THE LONELY GUY
US, 1984, 90 minutes, Colour.
Steve Martin, Charles Grodin, Judith Ivey, Steve Lawrence, Robyn Douglass, Joyce Brothers, Merv Griffin.
Directed by Arthur Hiller.
The Lonely Guy is an ordinary but pleasing Steve Martin vehicle. Carl Reiner directed Martin in The Jerk, Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid and The Man With Two Brains. Martin showed a more dramatic flair in Pennies from Heaven. Here his comic deadpan style is helpful for portraying a lonely guy who turns, momentarily, celebrity. The comic exaggerations in the Reiner films is kept under greater control by Arthur Hiller, a director with a wife range of films including Love Story and The Man in the Glass Booth. Martin gets excellent support from Charles Grodin in one of the best of his performances as another lonely man. His deadpan gloom is in effective contrast with Martin's more lively comic style.
The story was adapted by Neil Simon from Bruce Jay Friedman's book The Lonely Guy's Book of Life.
1. A comedy of the '80s? The emphasis on the American city and its size, individuals and loneliness? A blend of farcical and wry humour?
2. Steve Martin's comic style, presence, persona? Antics? Pathos? The homage during the film to Charlie Chaplin? Verbal humour, visual? Slapstick and wit?
3. The atmosphere of New York City and its use? The well-known city? The ease of being lonely in such a city? The reality of the city, the exaggerations? The blend? The use of songs?
4. The humorous introduction about lonely guys - the caveman, the spaceman of the future? The wry tone and comment? Larry interrupting the voice-over and doing it himself? The picture of him as a man in New York, the comedy of his working on greeting card verses, the inane verse about the pets and his instant success? His relationship with Danielle? Finding her in bed with Raoul? His easygoing reaction. his turning to the audience and raging? His taking out Danielle's garbage bags? The tone of comedy and pathos?
5. Sitting in the park being gloomy? The encounter with Warren? The long talk with the comic touches about coping with loneliness: buying ferns and talking to them. the two men talking actually to the ferns after buying them? The collage with the dogs and the recurring joke of the dog chasing the stick and bringing it back much later (even after being thrown overboard)? Jogging? The outings and the party with the life-size cut-outs? Larry going dining and everybody in the restaurant looking at him. the spotlight on him? The comedy of their mistaking him for a restaurant critic? The visit to the bridge with so many lonely guys falling? His going to work and getting the sack? His standing on the roof calling out for Iris and the chorus of lonely guys on the roof? The point about lonely men in the cities? The deadpan humour by explicit reference to the theme and to lonely guys?
6. Larry as a New York man, coping, Danielle and her phone calls, Warren and his friendship, saving Warren from the bridge, watching the videos of fish on the television? Discovering Iris, the yoghurt and wiping his face with the serviette and her phone number, the numerous phone calls trying to track her down. seeing her in the subway and following her, the restaurant and spilling the coffee, going to the toilet and joining hands, the bedroom scene and her being clothed, her having to leave?
7. His desperation, writing his novel and the satire on the sex best-seller? His decision to write about himself? Instant success? Television programmes and being interviewed by Merv Griffin, Joyce Brothers? Merv Griffin watching the group in bed, Larry and the twins like Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice? Jimmy Carter lining up for his autograph, being a lonely guy? Girls? Danielle ringing up and Larry's rejection of her and her taking out the garbage bags? Warren and his incessant loneliness and watching the videos? Iris and his success, build-up to the sex, her leaving? His going on the trip? The continuous comparisons with Jack throughout the film? the womaniser? Lonely? The failure of the trip? The vision of himself growing old and dying and thrown out with the rubbish on television? His reaction to Iris marrying Jack? Trying to track them down, interrupting the wrong marriage? Going to the bridge and catching Iris?
8. Charles Grodin's portrait of Warren, with the deadpan humour? Suicide, watching the video fish etc? The irony of finishing up with Dr Joyce Brothers?
9. Iris and her stories about her husbands? Flirting, meetings? The humour of the situations, the restaurant and the coffee, the toilet? Sexuality and fear of being hurt? Marrying Jack, then making the mistake, the vision of Larry, jumping from the bridge and being caught?
10. The contrast with Jack the womaniser and the girls?
11. The humour about celebrities? publicity, autographs, gossip and Loni Anderson in the apartment?
12. The funny sequences e.g. the restaurant? The humour and the pathos? An insight via comedy into loneliness in the contemporary city?
