What's Up, Doc?

Rating:
Summary: Use Your Charm.....
Review: This is unquestionably one of my all time favorite films. All of the actors are in top form. Streisand turns in a masterful comedic performance which I would describe as "understated zany". O'Neil is stoic yet endearing. Madeline Kahn (in her movie debut, which makes the film noteworthy if for NO other reason) gives a perfect performance as O'Neil's overbearing fiance. The supporting cast including Kenneth Mars, Austin Pendleton and Liam Dunn are top notch. Brilliant writing (Buck Henry, et.al.) and directing (Peter Bogdanovich) combine with the cast to make this film one of the rare Hollywood productions that appeals to young and old alike. Don't miss this one, it is truly a classic.

Rating:
Summary: AFI's Great Love Stories: #68 What's Up, Doc?
Review: Poor Howard Bannister (Ryan O'Neal) has come to San Francisco with his fiancé, Eunice (Madeline Kahn), to compete for a research grant in musicology. However, once he runs into Judy Maxwell (Barbra Streisand), a college dropout with an unpredictability streak that almost defies description, he discovers his life is no longer his own. If Peter Bogdanovich's homage to the classic screwball comedies of the thirties reminds you of "Bringing Up Baby," rest assured that is precisely the point. This time around instead of a dinosaur bone we have a stolen jewel, mistaken luggage, government spies, and other insanity. This 1972 comedy pales in comparison to the "original," but then we are talking about what is arguably the best screwball comedy of all time. Streisand is certainly a hoot as she cuts her character's path of destruction through the life of this poor innocent abroad. O'Neill is not Cary Grant but it is hard to keep your eyes off Streisand everytime she is on the screen.

Buck Henry, David Newman and Robert Benton won the WGA Award for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen for this modern screwball comedy, based on Bogdanovich's "story" idea (i.e, do an homage to "Bringing Up Baby"). Even with all his acclaim I still think Buck Henry is underappreciated as a comedy writer. However, the thing I remember the most about "What's Up Doc?" is that it featured Madeline Kahn in her first notable film role. In fact Kahn won the Golden Globe for Most Promising Female Newcomer and before she died from ovarian cancer in 1999 she certainly fulfilled that promise in memorable roles, usually in a film by Mel Brooks.

Most Romantic Lines: What? In a screwball comedy? You kidding me? Well, the most memorable lines are when Judy declares that "Love means never having to say you're sorry" and Howard declares "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard." (If you do not know why that would be funny, please see the next paragraph for a subtle reminder and/or hint.)

If you liked "What's Up Doc," then check out these other films on the AFI's list of the 100 Greatest Love Stories of All Time: #6 "The Way We Were," #9 "Love Story," and #51 "Bringing Up Baby." Why? Well, the first two offer Streisand and O'Neill in a pair of decidedly more serious romances while "Bringing Up Baby" is suggested for what by now should be obvious reasons.

Rating:
Summary: THE Eunice Burns and Company
Review: A funny film that drags a bit during the famous car chase scene; probably best enjoyed either with friends or on the big screen.

Re the DVD, the Streisand comments are nuts. BS sounds old and tired in commenting on this film. There is no sense of joy and fun in her voice; she mentions Madeline Kahn as just a cast member, no ref to her genius and to her untimely death.

And at another point, she is eating! She actually eats in the middle of her comments; would it have killed her to wait until her 12 minutes of comments finished?

Rating:
Summary: "I can't breathe, is it possible to break a lung?"
Review: The first screwball comedy to be a box office blockbuster since the early forties, WHAT'S UP, DOC? fills it's 94 minute runtime with so many terrific one-liners, double innuendoes, and visual puns that the average viewer will probably have to watch the film a couple of times before he or she catches all of the jokes! Apparently the film inspired repeat viewing even during it's initial release - Doc was the third-highest grossing film of 1972 (right behind THE GODFATHER and THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE). In all honesty, I think this film has a higher laugh-per-second ratio than any film before or since.

This film was the perfect (and surprising) way for director Peter Bogdanovich to follow-up his cinematic landmark THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, and he keeps the film's momentum running right at the perfect speed. He also knows how to cast a film flawlessly. Buck Henry's marvelous screenplay contains many scenes with overlapping dialogue and double reverses, and the entire cast never misses a beat. Barbra Streisand literally radiates with magnetism throughout the entire film! Anyone who still wonders why she was the highest grossing actress of the seventies definitely needs to see this film; Streisand's performance in DOC is what being a movie star is all about. Many critics complained that Ryan O'Neal was miscast when the film was originally released, and those critics obviously missed out on the joke. The fact that O'Neal was considered a heartthrob at the time was all part of the fun in seeing him cast as complete goof; and I don't think anyone can deny the fact that he throws himself into the role completely.

