93 recensioni
Florigraphists, fluent in the "language of flowers", revealing a symbolic, underlying meaning to sending or receiving floral arrangements, describe cactus flower as a symbol of lust (in Japan), as well as courtship and romance (among Native Americans). All three and many other modest or excessive feelings, relationships, experiences... are nicely wrapped up in a comedy suggesting same symbolism in its title.
1969 film "Cactus Flower", directed by Gene Saks (who has already introduced us, a year earlier, to another stage play classic adapted for the big screen, Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple") is a feel-good movie--based on Abe Burrows' Broadway stage adaptation of its witty French original, Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pieerre Grédy's play "Fleur de cactus"--scripted by a legendary comedic writer I.A.L. Diamond (who is, among his other memorable works, credited with the screenplay for an all-time favourite comedy "Some Like It Hot" (1959)), with impish dentist Walter Matthau, accompanied by his reputable nurse-receptionist Ingrid Bergman, coming across as likable and funny leads, further supported by young and sweet Goldie Hawn, in her Oscar awarded depiction of a-cute-dumb-blond stereotype.
Bergman's Stephanie Dickinson, for all her decency and selflessness, is a character who is easy to identify with and root for in her initially seemingly unconscious pursuit of her apparently long suppressed, quietly emerging affection for Matthau's Dr. Julian Winston, a rogue we cannot hate because he behaves like a boy from Mark Twain's novel, or Dennis the menace who has grown up and old, but never out of his mischievous ways. In his no-strings-attached wished for relationship with Hawn's sparkling Toni Simmons, he pretends to be married. However, this new "fact" tickles well meant youngster's curiosity, so, surely free spirited, but not unscrupulous as eventual household breaker, Toni, tormented by many unanswered questions becomes--as seen in the introductory scene--suicidal, and... what was meant to be a small "preventive" lie asks for more lies, ultimately spiraling out of control.
Interaction between the three, further helped with an additional "accomplice", Winston-like lovable cad Harvey Greenfield, played by Jack Weston, produces some truly hilarious and--specially when the most believable miss Dickinson is involved--touchy moments for a wide-range audience to enjoy. "Cactus Flower" easily stands the test of time and even improves with each repeated viewing.
Current year (2011) production "Just Go with It", a loose remake of the 1969 original, provides a solid, yet, somewhat inferior entertainment when compared to its predecessor.
1969 film "Cactus Flower", directed by Gene Saks (who has already introduced us, a year earlier, to another stage play classic adapted for the big screen, Neil Simon's "The Odd Couple") is a feel-good movie--based on Abe Burrows' Broadway stage adaptation of its witty French original, Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pieerre Grédy's play "Fleur de cactus"--scripted by a legendary comedic writer I.A.L. Diamond (who is, among his other memorable works, credited with the screenplay for an all-time favourite comedy "Some Like It Hot" (1959)), with impish dentist Walter Matthau, accompanied by his reputable nurse-receptionist Ingrid Bergman, coming across as likable and funny leads, further supported by young and sweet Goldie Hawn, in her Oscar awarded depiction of a-cute-dumb-blond stereotype.
Bergman's Stephanie Dickinson, for all her decency and selflessness, is a character who is easy to identify with and root for in her initially seemingly unconscious pursuit of her apparently long suppressed, quietly emerging affection for Matthau's Dr. Julian Winston, a rogue we cannot hate because he behaves like a boy from Mark Twain's novel, or Dennis the menace who has grown up and old, but never out of his mischievous ways. In his no-strings-attached wished for relationship with Hawn's sparkling Toni Simmons, he pretends to be married. However, this new "fact" tickles well meant youngster's curiosity, so, surely free spirited, but not unscrupulous as eventual household breaker, Toni, tormented by many unanswered questions becomes--as seen in the introductory scene--suicidal, and... what was meant to be a small "preventive" lie asks for more lies, ultimately spiraling out of control.
Interaction between the three, further helped with an additional "accomplice", Winston-like lovable cad Harvey Greenfield, played by Jack Weston, produces some truly hilarious and--specially when the most believable miss Dickinson is involved--touchy moments for a wide-range audience to enjoy. "Cactus Flower" easily stands the test of time and even improves with each repeated viewing.
