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There are many things this film does really well.

First of all, the acting is superb throughout. Grodin is brilliant as ever in a very demanding, heavy acting responsibility - had he been average at it, the film easily loses heaps of its ability. Jeannie Berlin (the wife) does really well, as does Eddie Albert (the father) and for a 22 year old beaut youngster Cybill Shepherd is solid also.

Next: this isn't a generic superficial comedy. It's got that peculiar element about it. The humor isn't easy over-the-counter drivel, it's in fact uneasy, almost awkward and difficult to digest. It's about the little annoying details with people, invading personal space, being pathetic without noticing it...in a very real way, all of those things !

Finally, the film holds up very nicely in its one hour forty-five minute frame, with not one moment too many or too few, has a well thought out structure to it that isn't obvious at first, and there's this sort of itchy, awkward anti-morality morality at the end of it that is just as weirdly charming and anti-heroic as its main character.

8/10.

The movie's a comedy, I think, though it produces as many cringes as laughs. It's hard not to laugh at poor Lila (Berlin) as she flubs her honeymoon with sunburn crème blotches, oozing egg sandwiches, and ill-timed bathroom breaks. But then she's so emotionally needy, it's hard not to laugh and cry at the same time. On the other hand, husband Lenny's (Grodin) got all the empathy of a ham sandwich, as he chases after blonde goddess Kelly (Shepherd), piling one absence excuse on Lila after another. This is the honeymoon from heck, especially after the goddess-struck Lenny sues for divorce. But then he does grant Lila "the luggage".

The humor's in the character set-ups, and Lenny's special brand of chutzpah. A little fast- talking, he thinks, gets him out of any situation. That is, until he runs into Kelly's humorless dad (Albert). Seems like the proverbial irresistible force has run into the immovable object. But has it. Grodin's appropriately obnoxious when Lenny needs to be; Berlin's vulnerable when Lila needs to be; Shepherd's gorgeous without trying; while Albert's stony mug belongs on Mt. Rushmore. And catch that contemplative ending, not what I expected, but probably appropriate for what's gone before.

All in all, the movie's something of a guilty pleasure and certainly one of a kind. I do, however, miss Grodin's smirking brand of put-on.

I saw this when it first came out in 1972 and saw it again recently on cable. One way to know a classic is how well it dates itself, not just in the vernacular, but philosophically. How timeless are the themes it portrays and how well could anyone from any time period relate to them? In fact, of The Heartbreak Kid it could be said that a lot of the shock value of a man dumping his bride on their honeymoon will be lost on a generation that would wonder why he would want to married at all. Well at least the title character believes in firm commitments, as long as it is with the right girl. The point of the whole movie is the somewhat subtle ending that depicts a man who, despite the odds against him, got the girl of his dreams, but somehow dosn't find it nearly as satisfying as he would have thought.

This a terrific piece of script writing, with many memorable lines you love to quote...a sure sign of a very good movie.

Charles Grodin plays a Jewish New Yorker who takes his earthy new bride to Miami for their honeymoon, but becomes increasingly disillusioned with her on the trip--most especially because of a flirty, leggy blonde from Minnesota whom he meets on the beach. With Neil Simon writing this screenplay, one is almost instantly aware not of the class issue (it doesn't matter to Simon who has more money than who) but of the Jewish angle. Simon makes the bride gross and vulgar, and Jeannie Berlin has been encouraged to play these non-attributes to the hilt, while Cybill Shepherd's Protestant sex-goddess is the epitome of sarcastic poise. Simon wins points against the new wife by playing up her Jewishness in all its stereotypical brashness; it's as if the volume is up too loud. "The Heartbreak Kid" has many things going for it--the excellent performances and some very humorous asides to name two--but the intentional lewdness behind Grodin's marital predicament, and the queasy way he ingratiates himself into Shepherd's family, isn't so much hilarious as it is cringe-inducing. Shepherd's no-nonsense father, wonderfully played in an I've-seen-everything-now way by Eddie Albert, reacts accordingly to Grodin's new proposals with anger and confusion, and in these instances the film touches on something much deeper than the modern Jewish man's internal struggle. Unfortunately, this is mainly what Simon has on his plate, and it wears the audience down--and seems very dated now, anyway. Elaine May's direction is fashionably ragged and somewhat detached, and her ending is thoughtful (if, in retrospect, uneventful). The story certainly needed a modern tweaking, as this version is just a little bit undernourished (more mean-spirited than funny), however a 2007 remake fared even worse. **1/2 from ****

An artful mixture of deft, laugh-out-loud comedy, interspersed with touching poignant moments, makes this film special and unforgettable. Elaine May's direction was delicate yet purposeful, allowing for the superb development of characters ( in particular Eddie Albert's curmudgeonly businessman/father) without impeding the flow of the plot.

