The risk in remaking a
popular movie, especially one
as beloved as Neil Simon's
"The Goodbye Girl,"
is that the new version may
fail to capture the spirit of
the original and suffer by
comparison. Not only did the
1977 film tug at heartstrings,
but it featured an
Oscar-nominated performance by
Marsha Mason and an
Oscar-winning performance by
Richard Dreyfuss that made him,
until last year, the youngest
man ever to achieve the honor.
In this case, it turned out to
be a risk worth taking. The
remake, directed by Richard
Benjamin (who has a brief
cameo), has all of the charm
and tenderness of the original.
Here and there, some cultural
references have been updated,
and the visual style has a
faster, more contemporary pace.
The modest changes adapt the
story nicely for a new
generation but preserve the
sweet and tangy tale of an odd
couple whose love takes root in
the rockiest of environments.
In the new version, Patricia
Heaton takes over the role of
Paula McFadden, a single mother
and former Broadway dancer who
is unexpectedly dumped by her
actor boyfriend. To make
matters worse, the cad sublet
their New York apartment to
another actor, Elliot Garfield
(Jeff Daniels), without even
telling her. Paula's
predicament is magnified by her
responsibility for her
daughter, Lucy (dimpled Hallie
Kate Eisenberg of Pepsi
commercial fame).
Elliot, who comes to New York
for the lead in an off-Broadway
production of "Richard
III," has his own problems
-- troubles that even his daily
routine of health foods,
meditation and nocturnal guitar
playing can't solve. His daffy
director (a hilarious turn by
Alan Cumming) insists that the
title role be played as a
flamboyant gay monarch. Elliot
knows the drama critics will
eat the play alive but is
powerless to prevent the train
wreck that threatens to end his
own career as well.
Heaton, familiar to viewers as
Debra Barone on "Everybody
Loves Raymond," shows a
whole different facet of her
acting skills, alternately
fierce and vulnerable. Daniels
plays Elliot with the
physicality the character
demands and the temperament
that makes him at once edgy but
nice. Eisenberg does a fine job
as precocious, nonjudgmental
Lucy, the vital link that
initially joins Paula and
Elliot.
Production design is limited to
a very few sets, reflecting
Simon's own adaptation of his
stage play. The compact design,
however, fits the romantic
story just fine. Moreover, the
confidence with which Benjamin
approaches the project is
evident throughout, making this
both satisfying and hugely
entertaining.