As most viewers already know, Madeline Kahn has her finest screen role in Doc, and steals nearly every scene she's in (and she wisely knows just how far to push the characterization without going over the edge). The rest DOC'S supporting cast also could not be improved upon, Kenneth Mars, Austin Pendlrton, and Liam Dunn give just three of the standout performances in this perfect supporting ensemble. As with most comedies, DOC was snubbed at the Academy Awards (Bogdanovich, Streisand, and Kahn all deserved nominations in the respective categories in my opinion), but time has been good to DOC and remains far more popular than many of the films that did get Oscar noms in 1972. Arguably, the best comedy of all time.

About the DVD: The picture quality is very good - a tad soft at times, but very natural and true to the film's original look. The sound is mono, but it's well-rendered. It's great to have the trailer and vintage featurette preserved on disc, and while Streisand's brief commentary isn't very illumenating, Bogdanovich's full-length track is very informative and entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: Remains delightfully fresh after over thirty years
Review: WHAT'S UP, DOC? has to stand as one of the finest remakes of a great original ever made. By and large, remakes of classics are profoundly stupid. Although the remakes virtually never match the originals (and admittedly this one is no exception), most are merely pale imitations. Although this one does not come close to supplanting BRINGING UP BABY, it nonetheless manages to bring enough originality to make it utterly delightful. Ever since I first saw it, it has remained my favorite Barbra Streisand film, and is delightfully kooky in a way completely different from the way that Hepburn is kooky in the original. Ryan O'Neill is indeed a pale imitation of Cary Grant, but then, who wouldn't be? But Madeleine Kahn, on the other hand, is a remarkable addition to the storyline. This was, for all practical purposes, her film debut, and she makes the most of it.

This was director Peter Bogdanovich's second hit film in a row, following his marvelous THE LAST PICTURE SHOW. The next year he would make PAPER MOON, and for all intents and purposes he seemed to be the next great American director. But then for whatever reason his gifts seemed to desert him, and while he has occasionally reemerged with a decent film, he has never managed to reascend to the level of these three films. He has, however, managed to write a great deal of film criticism, along with one of the greatest collections of interviews with directors ever published. But in this film his direction was fine, and if the comedy towards the end sometimes seems less screwball than Keystone cops, I find it easy to forgive him.

I repeat that this is my favorite Barbra Streisand film. I know people are divided on her looks, but when I look at her in this one, I think she is remarkably beautiful, and her personality is so infectious that she manages to dominate the screen every second she is onscreen. She was so superb in this film that I wonder why she didn't try to undertake similar parts in the future. She did the follow up to FUNNY GIRL, but she never really tried anything this goofy again. It's a tremendous loss, because she obviously excelled at it.

I'm surprised at how well this film has aged in thirty years. Sometimes you go back and see a film two or three decades after you first saw it, and it can be shocking how aged it appears. I had that experience with both TOOTSIE and ROXANNE, and both now seem hopelessly outdated. But this one, despite the early seventies clothes and decor, remains truly fresh.

Rating:
Summary: The overused term "classic" definitely applies!
Review: One of my favorite leisure activities is watching movies at home, and my wife and I have seen hundreds. Yet, "What's Up, Doc?" holds a special place in our heart, and that says a great deal. Madeleine Kahn is whiningly brilliant in her debut role as Eunice The Nagging Fiancee, and even now, when my spouse reminds me of something for the umpteenth time, I will often jokingly reply, "Yes, Eunice." This film also reminds us fondly of my late grandfather, because some years ago we watched it during one of his visits, and all of us laughed until our sides hurt. Every time the secret agent with the golf clubs came on the screen -- even before he DID anything -- it would set off my mom and my grandfather into gales of laughter.

This movie succeeds on multiple levels. The characters (especially Howard, the dazed, somewhat helpless musicologist; Eunice, his bossy fiancee; Judy Maxwell, the sweet interloper who attracts mayhem and chaos like a magnet) are amusing and well-portrayed. There is both silly visual slapstick AND brilliantly-written humorous dialogue. Comedy cliches like The Car Chase, The Pane Of Glass Crossing The Street, and people dodging in and out of rooms on a hallway are shamelessly invoked and then taken to a whole new level.

