The Long Goodbye

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The Long Goodbye

R

Released Mar 7, 1973

1h 52m

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

57 Reviews

87%

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10,000+ Ratings

Private detective Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) is asked by his old buddy Terry Lennox (Jim Bouton) for a ride to Mexico. He obliges, and when he gets back to Los Angeles is questioned by police about the death of Terry's wife. Marlowe remains a suspect until it's reported that Terry has committed suicide in Mexico. Marlowe doesn't buy it but takes a new case from a beautiful blond, Eileen Wade (Nina van Pallandt), who coincidentally has a past with Terry.

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Critics Consensus

An ice-cold noir that retains Robert Altman's idiosyncratic sensibilities, The Long Goodbye ranks among the smartest and most satisfying Marlowe mysteries.

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Richard Brody

New Yorker

Altman holds genre clichés and conventions up to the light of modern life—and uses them as a prism to reveal its hidden tones.

Dec 19, 2022

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

Some of the improvisational scenes don't entirely work, but it's an ambitious and artful reinvention.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 26, 2021

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Philip French

Guardian

A masterpiece of sorts, it digs beneath the surface of the supposedly liberated spirit of the times to expose the ethos that took America into the Vietnam war and produced Watergate.

Jul 17, 2020

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

It all comes down to the wisecracking Gould – messy and unkept, with a cigarette loosely dangling from the corner of his mouth. He’s the special sauce that makes the whole thing work and a perfect fit for the kind of movie Altman is shooting for.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 16, 2024

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Robert Altman and Elliott Gould might not be the ideal director/actor for Phillip Marlowe but they really make The Long Goodbye their own with their satirical contribution to the genre.

Rated: 4.5/5

Mar 7, 2023

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Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

A logical (if less romantic) extension of Chandler’s vision of Marlowe as the last hurrah for chivalry in a fallen, postwar world.

Aug 4, 2022

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Roger T

Very disappointing. So far from the book is my main regret. Elliott Gould is a chain smoking slob which gets old very quickly. Long boring non stories like his cat or the hippie girls he lives next to just add padding and an excuse to show some topless women. Wouldn’t recommend it

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

09/30/24

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Dave C

What a load of tosh! Clunky, poorly written, very lazily acted, and nowhere near the 'noir' wannabe it seems to be aiming for. A crisp, intelligent detective movie this is not. Some merit to be gleaned from the artistic value of the film, I suppose

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/23/24

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wesley t

This film is far from the book, the whole cat scene is a new addition, Marlowe is now a slob dimwit instead of the crisp intelligence character we know. Dr v is missing bright boy and found all to quickly. Homophobic language added in that was not required or in the book. As a takeaway on 70s America it scores well. Just a far cry from what Raymond Chandler created.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/05/24

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nick s

Nice pacing and naturalistic acting makes this detective film a pleasant watch frame by frame.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/21/24

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ed m

A decent private eye movie. Elliot Gould is surprisingly good. Plus, Jack Riley.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/06/24

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Teresa K

Ughhh, what a travesty. I had just finished reading the Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler. A classic noir and Chandler's masterpiece. The film was chopped up like a badly made tossed salad with loads of pieces scrapped and too many parts of the plot changed. Gould, to me, was not Philip Marlowe. I know this is a 70s film and there are loads of critics who are gaga over it. Gave it a 2 because some of the cinematography is excellent.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/28/24

Full Review

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Robert Altman

Director

Elliott Gould

Philip Marlowe

Nina van Pallandt

Eileen Wade

Sterling Hayden

Roger Wade

Mark Rydell

Marty Augustine

Henry Gibson

Dr. Verringer

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The Long Goodbye: Official Clip - Chasing Eileen Wade

2:11

The Long Goodbye: Official Clip - Wade's Suicide

2:10

The Long Goodbye: Official Clip - Dr. Verringer's Clinic

2:13

The Long Goodbye: Official Clip - Walter Brennan

2:13

The Long Goodbye: Official Clip - Broken Bottle, Broken Face

2:13

The Long Goodbye: Official Clip - Take Off Your Clothes

2:08

The Long Goodbye: Official Clip - The Albino Turd

2:12

The Long Goodbye: Official Clip - Freedom From Verringer's

2:12

The Long Goodbye: Official Clip - Interrogation

2:12

The Long Goodbye: Official Clip - A Born Loser

2:13

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Synopsis

Private detective Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) is asked by his old buddy Terry Lennox (Jim Bouton) for a ride to Mexico. He obliges, and when he gets back to Los Angeles is questioned by police about the death of Terry's wife. Marlowe remains a suspect until it's reported that Terry has committed suicide in Mexico. Marlowe doesn't buy it but takes a new case from a beautiful blond, Eileen Wade (Nina van Pallandt), who coincidentally has a past with Terry.

Director: Robert Altman
Producer: Jerry Bick
Screenwriter: Raymond Chandler, Leigh Brackett
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: United Artists
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 7, 1973, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Runtime: 1h 52m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)

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