Only When I Laugh

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Ed . I laugh only when it's funny. More of a smile-riot than a laugh one, but enjoyable for its plot as well as for a nostalgic view of an early 80s NYC. Also, the last of the 60s/70s style Simon film before he went off on a path similar to Woody Allen, albeit more middlebrow. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/29/25 Full Review Kellie G A very in between movie. Marcia Mason’s character out of rehab and not making the best choices . I think it works she is both frustrating and sympathetic. Her friends and her daughter stick together with her but call her on some of her choices. It’s believably messy like life . They mess up and make jokes about it. Very relatable. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/12/24 Full Review Michael H One of my childhood favorites. Completely changed from a serious comedy. To a very serious film with light-hearted moments. Tragic-Comedy with a devastating performance from Marsha Mason, she shines even brighter here than in The Goodbye Girl, who's holding on too hard and naturally relapses. Maybe because her ex-Beau, playwright (David Dukes) introduces his new Girlfriend. We see on Mason's face her joyous optimism slowly crumble into her abyss of dreadful endings, she puts on a brave face, a performance of 'I'm so happy for you both' - then her bestie, Toby cancels her fortieth birthday bash cause her husband is leaving her and her other bestie, James Coco gets fired from the first acting gig he's had in years. Everything is falling apart around her except her strong, emotionally intelligent, wiser beyond her years, held together by her loss of time with Mom and her guilt daughter, played by Kristie McNichol. The supporting players are all wonderful especially Joan Hackett as the uptown, watching herself cause no one will, holding to her beauty like Mason holding on to her sobriety -it's going crumble, weighs herself like gold and silver, never lets anyone see anything but perfection, is the one who puts Georgia on the path of 'try...try better' - See the good in your life. Only When I Laugh has been the inspiration for lots of later films and Tv shows.-It's the finest film work of Marsha Mason who is Harrowing at the same time wickedly funny and at times manic but always grounded...in a more hopeful, redemptive future. Not always her own....with her daughter and her best friends. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/24 Full Review jon c It's only when we laugh that we do things that seem odd or reconcilable Marsha Mason and Kristy McNichol are both imperfect mother and daughter Georgia is an alcoholic Broadway actress who tries to stay sober, while dealing with the problems of her teenaged daughter, Polly and her friends: a vain woman who fears the loss of her looks, and a gay actor relegated to small roles in third-rate shows Even Polly sees her folks' marriage straining as if Georgia doesn't have enough on her plate facing her own seniority Both women have terrific chemistry as mother and daughter Polly doesn't want to give up on her mom despite the hell she put her through growing up Heck any parent this flawed still has some growing up to do themselves This is based on a stage play so the narrative format isn't as traditional as you would expect All it takes for a somewhat broken family unit is to try and correct themselves first Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review steve d I for one, never laughed. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Overlong and flatly directed, Neil Simon's own adaptation of his play 'The Gingerbread Lady' is redeemed by fine performances (not least Marsha Mason as the alcoholic Broadway star trying to get her act together) and a strangely poignant snapshot of New York in the early eighties, when everyone smoked, indulged in therapies and dressed abominably. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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