And let us not forget that Streisand is a singer! When Judy meets Howard (Ryan O'Neal) later in the film, with a piano conveniently nearby, and she launches into "You must remember this", (prompting Howard to wake up and play the changes, already) her "A siiiiiiiiiiigh, is just a sigh" is enough to melt the most cynical heart. And Streisand's rendition of "You're the Top" for the opening title is positively electric.

All in all, it is an absolute crime that Speed 2 is available on DVD, and What's Up, Doc (as of now) is not. This film is terrific in whatever format you can get it, and the minute it is available on DVD, my well-worn cassette of it will be honorably retired! Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Use Your Charm.....
Review: This is unquestionably one of my all time favorite films. All of the actors are in top form. Streisand turns in a masterful comedic performance which I would describe as "understated zany". O'Neil is stoic yet endearing. Madeline Kahn (in her movie debut, which makes the film noteworthy if for NO other reason) gives a perfect performance as O'Neil's overbearing fiance. The supporting cast including Kenneth Mars, Austin Pendleton and Liam Dunn are top notch. Brilliant writing (Buck Henry, et.al.) and directing (Peter Bogdanovich) combine with the cast to make this film one of the rare Hollywood productions that appeals to young and old alike. Don't miss this one, it is truly a classic.

Rating:
Summary: AFI's Great Love Stories: #68 What's Up, Doc?
Review: Poor Howard Bannister (Ryan O'Neal) has come to San Francisco with his fiancé, Eunice (Madeline Kahn), to compete for a research grant in musicology. However, once he runs into Judy Maxwell (Barbra Streisand), a college dropout with an unpredictability streak that almost defies description, he discovers his life is no longer his own. If Peter Bogdanovich's homage to the classic screwball comedies of the thirties reminds you of "Bringing Up Baby," rest assured that is precisely the point. This time around instead of a dinosaur bone we have a stolen jewel, mistaken luggage, government spies, and other insanity. This 1972 comedy pales in comparison to the "original," but then we are talking about what is arguably the best screwball comedy of all time. Streisand is certainly a hoot as she cuts her character's path of destruction through the life of this poor innocent abroad. O'Neill is not Cary Grant but it is hard to keep your eyes off Streisand everytime she is on the screen.

Buck Henry, David Newman and Robert Benton won the WGA Award for Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen for this modern screwball comedy, based on Bogdanovich's "story" idea (i.e, do an homage to "Bringing Up Baby"). Even with all his acclaim I still think Buck Henry is underappreciated as a comedy writer. However, the thing I remember the most about "What's Up Doc?" is that it featured Madeline Kahn in her first notable film role. In fact Kahn won the Golden Globe for Most Promising Female Newcomer and before she died from ovarian cancer in 1999 she certainly fulfilled that promise in memorable roles, usually in a film by Mel Brooks.

Most Romantic Lines: What? In a screwball comedy? You kidding me? Well, the most memorable lines are when Judy declares that "Love means never having to say you're sorry" and Howard declares "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard." (If you do not know why that would be funny, please see the next paragraph for a subtle reminder and/or hint.)

If you liked "What's Up Doc," then check out these other films on the AFI's list of the 100 Greatest Love Stories of All Time: #6 "The Way We Were," #9 "Love Story," and #51 "Bringing Up Baby." Why? Well, the first two offer Streisand and O'Neill in a pair of decidedly more serious romances while "Bringing Up Baby" is suggested for what by now should be obvious reasons.

Rating:
Summary: Great Fireballs of Screwiness, Doc!
Review: Genuine screwball comedy may be one of the toughest cinematic feats to pull off. Alot of directors, including Speilberg, have tried and screwed up, but very few have achieved genuine anarchic, screwball style; Bogdanovich does it ecstatically with Doc. Perhaps one of the reasons films of the seventies are considered so extraordinary is that titles such as Godfather, Exorcist and Chinatown, etc, achieved the high water mark for their respective genres. So it can be said of What's Up, Doc, which not only holds up beautifully but seems even funnier with the passage of years. Do we dare say classic? Yup.

Rating:
Summary: Best Streisand Film of All Time!!
Review: My whole family loves this movie!! My 11-year-old watched the t.v. version, which had so many scenes cut from it, so we have to watch the unedited version. She cracks up like I do!! Despite the fact that I can repeat a lot of the lines ("Judy, I can't see! Oh, God, I can see!" says Howard Bannister as he's driving the stolen VW Bug before he tosses his glasses out the window and before they drive into San Francisco Bay! Remember, that's Unlawful use of public water, and Grand Larceny for the stolen car!) This is a definite addition for any movie collector. Now, if they would only offer Bringing Up Baby for DVD.