Thursday's Game

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.

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.

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.

It's been so long since I've seen this film that I figured it had fallen into some kind of vortex. I just finished reading Bob Newhart's very funny book, "I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This!" In writing this, he touches on several television and film projects he did, but he didn't mention that wonderful movie. Oddly, though I cannot remember how it goes, it was the theme music that really caused me to hold on to the memory of this movie. I have no idea why the memory of enjoying a simple little tune (however it goes) would stick more than any scenes. But the plot, that you can never forget.

Dear Lord, please guide one of the many, MANY cable networks out there to find this and show it. I implore you! Amen.

****Years have gone by since I wrote this (and forgot I did) and in that time period, I actually got to watch "Thursday's Game". It was as funny as I recalled. It has some touching moments and very few LOL moments, but what a nice, simple and enjoyable film. Bob Newhart and Gene Wilder pull it off like the consummate professionals they are. IF you can find it and enjoy "NICE" movies, watch it, it's very doubtful you'll regret it.