Current year (2011) production "Just Go with It", a loose remake of the 1969 original, provides a solid, yet, somewhat inferior entertainment when compared to its predecessor.
- Davor_Blazevic_1959
- 25 giu 2011
- Permalink
I discovered this late one night on Turner Classics. I kept saying to myself "I'll turn it off as soon as it stops being funny", but needless to say I watched the whole way through.
I am a movie junkie but I had never even HEARD of this movie (or if I did in 1971, I forgot). It's worth watching just for the performance of Goldie Hawn as the tart-tongued ingénue. Her acting is a revelation in this movie. Yes, the script is sharp and excellent (when was the last time they made a Hollywood comedy with a smart script?) but her acting is extraordinary. I never realized how funny Goldie could be, and it makes her later appearances in roles such as Laugh-In and Private Benjamin a little sad. In her later career she is far too over-the-top compared to her minimalist, wickedly funny appearance here.
It's a pleasure watching the young Matthau, the great Bergman and the stellar supporting cast, but it's Goldie Hawn that will make this movie worth watching again.
I am a movie junkie but I had never even HEARD of this movie (or if I did in 1971, I forgot). It's worth watching just for the performance of Goldie Hawn as the tart-tongued ingénue. Her acting is a revelation in this movie. Yes, the script is sharp and excellent (when was the last time they made a Hollywood comedy with a smart script?) but her acting is extraordinary. I never realized how funny Goldie could be, and it makes her later appearances in roles such as Laugh-In and Private Benjamin a little sad. In her later career she is far too over-the-top compared to her minimalist, wickedly funny appearance here.
It's a pleasure watching the young Matthau, the great Bergman and the stellar supporting cast, but it's Goldie Hawn that will make this movie worth watching again.
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 ****
- moonspinner55
- 9 apr 2001
- Permalink
Many farcical comedies of the 60's and 70's haven't stood the test of time. Cactus Flowers is one of the few that has.
It's quick, witty, well paced, clever and most importantly funny.
It's worth watching the film for the dancing scene alone: Seeing Ingrid Bergman doing "the dentist" was hilarious.
She really shows she has a flair for comedy.
The entire cast is brilliant. Special mention goes to a very young Goldie Hawn who looks (and sounds) like a different person! This is a classic. Highly recommended
It's quick, witty, well paced, clever and most importantly funny.
It's worth watching the film for the dancing scene alone: Seeing Ingrid Bergman doing "the dentist" was hilarious.
She really shows she has a flair for comedy.
The entire cast is brilliant. Special mention goes to a very young Goldie Hawn who looks (and sounds) like a different person! This is a classic. Highly recommended
- marc_mordiki
- 14 ago 2004
- Permalink
When I saw LAUREN BACALL do CACTUS FLOWER on Broadway, I never dreamed that one day I would see an actress like INGRID BERGMAN playing the Bacall role on screen. But here Ingrid really lets her hair down for some good comedy moments as the dental nurse pretending to be WALTER MATTHAU's wife so he can go on with the fib he's told GOLDIE HAWN.
It's a story played for laughs from beginning to end, good-humored stuff that never runs out of dry humor and wit throughout its running time. There are plenty of one-liners or gags that are way above the usual situation comedy stuff one hears on TV--the lines ring true because they blend so well with the characters and their motives.
As the daffy girl who contemplates (in the beginning) committing suicide over her unhappy affair with Matthau, GOLDIE HAWN (fresh from her days as a star on TV's "Laugh In") does a dumb blonde role to perfection. Easy to see why she won that Supporting Actress Oscar.
Ingrid is surprisingly fetching in a rare comedy role, although there are times when she seems just a bit too matronly for the part. At any rate, she's a surprising choice to play the nurse who puts on a freeze act at the office but is considerably warmer off duty.
As Goldie's next door neighbor, Igor, Rick Lenz acquits himself admirably, and makes a suitable match for her in that final scene.