In this social portrayal of the Peter Principle, the glib, shallow Lenny somehow talks himself to dizzying social and economic heights all without the benefit of a pedigree or occupational skill set. Albert's father figure takes no time at all to see through all of this; but he is outnumbered by his wife and daughter who succumb to Lenny's charms. You can't help but feel this man's helpless pain in having to watch his lovely, impressionable daughter lured into a clearly doomed marriage.

Cybil Shephard, Eddie Albert and Charles Grondin all turned in career performances. This show was one of those rare times when everything (directing, writing and acting) came together to create something greater than the sum of its parts - it's a real treasure.

While on honeymoon with his nice Jewish bride, an indecisive young man meets the woman of his dreams. May elicits good performances and keeps it entertaining but the script is not one of Simon's best. Grodin is terrific as the schmuck who sees an opportunity to go for the gold in the form of WASP beauty Shepherd. Berlin (daughter of May) steals the film as the jilted wife, a loving if not lovely woman that one wants to give a reassuring hug to. The scene where Grodin dumps her is indeed heartbreaking. Albert is funny as Shepherd's stern father, who eventually tries to buy off Grodin. This film has parallels to "The Graduate," although it is nowhere as good as that classic.

One would think a film written by Neil Simon and directed by Elaine May would be a treasure. One would think. This is unbearable.

The story is selfish and mean spirited, the characters are all annoying, the dialogue is inane to the point of being annoying.

I don't think using a person, leading them on, lying to them and hurting their feelings is funny. It isn't.

This so bad people gave up the rights. It is free to watch on YouTube. I don't think I can finish watching this car wreck it is so painful. I really don't get the glowing reviews.

Question: Was Charles Grodin BORN wearing an awful, cheap wig?

James Grodin's Character of Lenny in "The Heartbreak Kid" is one of the most peculiar characters you'll likely encounter on film. Despicable, outrageous and an audacious liar. He's obnoxious in his determination to get what he thinks he wants and yet somehow comes across as sincere and likable. This whole film is also one of the most peculiar comedies to come along. I found myself alternating between laughs and uncomfortable winces at his utter insensitivity and selfish determination, but it's this dichotomy of emotions that make The Heartbreak Kid the obscure gem that it is. I don't think we can ever be sure if we should like or hate this guy. Two scenes in this movie: "laying his cards on the table" over drinks with Kelly and her parents and the breakup scene in the restaurant with Lila, are a sight to behold. Eddie Albert's, Jeannie Berlin's and Cybill Shepherd's facial expressions are priceless as they listen to Lenny's plans to claim Kelly after remedying his current "complication". The scene in the restaurant as Lenny tries to "drop the bomb" on Lila would be funny if it wasn't so painful to watch. I've never been quite sure about the final scene of this movie: Lenny on the couch, quietly humming to himself, seemingly at a loss as the camera lingers on him for a thoughtful moment, is he already on his way to becoming dissatisfied again now that he has attained his desire or has he finally found some peace after his battle for Kelly? This is an unusual comedy well worth a look. If you can find it.

I was expecting to love this film for its cynicism and absurdity, but I couldn't get past the cold and self-absorbed characters and the overall *meanness* of their depiction. Motivation is in short supply too. Why would Lenny and Lila want to get married? Does Lenny just want sex? Can't he do better? Lila must have been repellent even while they were dating. Who goes to Miami for a honeymoon? What is Kelly Corcoran's attraction to Lenny? What are the Corcorans doing in that hotel? Shouldn't they be Catholic if they're named Corcoran? Etc. Etc.

I recognize the chilly absurdity from the Bruce Jay Friedman source, but I guess it didn't translate well to the screen. Others seem to like it though.

