Search - Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl (2004 TV Movie) on DVD

Belinda S. (niara) from NEW YORK, NY
Reviewed on 3/21/2011...

Don't. Even. Think. About. It. Just. Rent/Purchase/Swap. The. Original.

As others have posted, I do not for the life of me understand why someone felt the need to remake this classic, and for the eight people who actually sat through it I guess there was nothing remotely interesting on tv that night. As was already mentioned, it was literally stolen line-by-line, scene-by-scene. Daniels and Heaton brought absolutely nothing to this charmless, souless remake. Shameful.

1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

BETER THAN OTHER REVIEWS HAD POSTED!

Sam Hanes | CALIFORNIA | 01/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I really enjoyed the show. It was a very funny and romanitic movie. The acting was very good and thescript was fine for television. I like Daniel over Dryfuss anyday. It is definetly worth a watch."

A TV movie that you just might really enjoy

MollyRK | Chicago | 04/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This made-for-TV film is one that I felt instantly inclined to pick up on DVD when I came across it on Amazon, due mostly in part to the recognizable and talented cast. Patricia Heaton appeared in a couple movies and landed some guest spots on television series before her breakthrough on "Everybody Loves Raymond," but this is one of the few films in which she stars. Many sitcom actors experience some difficulty transitioning to film, but Heaton has an apparent ease on camera and performs this role quite well, despite the fact that it is so different from her gig as Debra on "Raymond." In fact, any fan of that show who is familiar with Heaton's tough-as-nails, take-no-crap-from-anybody role may be a bit humored to see her in this movie as a character who is bawling over a guy within the first five minutes, but for her it works just fine. Heaton has a definite knack for humor and sarcasm in her acting, which gives her a nice distinction and gives her onscreen success.



"The Goodbye Girl" is a simple, sweet story of a single mother with a wise-beyond-her-years daughter and a reputation for falling for and being dumped by several actor types. As the sweet but undeniably cliched plot continues, another actor enters her life and shows a definite potential to establish a family with Heaton and her child.



There is not a whole lot to the storyline and therefore not much to really comment on in that aspect, but the cast was well chosen and gives the movie a nice touch. Jeff Daniels is a genuinely funny actor with many humorous scenes here, and young child starlet Hallie Kate Eisenberg (remember those infamous Pepsi commercials?) maintains those classic out-of-control curls and river-deep dimples to give a believable portrayal as Patricia Heaton's 10-year-old daughter. Eisenberg has grown quite a bit since doing all those movies as a tiny little girl, but she works very well alongside Heaton and seems to be doing just fine as a preteen star. It is also nice to see Heaton playing such a large part with a child actress. Of course, she played a devoted and loving mother on "Raymond," but in that show we actually don't see her interacting that much with her kids--it is mostly suggestive that she is with them a lot of the time. This movie has her and Eisenberg interacting all the way through, and the fact that they are more like friends than mother and daughter gives them both some good improvisational material to work with.



In short, "The Goodbye Girl" is a movie worth renting or buying if you like the cast and would enjoy seeing a lighthearted and entertaining family story."

Goodbye, Girl

klclewis3 | WI USA | 07/07/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Despite being a serious Jeff Daniels fan, I cannot for the life of me figure out why some idiot decided that this movie needed to be remade (sadly, it appears that the idiot in question was none other than Neil Simon, himself). The 1977 Richard Dreyfuss/Marsha Mason original far outshines this version in every respect. Maybe I've seen it too many times. Maybe I've got a 25-year long crush on Richard Dreyfuss. And maybe if I hadn't loved that movie so much and saw the remake first I'd feel differently -- but I really doubt it. Okay, it's watchable. Just. Thus a single star. But this will NOT be one for the ages. Do yourself a favour -- get the original."