Matthau plays the kind of character that became his stock in trade in all those Neil Simon roles he had--a lovable cad who gets caught up in his own messes when he tells lie after lie.
It's the kind of rib-tickling comedy that'll have you laughing out loud at some of the amusing lines that Abe Burrows and I.A.L. Diamond have managed to scrap together, based on a French farce.
It's a story played for laughs from beginning to end, good-humored stuff that never runs out of dry humor and wit throughout its running time. There are plenty of one-liners or gags that are way above the usual situation comedy stuff one hears on TV--the lines ring true because they blend so well with the characters and their motives.
As the daffy girl who contemplates (in the beginning) committing suicide over her unhappy affair with Matthau, GOLDIE HAWN (fresh from her days as a star on TV's "Laugh In") does a dumb blonde role to perfection. Easy to see why she won that Supporting Actress Oscar.
Ingrid is surprisingly fetching in a rare comedy role, although there are times when she seems just a bit too matronly for the part. At any rate, she's a surprising choice to play the nurse who puts on a freeze act at the office but is considerably warmer off duty.
As Goldie's next door neighbor, Igor, Rick Lenz acquits himself admirably, and makes a suitable match for her in that final scene.
Matthau plays the kind of character that became his stock in trade in all those Neil Simon roles he had--a lovable cad who gets caught up in his own messes when he tells lie after lie.
It's the kind of rib-tickling comedy that'll have you laughing out loud at some of the amusing lines that Abe Burrows and I.A.L. Diamond have managed to scrap together, based on a French farce.
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
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
- lhhung_himself
- 24 ago 2007
- Permalink
Aside from the discotheque scenes that epitomize the swinging sixties (especially with everyone dancing to instrumental versions of Monkees hits), I am surprised how well this lightweight farce holds up 37 years later, but indeed it does thanks to the breezy execution of its deception-based plot and the sharp interplay of the three leads. Directed by the redoubtable stage-to-screen expert Gene Saks, this 1969 comedy is about Julian Winston, a successful Manhattan dentist and confirmed bachelor, who pretends to be married in order to avoid long-term commitment with his young girlfriend of a year, Toni. In response to Toni's half-hearted suicide attempt, Julian agrees to marry her, but Toni first insists on meeting his wife to alleviate her conscience. Enter Julian's devoted nurse Stephanie to play the wife, and the inevitable complications ensue with white lies growing into major whoppers that lead to presumed couplings and de-couplings.
As Julian, a relaxed Walter Matthau dexterously plays the deceptive dentist in his typically sardonic manner, but he lets his two female co-stars walk off with the picture. In her big screen debut, a pixyish 24-year old Goldie Hawn is still retaining her giggly "Laugh-In" persona but provides unexpected savvy and depth as Toni. She and Matthau have great, unforced chemistry in their scenes together. Screen legend Ingrid Bergman, still serenely regal at 54, is obviously having a ball playing Stephanie, initially starchy and quick-witted but blossoming into a liberated spirit as the story evolves. I particularly like how casual she appears after her overnight romp. There is nice supporting work from Rick Lenz as Toni's bohemian neighbor Igor and Jack Weston as Julian's smarmy actor buddy Harvey. Billy Wilder's longtime collaborator, I.A.L. Diamond, provides the sparkling screenplay and opens up the story beyond its stage-bound origins for Saks, who is not the most cinematic of directors. Other than a couple of trailers, there are no significant extras with the DVD.
As Julian, a relaxed Walter Matthau dexterously plays the deceptive dentist in his typically sardonic manner, but he lets his two female co-stars walk off with the picture. In her big screen debut, a pixyish 24-year old Goldie Hawn is still retaining her giggly "Laugh-In" persona but provides unexpected savvy and depth as Toni. She and Matthau have great, unforced chemistry in their scenes together. Screen legend Ingrid Bergman, still serenely regal at 54, is obviously having a ball playing Stephanie, initially starchy and quick-witted but blossoming into a liberated spirit as the story evolves. I particularly like how casual she appears after her overnight romp. There is nice supporting work from Rick Lenz as Toni's bohemian neighbor Igor and Jack Weston as Julian's smarmy actor buddy Harvey. Billy Wilder's longtime collaborator, I.A.L. Diamond, provides the sparkling screenplay and opens up the story beyond its stage-bound origins for Saks, who is not the most cinematic of directors. Other than a couple of trailers, there are no significant extras with the DVD.