I only saw this movie a couple of years ago. I always avoided it at the video store because of the name, I assumed it must be about a little kid, something like The Champ or Lucas, nothing wrong with those kinds of movies, just not my cup of tea. But I happened to read about it in one of Leonard Maltins books, he called it one of the best comedies of the 70s, and very dark for it's time. So I rented it and loved it. I think it's pretty dark even by todays standards, Charles Grodins character is likeable in an odd way, but he's also two faced and deceitful, not to mention downright cruel to his new bride. I don't know of many actors that could have played this better than Charles Grodin, this was certainly his best role. In his biography he wrote that he recognizes the brilliance of the film, but he hated playing such a cruel character. The thing is, the character never intends to be cruel, he just can't seem to help it, lying and selfishness are just second nature to him. If your like me, you'll find yourself laughing and cringing at the same time. The ending is just perfection, he has seemingly attained what he wanted, the thing that he has lied and cheated and hurt other people to get, yet he seems to already be tired of it and longing for what he already had. At least that's my take on it, it's open to interpretation. This movie may not be for everybody, but if you like dark comedies, you should check it out.

Charles Grodin is no stranger to playing dorks, dweebs, creeps or nerds. In fact he did it so often that many of us are lead to believe he truly is the character he has portrayed so many times. We all know this tale too well. A young salesman meets a nice Jewish girl in a bar and marries her. When off to their honeymoon to Miami, he discovers that she is perpetually annoying and irritating from eating Egg salad sandwiches, talking during intercourse and stubborn about his pleas for her to put on sunscreen. Enter the Flirty Cybil Shepard and all plans go to hell. I understand that much of comedy is rooted in pain and discomfort and Neil Simon understood this very well. But The Heartbreak Kid is a plot that is so aggravating and cringe-worthy that at times we really don't see the humor. Each character becomes a cliché. Jeannie Berlin's performance is admirable, but the Stereotypical Yenta is taken to its most annoying extreme. You wonder if the writer had a deep seated hatred for new York girls. Charles Grodin is far too annoying and wimpy to even relate too. When he lies to Lila in the Hotel room, trying to cover up his escapades, it's just too implausible for anyone to take seriously. It was moments like that that made this movie frustrating. Lila gets hurt, dumped and cast by the wayside. Cybil Shepard becomes the symbol of female perfection to Grodin. And the final 40 minutes is about how he pursues her shamelessly despite her father's disdain for him. I'm not sure why women would find this humorous in the least, because it casts a very negative light on their intelligence, integrity and value. I guess a guy can see the surface humor in Grodin's actions, but if you think about how truly pitiful and reckless his actions are, there's no humor at all. It's a sad tale about a man with shabby and selfish desires and the consequences of his actions. This is not funny to me at all.

Why Shepard's character is attracted to Grodin's is a mystery that doesn't get discovered. Based on her actions she is complicit in their rendezvous, and thus she is equally reprehensible. The flirting and toying with his desires shows a sheer lack of concern for his wife. It comes as a very inappropriate nuance when she utters lines, "I think you are the most decent man I've ever met." Or. "Daddy can he join us for dinner?" Moments like this reveal a true lack of maturity and social integrity. And why would the father, Eddie Albert, even offer to pay this creep money to go away? It would have been easier to fight him off or just kick him out.

Heartbreak Kid is a product of the early 1970's and the Neil Simon persuasion. Showing people in their most vulnerable, if not totally implausible, situation was a fascination for those who liked these kind of movies. The final scene where, Lenny sits on the couch telling two children his boring and odd business aspirations made them leave. And the final shot of his introspection interspersed with Mr. Corcoran's curious look of disdain was a cryptic way of telling us Lenny is a lost guy unable to live up to his ambitions.

Black comedies are problematic in that where one sees humor, another might see tragedy. So, people may laugh in the wrong places. It sort of defeats the purpose of comedy in general. Are we supposed to laugh? Cry? Get annoyed? Oh well, it's hilarious , but if you really think about it, it's not funny at all. Not the best formula for entertainment. Heartbreak kid scored 92% on the Critics score and 72% on the audience score at Rotten Tomatoes. If the Critics loved it and the audience was fairly indifferent, that should tell us something when Neil Simon and Elaine May are in the Driver's seat.

The Heartbreak Kid (1972 version -- never to be mistaken for Ben Stiller's 2007 insult remake) is what "The Graduate" could have been if it delved even more deeply into the human psyche. Frequently and critically misunderstood, it is neither comedy nor black comedy in the traditional sense. It is, as Roger Ebert put it in his original review, "about how we do violence to each other with our egos." The laughs in the film are strong and frequent, but never absent the realization of real pain. There are no heroes here -- only victims and future victims.

