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The Heartbreak Kid (1972 film)

️Sun Dec 17 1972

The Heartbreak Kid
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Elaine May
Produced by	Edgar J. Scherick
Written by	Neil Simon Bruce Jay Friedman (story)
Starring	Charles Grodin Cybill Shepherd Jeannie Berlin Eddie Albert Audra Lindley
Cinematography	Owen Roizman
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date(s)	December 17, 1972
Running time	106 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Heartbreak Kid is a 1972 dark romantic comedy film directed by Elaine May, written by Neil Simon, and starring Charles Grodin, Jeannie Berlin, and Cybill Shepherd. It is based on the short story "A Change of Plan", written by Bruce Jay Friedman.

Jeannie Berlin was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Eddie Albert was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

It is #91 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs, a list of the funniest movies ever made.

It was remade in 2007 as The Heartbreak Kid starring Ben Stiller and Malin Åkerman.

Plot and theme

A black comedy examination of love and hypocrisy, the satire begins with the New York City traditional Jewish marriage of emotionally-shallow, self-absorbed, "nebbish"-man-boy, Lenny Cantrow, a sporting goods salesman (Charles Grodin). While on honeymoon at the Doral Hotel on Miami Beach, he meets and pursues a tall, blonde, Midwestern, seductively bitchy, but sarcastically witty and gorgeous, student named Kelly Corcoran (Cybill Shepherd). His unsophisticated and emotionally-needy bride, Lila (Jeannie Berlin, daughter of director, Elaine May), refuses to use sunscreen and consequently develops a severe sunburn, which quarantines her in their hotel room. Lenny begins a rendezvous with Kelly, lying to his wife as to his whereabouts. Lenny recklessly and impulsively decides to dump Lila, ending his ephemeral marriage, in order to pursue unloving Kelly, his false ideal, and ultimate fantasy shiksa-goddess. (The girl he was "waiting for all of his life". He just "timed it wrong".) She is attending college in Minnesota, where her somewhat bigoted, suspicious and overly-protective, hostile father (Eddie Albert) is a relentless obstacle.

Because of his lack of depth and lusty adolescent anxiety, an ongoing comedy of errors befalls Lenny during his courtship with Kelly. Each scene peels back the converging of the morally bankrupt superficial and narcissistic personalities of the characters: Lenny, Kelly, and her father. It is hyperbole, irony, pointed disregard, and lack of empathy played out as a moral fable, a lesson for the audience to consider before making any permanent life-changing relationship choices, which a pathetic Lenny, who brought about his own anguish, never fully comprehends.

Awards and honors

American Film Institute recognition

2000: AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs #91

Cast

Charles Grodin as Lenny Cantrow
Cybill Shepherd as Kelly Corcoran
Jeannie Berlin as Lila Kolodny
Audra Lindley as Mrs. Corcoran
Eddie Albert as Mr. Corcoran
Doris Roberts as Mrs. Cantrow

External links

1972 Original full feature length film
The Heartbreak Kid at the Internet Movie Database
The Heartbreak Kid at AllRovi

v · d · eFilms directed by Elaine May

1970s	A New Leaf (1971) · The Heartbreak Kid (1972) · Mikey and Nicky (1976)

1980s	Ishtar (1987)

v · d · eAFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs

1–10	Some Like It Hot • Tootsie • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb • Annie Hall • Duck Soup • Blazing Saddles • MASH • It Happened One Night • The Graduate • Airplane!

11–20	The Producers • A Night at the Opera • Young Frankenstein • Bringing Up Baby • The Philadelphia Story • Singin' in the Rain • The Odd Couple • The General • His Girl Friday • The Apartment

21–30	A Fish Called Wanda • Adam's Rib • When Harry Met Sally... • Born Yesterday • The Gold Rush • Being There • There's Something About Mary • Ghostbusters • This Is Spinal Tap • Arsenic and Old Lace

31–40	Raising Arizona • The Thin Man • Modern Times • Groundhog Day • Harvey • National Lampoon's Animal House • The Great Dictator • City Lights • Sullivan's Travels • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

41–50	Moonstruck • Big • American Graffiti • My Man Godfrey • Harold and Maude • Manhattan • Shampoo • A Shot in the Dark • To Be or Not to Be • Cat Ballou

51–60	The Seven Year Itch • Ninotchka • Arthur • The Miracle of Morgan's Creek • The Lady Eve • Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein • Diner • It's a Gift • A Day at the Races • Topper

61–70	What's Up, Doc? • Sherlock, Jr. • Beverly Hills Cop • Broadcast News • Horse Feathers • Take the Money and Run • Mrs. Doubtfire • The Awful Truth • Bananas • Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

71–80	Caddyshack • Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House • Monkey Business • Nine to Five • She Done Him Wrong • Victor Victoria • The Palm Beach Story • Road to Morocco • The Freshman • Sleeper

81–90	The Navigator • Private Benjamin • Father of the Bride • Lost in America • Dinner at Eight • City Slickers • Fast Times at Ridgemont High • Beetlejuice • The Jerk • Woman of the Year

91–100	The Heartbreak Kid • Ball of Fire • Fargo • Auntie Mame • Silver Streak • Sons of the Desert • Bull Durham • The Court Jester • The Nutty Professor • Good Morning, Vietnam

AFI 100 Years...