Cactus Flower is what I call a "pizza movie" -A personal favorite that never fails to satisfy. Perfect for an evening at home with a pizza. Knowing all the lines (and what lines!) by heart only enhances the enjoyment.
Since so many others here have retold the plot, I'll simply add the correction that Bergman's character, Miss Dickinson, was a nurse-receptionist, meaning she was a skilled nurse -and therefore an educated person -not "just" a receptionist.
Bergman's performance in this film -and the film itself- was largely dismissed at the time, but today's audiences will marvel at her range; not just the impeccable comic timing, but the ability to make us believe her character is unaware of her own feelings while revealing them so clearly to Toni and to us. While the general plot stretches credibility, Bergman's performance is compelling: honest and utterly believable.
Also a standout is Jack Weston's performance as the Matthau's old friend and co-conspirator, Harvey. No one could deliver a zinger like Weston, and I.A.L. Diamond's script gives him plenty. For example: "That's such a big, dirty, rotten lie it has class." Weston excelled at slightly seedy characters because he exuded a warmth that allowed you to forgive his characters' flaws.
The film is a fairly straight adaptation of the Abe Burrows play (which was itself adapted from a French play by Barillet and Gredy). On Broadway Matthau's role was played by Barry Nelson. Bergman's by Lauren Bacall, and Hawn's by Brenda Vaccaro. It ran for 1,234 performances (three years) and was nominated for two Tony Awards (Vaccaro and Burt Brinckerhoff, who played Igor).
For me, the film's score, written and adapted by the legendary Quincy Jones is another highlight. The main theme (A Time For Love Is Anytime) is performed by Sarah Vaughn over the opening and closing credits. It is also insinuated in different arrangements throughout the film, most notably as the romantic piano music underscoring Berman's speech to Hawn in the record store. Jones also created covers of popular songs from the period (To Sir With Love, I'm A Believer) for the night club scenes. As with all of the film's elements, there is a tremendous amount of talent, taste, and professionalism evident.
In my opinion, few modern romantic comedies can hold a candle to this classic. It's great to finally have it available on DVD. Time to call for a pizza...
Since so many others here have retold the plot, I'll simply add the correction that Bergman's character, Miss Dickinson, was a nurse-receptionist, meaning she was a skilled nurse -and therefore an educated person -not "just" a receptionist.
Bergman's performance in this film -and the film itself- was largely dismissed at the time, but today's audiences will marvel at her range; not just the impeccable comic timing, but the ability to make us believe her character is unaware of her own feelings while revealing them so clearly to Toni and to us. While the general plot stretches credibility, Bergman's performance is compelling: honest and utterly believable.
Also a standout is Jack Weston's performance as the Matthau's old friend and co-conspirator, Harvey. No one could deliver a zinger like Weston, and I.A.L. Diamond's script gives him plenty. For example: "That's such a big, dirty, rotten lie it has class." Weston excelled at slightly seedy characters because he exuded a warmth that allowed you to forgive his characters' flaws.
The film is a fairly straight adaptation of the Abe Burrows play (which was itself adapted from a French play by Barillet and Gredy). On Broadway Matthau's role was played by Barry Nelson. Bergman's by Lauren Bacall, and Hawn's by Brenda Vaccaro. It ran for 1,234 performances (three years) and was nominated for two Tony Awards (Vaccaro and Burt Brinckerhoff, who played Igor).
For me, the film's score, written and adapted by the legendary Quincy Jones is another highlight. The main theme (A Time For Love Is Anytime) is performed by Sarah Vaughn over the opening and closing credits. It is also insinuated in different arrangements throughout the film, most notably as the romantic piano music underscoring Berman's speech to Hawn in the record store. Jones also created covers of popular songs from the period (To Sir With Love, I'm A Believer) for the night club scenes. As with all of the film's elements, there is a tremendous amount of talent, taste, and professionalism evident.