It is, ostensibly, an easy set-up: Young Jewish bachelor (Charles Grodin) ploddingly fulfills destiny by meeting and marrying young Jewish woman (Jeannie Berlin.) Along honeymoon road trip to Miami Beach he begins to experience her foibles and question his choices before reaching beachfront hotel and having his world rocked by young shiksa goddess (Cybil Shepard in her 'Last Picture Show' aesthetic and physical prime.) While his bride remains stuck in the hotel room with a bad sunburn, Grodin proceeds to court his Aryan destiny, just days into the marriage.

In the hands of a less capable director than Elaine May, the film (complete with Neil Simon pedigree) has the makings of a strong comedy. But May, directing her daughter Jeannie Berlin in a remarkable performance, does much more here. It's difficult to know who to root for -- as a young guy watching the film for first time on VHS, Grodin received my sympathy, having jumped into marriage too quickly only to discover his new bride's Milky Way and egg salad sandwich devouring ways. She keeps using the phrase "forty or fifty years" in anticipation of their long road ahead and pointing out infirm ninety-year old couples in restaurants begging his reassurance ("that's going to be us, isn't is Lenny?") All Grodin can do is stare at the egg salad on the side of her face.

Of course Grodin is a reprehensible character in this film, blinded by his desire to fulfill some greater and unscripted destiny .. to transcend the trappings of a young, New York sporting goods store employee and realized something as ethereal and eternally promising as the pouting lips, flushed cheeks and long, straight, blonde hair of the 21 year-old Cybil Shepard. He is, as he later points out, "a schmuck" and in a lesser film this would suffice as explanation. But he's capable of much deeper and irretractable damage than your average schmuck, and runs into the Fort Knox of ego payback in Shepard. You have to wonder how much "acting" was going on with Shepard at this point in her career, as the on-screen effects of her beauty must have closely mirrored reality when the camera stopped rolling.

Jeannie Berlin, as Grodin's new bride, is truly the heartbreaker in this movie. She never received the deserved accolades for a performance that rings with humanity and crushing revelation. The scene where Grodin attempts to break up with her in a Florida lobster restaurant is brutally effective. In the space of one extended take, Berlin goes from newly married excitement to stunned disbelief before processing a kind of shaken resolve. She will be OK .. he will not. But it takes a certain amount of paying attention to realize this, just as it does to appreciate the film's abrupt and initially puzzling ending. Way, way more than meets the eye upon initial viewing of this movie, though the laughs still suffice. It's what sticks with you later that makes it truly special.

(Extra props to Eddie Albert as Shepard's "brick wall" banker father, his coiffed head of silver hair as immovable as his resolve.)

This gets dark and cringey and isn't really a romantic comedy at all. It's hard to see why anyone would want to be with Grodin's character, but the darkness works overall, even though I still say it should have had more to the ending i.e.) a scene where either he or Shepherd gets second thoughts when the other isn't what they expected. Apparently this was filmed but cut and that's a shame because it would have been a nice circular coda.

I don't know if I've ever been less prepared for a movie than I was when I sat to watch this. It's described as a comedy, and that is technically true; it's described as a black comedy, and this is a more accurate descriptor that provides at least some indication that the humor is going to be cold, dark, and wry. Incredible, piercing wit and stunning intelligence pervade these 105 minutes, with momentously clever dialogue and scene writing, some of the strongest, most striking character writing I think I've ever seen, and stupendously sharp, tight direction that captures the exact right tone, and the exact right energy. Screenwriter Neil Simon, and filmmaker Elaine May, demonstrate skill and intellect in shaping this feature - a warped exploration of relationships between men and women, of marriage, and of love and hypocrisy, through the lens of a dead-eyed, cynical, brutally honest rendition of the male psyche - that I have difficulty putting into words. Their vision is unfailingly shared with absolute faithfulness by the stars, primarily Charles Grodin, Cybill Shepherd, Jeannie Berlin, and Eddie Albert, and the performances are utterly flawless in capturing the emotional tenor of the characters, and of the narrative. 'The heartbreak kid' claims a level of brilliance matching or exceeding some of the most widely celebrated works of cinema in the world.

