Director Glenn Jordan's Only When I Laugh (1981) from the story and screenplay by Neil Simon is a touching and memorable tale about love, family, friendship, hardship and ultimately about second chances.
Georgia (Marsha Mason) is an actress and recovering alcoholic. She has just finished a 12-week program for her drinking problem and has now returned to her New York apartment to try and put her life back together. Her two best friends, Jimmy (James Coco) and Toby (Joan Hackett) are trying to be there to support their friend but they have their own problems. Jimmy, her gay neighbor, is also an actor but rarely can find work. Toby is an aging beauty queen that has always relied on her looks but now finds herself quickly heading towards middle age. Daughter Polly (Kristy McNichol) has also come back into Georgia's life. She has decided that she needs a full time mother and wants to move into her mom's apartment to get to know this woman better, this woman that she hardly knows at all. Further complicating matters is the fact that her ex-boyfriend and playwright David (David Dukes) has written a semi biographical play about their relationship and he wants her to star. Despite the obvious conflicts about working with an ex-lover that helped bring about her breakdown she decides to take the part which could be the acting role of a lifetime. Can Georgia cope with her needy friends, a daughter that is also demanding of her attention and a new job that requires considerable concentration and effort, all the while trying to deal with her own problems, doubts and fears?
This is not a typical Neil Simon comedy, what it is though is an exceptional drama piece that has top-notch performances all around. Though not one of his characteristic comedies it still does have many moments of humor that helps keep the drama from becoming overbearing. All of the main players are outstanding and earned numerous OscarŽ and Golden GlobeŽ nominations for their work. Marsha Mason's incredible performance here (one of her best) is the foundation for this moving and uplifting story and all of her co-stars only help build Simon's words into an impressive and unforgettable drama. James Coco and Joan Hackett are excellent in their roles as both simultaneously needing and caring friends. Kristy McNichol's work here is also some of her best ever, she received a Golden GlobeŽ nomination for her supporting part and really earned it. Most of her scenes are with Mason and they have a natural chemistry together that makes their performances especially believable. Only When I Laugh is one of Simon's finest (and most underrated) works and a career highpoint for all of the actors involved in this tender and candid story about love, friendship and new beginnings.
Buying note: This film is only available on full screen VHS tape, it has been out of print for many years but still should be easy to find on the internet or at other used video outlets.
8-7-2006