In my opinion, few modern romantic comedies can hold a candle to this classic. It's great to finally have it available on DVD. Time to call for a pizza...
In Manhattan, the dentist Dr. Julian Winston (Walter Matthau) works with his efficient nurse and secretary Stephanie Dickinson (Ingrid Bergman) and he likes to compare her to a cactus flower since she represses her emotions. On the first anniversary of his relationship with his twenty- one year-old mistress Toni Simmons (Goldie Hawn), he does not visit her since he dates an Austraian steward. Toni believes Julian is married with three children and stayed with his family; therefore she decides to commit suicide with gas. However her next door neighbor, the young aspiring writer Igor Sullivan (Rick Lenz), saves her life. When Julian learns what Toni did, he decides to marry her. However Toni does not want to be a homewrecker and asks to talk to Mrs. Winston to be sure that she wants the divorce. Julian does not want her to know that he is a liar, so he asks Stephanie to pose of Mrs. Winston, in the beginning of lots of confusions and misunderstandings.
"Cactus Flower" is a delightful romantic comedy with an outstanding cast. Ingrid Bergman is impressively beautiful for a fifty-four year-old woman, but Goldie Hawn steals the show. The predictable conclusion is perfect for this entertaining romance. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Flor de Cacto" ("Cactus Flower")
"Cactus Flower" is a delightful romantic comedy with an outstanding cast. Ingrid Bergman is impressively beautiful for a fifty-four year-old woman, but Goldie Hawn steals the show. The predictable conclusion is perfect for this entertaining romance. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Flor de Cacto" ("Cactus Flower")
- claudio_carvalho
- 29 ago 2016
- Permalink
Walter Matthau is wonderful as the "philandering" dentist Dr. Julian Winston whose frequent fibs to girlfriend Goldie provide textbook proof of the dangers of lying. Goldie Hawn's touching kook Toni Simmons certainly deserved to win her Oscar. Ingrid Bergman's work as the stiff-as-starch nurse Stephanie is also touching to watch as she comes out of her shell, slowly and nervously. This is a great movie to watch in the springtime, or any time for that matter. It's very underrated; I never heard about it until I found it in the video store, and what a find!
- JasparLamarCrabb
- 29 lug 2013
- Permalink
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!
- bkoganbing
- 6 mar 2017
- Permalink
Goldie Hawn's depiction of a simple young lady caught up in a love triangle with an older man, a dentist, played with such relish by Walter Matthau, that she won the best supporting actress Oscar for 1969.
The film, however, is another tribute to Ingrid Bergman. Rarely, did we ever see her in a comedy and she literally kicks up her heels here as a dedicated dental nurse who is thrust into a scheme for Matthau to tell Hawn that they're married.
It is such a joy to watch Matthau and Bergman fall for each other here. Theirs is an accidental love affair in the making.
As Matthau's friend, Jack Weston is fabulous as his partner in the scheme as well. Rick Lenz gives ample support as Hawn's newly-found boyfriend as well.
The film, however, is another tribute to Ingrid Bergman. Rarely, did we ever see her in a comedy and she literally kicks up her heels here as a dedicated dental nurse who is thrust into a scheme for Matthau to tell Hawn that they're married.
It is such a joy to watch Matthau and Bergman fall for each other here. Theirs is an accidental love affair in the making.
As Matthau's friend, Jack Weston is fabulous as his partner in the scheme as well. Rick Lenz gives ample support as Hawn's newly-found boyfriend as well.