It is also, however, a comedy - a black comedy - in which the common, appropriate reaction for almost every line, almost every character interaction, and almost every scene, is not a laugh, but a cringe that makes us shrink back into our seats, a shuddering gasp of shocked disbelief, and an involuntary withholding of our breath in astonishment at who protagonist Lenny shows himself to be, and the extraordinary lengths he is willing to go to in his shallowness and gobsmacked turpitude. Yes, sometimes a laugh does break through, providing fleeting relief from the tremendously harsh vibe the picture broadly carries. By all means, there are scattered elements herein that very well could be transposed into an earnest romantic comedy or a warmhearted romantic drama. Yet by and large this could scarcely be further from anything resembling the typical comedy; my first reaction more closely approximated horror, and only as I began to recognize what May and Simon were doing did I warm up to the film. And when I say I warmed up to it, I mean to say that I'm flabbergasted at just how smart it is, a slyly underhanded reversal of everything we commonly anticipate of such stories in cinema, and in fiction at large. It suggests what we might expect if a novel were written from the perspective of George Wickham from 'Pride and prejudice,' or what might happen if the wholly bleak assessment of humanity we saw in Billy Wilder's 'Ace in the hole' were fashioned into a twisted, like-minded variation on comedy.

Garry Sherman's sardonically lighthearted music marches in lockstep with the writing, direction, and acting to bring this tableau to vibrant life, and from costume design, hair, and makeup to production design, cinematography, and editing, it's splendidly well made according to the standards of contemporary fare. It also flies in the face of most all norms of the medium, and of any genre labels we might append. Given the extremities on display here it definitely won't appeal to all comers, and so very particular is the kind of comedy that Simon and May toy with that I can hardly begrudge anyone who tries watching the flick and finds themselves taken aback and put off. Had lesser minds tried to do something similar the effort would surely fail. Those involved in this instance, however, seized a lightning bolt of cunning and insight that produced a rare, unlikely treasure, and I am so, so pleased with the end result. It's a bewildering viewing experience, but one that is backwardly entertaining and ultimately deeply satisfying, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. This is a title for those viewers who are receptive to all the wide, far-flung possibilities of storytelling, and who are ready to put in some work themselves to grasp at what the filmmaker is doing. If you're ready and willing to accept whatever comes your way, though, 'The heartbreak kid' is a fantastic classic, an underappreciated gem, that deserves far more recognition.

Lenny Cantrow (Charles Grodin) has married his NY Jewish princess Lila (Jeannie Berlin). They are driving to honeymoon in Miami beach. He starts to get annoyed by little things that Lila does. At the beach, he encounters the flirty Kelly Corcoran (Cybill Shepherd). He starts spending more and more time with her even after her father (Eddie Albert) moves out of the hotel to get away from the Jewish element. He starts lying to Lila to spend more time with Kelly. He divorces Lila to follow Kelly in Minnesota.

Elaine May is probably a better writer than a film director. She lacks a visual style and a cinematic sense of comedy. The theater is probably a better place for her than the big screen. Although she gets a good performance from Grodin. The Neil Simon script is a terrific skewering of the racial divide and Lenny is a terrific squirrelly protagonist. There are no big laughs but the movie has a great dark twisted humor about it.

The Heartbreak Kid (1972)

Okay, it's a comedy. And humor is idiosyncratic. But so much of this movie swings around the supposed (sarcastic?) appeal of the lead male, TV actor Charles Grodin, who is a definitive dweeb, it's hard to really get into it. And hard to laugh at. Because if you don't get the joke, it just comes off as dumb.

Maybe there are people who identify specifically with these types, back around 1970, who can also feel how funny and warm it might be. The lead females are contrasting types, of course, the Nordic Cybil Shepard and the Jewish Jeannie Berlin, but both are beautiful and fun and charming in the way a movie needs them to be (Shepard is actually a little dull). It's not such a contrast or such a game, after all, and we are stuck watching Grodin, with a little lame Dustin Hoffman in him, bounce between the two women. Not only is he a lame actor, his character is a jerk, too.

What's most baffling is that the writer is Neil Simon, and though he's had some bombs, he's clever and funny regardless. Something went wrong, and the best guess is Elaine May, who is famous for the notorious "Isthar" that also has a wacky, not so funny sense of humor (and stars the real Dustin Hoffman). But her Mikey and Nicky isn't as bad, and she has worked for years with the great Mike Nichols.

Anyway, take it where you can. It's poor sledding all the way, badly filmed, interminably banal, and dated to boot. Good luck!