Pete's Sake" is still a very funny comedy. Barbra Streisand shows great talent performing the role of Henrietta Robins, who gets in a sequence of troubles trying to help her beloved husband. There are many hilarious situations and the film has not aged. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Nossa, que Loucura!" ('Wow, What Madness")