Goofy comedy, based on a play (pretty obviously), about a womanizing dentist (Walter Matthau) who pretends he's married to keep his mistress (Goldie Hawn) in check. When he finally comes around to the desire to marry the girl, he keeps up the lie and tells her he's getting a divorce. She insists on meeting the wife so she won't feel so bad, and Matthau gets his receptionist (Ingrid Bergman) to pretend to be his wife. Of course, Bergman harbors a secret crush on Matthau. Meanwhile, the hippie next door to Hawn (Rick Lenz) wants to break Hawn and Matthau up. The plot is pretty predictable, but the movie's funny, so it doesn't matter much. My one big problem with the film is Walter Matthau. Matthau a ladies man? Maybe, if he flashed his money around or something, but that guy is seriously hideous (I think I've said this before and it was pointed out that, in real life, he was a big womanizer, but, yeah, he was famous and he had the money to back up his propositions). Bergman is quite good. This was the first film she actually made in America since she was banished in the early '50s (all of her other English language films being shot in Europe). But it's really Hawn who steals the show, and won an Oscar for it. She's such an odd and beautiful gal. I don't know if I'd say her performance is Oscar worthy, but I can understand her win. She's hard to resist.
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.
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.
Anyone who has ever doubted Ingrid Bergman's ability to play comedy need only look to "The Bells of St. Mary's". OK, so she's a nun with TB who's probably in love with Fr. O'Malley, (think what Luis Bunuel could have done with that), but she also displayed a wonderfully sly sense of fun that made you wish directors had cast her in comedies more often. In "Cactus Flower" she's a starched dentist's nurse, (Walter Matthau is the dentist), in love with her boss but keeping it buttoned up. When she's forced to act as his 'wife' in order to hoodwink his mistress, (don't ask), she lets loose and the buttons pop. And she's a joy to behold.
The movie itself is a hardier than usual translation to the screen of a Broadway hit, (you can see it's three acts). It's a French Farce, (it was originally; it's taken from the play 'Fleur de Cactas' by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Gredy), and it hits all the right spots. Matthau uses his great hang-jowl expression to wonderful effect and a klutzy blonde newcomer, as she was then, called Goldie Hawn almost steals the film as the dizzy mistress who decides to give up her meal ticket because she feels sorry for 'the wife' even though 'the wife' is having a ball. Hawn made such an impression in the role that what she did steal was the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
The movie itself is a hardier than usual translation to the screen of a Broadway hit, (you can see it's three acts). It's a French Farce, (it was originally; it's taken from the play 'Fleur de Cactas' by Pierre Barillet and Jean-Pierre Gredy), and it hits all the right spots. Matthau uses his great hang-jowl expression to wonderful effect and a klutzy blonde newcomer, as she was then, called Goldie Hawn almost steals the film as the dizzy mistress who decides to give up her meal ticket because she feels sorry for 'the wife' even though 'the wife' is having a ball. Hawn made such an impression in the role that what she did steal was the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
- MOscarbradley
- 11 apr 2007
- Permalink
- writers_reign
- 29 ott 2012
- Permalink
Gene Saks's "Cactus Flower" is very much a product of its time, meaning that a number of things in the movie look questionable nowadays (case in point: a fur coat). But if you can ignore that, then the movie is a fun romp, with the characters' interactions always setting the stage for something enjoyable. Their attempts to please each other are what comedy is all about. Walter Matthau, Ingrid Bergman and Goldie Hawn (in an Academy Award-winning performance) have a lot of fun with the material; then again, who wouldn't have fun with this material?
We could be cynical and say that Hawn was a weird choice for the role of a flower child since she's mostly known for playing ditzes, but I like seeing her in a different kind of role. The obvious questionable thing is seeing her character in a relationship with a man old enough to be her father (why does Hollywood always like depicting that?).
Anyway, it's a fun movie.
PS: Vito Scotti made guest appearances on almost every TV show in the '60s. Among other things, he guest-starred as a mad scientist on "Gilligan's Island".
We could be cynical and say that Hawn was a weird choice for the role of a flower child since she's mostly known for playing ditzes, but I like seeing her in a different kind of role. The obvious questionable thing is seeing her character in a relationship with a man old enough to be her father (why does Hollywood always like depicting that?).
Anyway, it's a fun movie.
PS: Vito Scotti made guest appearances on almost every TV show in the '60s. Among other things, he guest-starred as a mad scientist on "Gilligan's Island".
