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The Goodbye People (film)

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The Goodbye People
Theatrical release poster
Directed byHerb Gardner
Screenplay byHerb Gardner
Based onThe Goodbye People
by Herb Gardner
Produced byMel Howard
David V. Picker
StarringJudd Hirsch
Martin Balsam
Pamela Reed
Vincent Gugleotti
Gene Saks
Ron Silver
CinematographyJohn Lindley
Edited byRick Shaine
Production
companies
Coney Island Productions
Castle Hill Productions
Distributed byEmbassy Pictures
Release dates
  • September 11, 1984 (1984-09-11) (TIFF)
  • January 31, 1986 (1986-01-31) (United States)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Goodbye People is a 1984 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Herb Gardner, based on his 1968 play The Goodbye People. The film stars Judd Hirsch, Martin Balsam, Pamela Reed, Vincent Gugleotti, Gene Saks and Ron Silver. First screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1984, the film was released on January 31, 1986, by Embassy Pictures (by a fitting coincidence, it would be their final theatrical release before the company was merged into Columbia Pictures).[1][2][3]

Plot

Cast

Critical reception

The Variety reviewer wrote: "Based on his late 1960s stage flop of the same name, neither time nor the transferal of media has improved the story of three eccentric losers who band together in hopes of changing their luck... The uneasy alliance between the characters is treated in a glib fashion by Gardner."[4] The reviewer for People wrote: "The three make a wonderfully human trio, playing off and to each other's eccentricities with warmth and humor. First-time director Herb Gardner, who also wrote the play of the same name, proves equally adept behind the pen and the camera... the movie, shot on location, offers a beautifully nostalgic portrait of Coney Island, the skeletons of its once-monumental attractions creating a dual sense of foreboding and serenity. 'The Goodbye People' meets these contradictions head-on, turning a story of life and death into a witty celebration of spirit."[5]

References

  1. ^ Maslin, Janet (1986-01-31). "Movie Review - - The Screen: Nostalgia In 'Goodbye People'". NYTimes.com. Retrieved 2017-08-27.
  2. ^ Charles Champlin (1986-02-20). "Gardner Says Hello To Those 'Goodbye People'". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 2017-08-27.
  3. ^ "Picks and Pans Review: The Goodbye People". People.com. 1986-02-03. Retrieved 2017-08-27.
  4. ^ Staff. "Film Review. 'The Goodbye People'" Variety, December 31, 1983
  5. ^ Novak, Ralph; Cunneff, Tom; and Hellman, Ira. "Picks and Pans Review: 'The Goodbye People' people.com, February 3, 1986, Vol. 25, No.5