- lee_eisenberg
- 28 ago 2021
- Permalink
I've been playing this movie incessantly this month, and I just love it. I was around in the 60s (oh dear), so it is nostalgic in one sense. However, it's the funny premise, the snappy dialogue and the great performances that keep me watching.
Dr. Winston's reactions to Stephanie at the end of the movie are priceless. (I'd be more specific, but don't want to spoil it for anyone.) Who other than Matthau can play a man not entirely on the up-and-up and yet have us still love him? As for Bergman's costumes, I think she looks as dowdy as she's supposed to. I think "she was robbed" the one time that she appears in an evening gown. It doesn't suit her at all, which is too bad. I never liked it when I first saw it on her and I still don't.
Goldie won an Oscar for her role. People thought it was a groundbreaking performance at the time, and yet it's the one performance that I don't love as much as the others. She does have the right amount of sweetness and likability, however, which is important for this role.
And I agree - I thought Rick Lenz was great in it and it's too bad that his movie career didn't take off after this.
I hope more people watch this movie ... they'll love it!
Dr. Winston's reactions to Stephanie at the end of the movie are priceless. (I'd be more specific, but don't want to spoil it for anyone.) Who other than Matthau can play a man not entirely on the up-and-up and yet have us still love him? As for Bergman's costumes, I think she looks as dowdy as she's supposed to. I think "she was robbed" the one time that she appears in an evening gown. It doesn't suit her at all, which is too bad. I never liked it when I first saw it on her and I still don't.
Goldie won an Oscar for her role. People thought it was a groundbreaking performance at the time, and yet it's the one performance that I don't love as much as the others. She does have the right amount of sweetness and likability, however, which is important for this role.
And I agree - I thought Rick Lenz was great in it and it's too bad that his movie career didn't take off after this.
I hope more people watch this movie ... they'll love it!
- synergydesign2003
- 15 ott 2007
- Permalink
In New York City, dentist Julian Winston (Walter Matthau) feels he has found a good balance to his life as he leaves the finer details of his working day to his assistant Stephanie Dickinson (Ingrid Bergman) while maintaining a relationship with record store clerk Toni Simmons (Goldie Hawn) who thinks Julian is married as Julian lied to create an illusion of transparency with her while keeping their relationship from becoming more serious. After Julian cancels one date too many with Toni, she attempts to commit suicide through use of the stove in her apartment only to be saved by her writer neighbor Igor Sullivan (Rick Lenz). Despite her attempts to keep Julian from learning about the attempt and never seeing him again, Julian learns what transpired and realizing how badly he's treated her tells her he'll marry her. Concerned over the welfare of Julian's non-existent wife whom he claims wants a divorce as much as he does, Julian enlists the reluctant aid of Stephanie to play the part of his wife and complications arise.
Cactus Flower is a 1969 comedy film adapted from the 1965 Broadway play of the same name which itself was an adaptation of a French play. A considerable financial and critical hit in its day, the film became the ninth highest grossing film of 1969 and also launched the film career of Goldie Hawn who had been a regular on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and made her feature debut in this film that won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. A sharp and witty film with lots of quick exchanges and flawed but compelling characters, Cactus Flower serves as a very funny film that while somewhat dated also works as a time capsule in its analysis of relationships.
Walter Matthau is once again very good as he plays Julian as someone who is despicable in his treatment of women and is on some level aware of it but also goes for the most objectively wrong decision rather than face up to his responsibility. Ingrid Bergman is also very good as Julian's assistant Stephanie who cares for him arranging his appointments, meals, and clothes while maintaining a professional wall between herself and work and like her titular cactus flower comes into bloom softening her seemingly hard exterior as the film goes on and creating a spark between Julian and Stephanie. Goldie Hawn is also very good as Toni who on the surface is a ditzy pixie but also possesses a high level of emotional intuition and insight that pays off in a big way in the climax. The movie has some solid insights on its relationships including the age gap between Julian and Toni with a conversation between Julian and Stephanie wherein Julian says it's acceptable with an older man and younger woman while claiming the inverse to be improper met with good decisive tear down by Bergman's Stephanie and you get an interesting sense of the transitional period as it came to gender roles and relationships of the era.
Cactus Flower is an entertaining and very sweet farce that is certainly dated in some degrees to its takes on relationships and sex, but it's also an intriguing capture of the era in which it was produced while also possessing razor sharp wit and precision timing from its ensemble.
Cactus Flower is a 1969 comedy film adapted from the 1965 Broadway play of the same name which itself was an adaptation of a French play. A considerable financial and critical hit in its day, the film became the ninth highest grossing film of 1969 and also launched the film career of Goldie Hawn who had been a regular on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and made her feature debut in this film that won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. A sharp and witty film with lots of quick exchanges and flawed but compelling characters, Cactus Flower serves as a very funny film that while somewhat dated also works as a time capsule in its analysis of relationships.
Walter Matthau is once again very good as he plays Julian as someone who is despicable in his treatment of women and is on some level aware of it but also goes for the most objectively wrong decision rather than face up to his responsibility. Ingrid Bergman is also very good as Julian's assistant Stephanie who cares for him arranging his appointments, meals, and clothes while maintaining a professional wall between herself and work and like her titular cactus flower comes into bloom softening her seemingly hard exterior as the film goes on and creating a spark between Julian and Stephanie. Goldie Hawn is also very good as Toni who on the surface is a ditzy pixie but also possesses a high level of emotional intuition and insight that pays off in a big way in the climax. The movie has some solid insights on its relationships including the age gap between Julian and Toni with a conversation between Julian and Stephanie wherein Julian says it's acceptable with an older man and younger woman while claiming the inverse to be improper met with good decisive tear down by Bergman's Stephanie and you get an interesting sense of the transitional period as it came to gender roles and relationships of the era.
Cactus Flower is an entertaining and very sweet farce that is certainly dated in some degrees to its takes on relationships and sex, but it's also an intriguing capture of the era in which it was produced while also possessing razor sharp wit and precision timing from its ensemble.
- IonicBreezeMachine
- 28 nov 2024
- Permalink
Have you ever watched a film that you can fast-forward through because it's so incredibly predictable???
Well, add to it that nice "made-for-TV" smell and you've got a Cactus Flower. And like the cactus, this was so dry ... (yeah, how dry was it?) ... it was so dry that .. (cough) ... so dry that ... (water please) ... that
Here's my breakdown:
STORY: Married dentist is playing the field. End of story.
ACTING: It was sad seeing Ingrid Bergman in this role. She could act circles around everyone combined, and play their roles too. Seriously, a shame.
Everyone else was just blah. Paycheck.
TEMPO: Boring. Change scene. Boring. Change scene. (repeat for 104 minutes)
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Boring.
DIRECTING / WRITING: Director: Saks had only eight (8) films to his credit, one of which I liked "Barefoot in the Park" (1967). But they all have that TV-feel, which (as you may know) I really (cough, cough), really ... loathe.
Writers: TV, TV, and yes, more TV ... (hacks)
Is it a good film? No, unless Goldie Hawn does something for you
Should you watch this once? No.
Rating: 4.0 (for Bergman)
Well, add to it that nice "made-for-TV" smell and you've got a Cactus Flower. And like the cactus, this was so dry ... (yeah, how dry was it?) ... it was so dry that .. (cough) ... so dry that ... (water please) ... that
Here's my breakdown:
STORY: Married dentist is playing the field. End of story.
ACTING: It was sad seeing Ingrid Bergman in this role. She could act circles around everyone combined, and play their roles too. Seriously, a shame.
Everyone else was just blah. Paycheck.
TEMPO: Boring. Change scene. Boring. Change scene. (repeat for 104 minutes)
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Boring.
DIRECTING / WRITING: Director: Saks had only eight (8) films to his credit, one of which I liked "Barefoot in the Park" (1967). But they all have that TV-feel, which (as you may know) I really (cough, cough), really ... loathe.
Writers: TV, TV, and yes, more TV ... (hacks)
Is it a good film? No, unless Goldie Hawn does something for you
Should you watch this once? No.
Rating: 4.0 (for Bergman)