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Looking for Mr. Goodbar

Play trailer Poster for Looking for Mr. Goodbar R Released Jan 7, 1977 2h 15m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
61% Tomatometer 31 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Raised in a strict Catholic family, Theresa (Diane Keaton) teaches deaf children during the day and cruises singles bars and discos at night. Theresa favors rough sex with random suitors, ignoring the advances of well-meaning but nerdy social worker James (William Atherton). Instead, Theresa pursues the likes of Tony (Richard Gere), whose threatening knife and swagger excite her. Theresa indulges in increasingly dangerous encounters, putting her life at risk.
Looking for Mr. Goodbar

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Critics Consensus

Diane Keaton gives an absolutely fearless performance in a sexual thriller whose ending will leave audiences trembling.

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Critics Reviews

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Louise Sweet Sight & Sound The portentous invocation of Catholic guilt and psychotically split personality couldn't be clearer if 'Madonna and Whore' had also been laid out in blinking neon. Mar 31, 2020 Full Review Melissa Anderson Village Voice What makes the film ... so fascinating and repellent at once is precisely the confusion and anxiety it articulates about women's sexual freedom. May 4, 2016 Full Review Variety Staff Variety In Looking for Mr Goodbar, writer-director Richard Brooks manifests his ability to catch accurately both the tone and subtlety of characters in the most repellant environments. Apr 8, 2008 Full Review Raymond Marseley 5th Freedom (Buffalo) In a day when some straights are just beginning to suspect that all gay men might not be women-hating freaks, Brooks is reinforcing a negative, stereotypic image of gay men. May 3, 2023 Full Review Jas Keimig The Stranger (Seattle, WA) 1977 was the year of TWO fantastic Diane Keaton performances. Dec 8, 2021 Full Review Katherine Gieve Spare Rib A fascinating book is turned into a bleak and empty film by making things much less complicated than they really are. The film maker has manipulated the idea of the book and has limited the image of the woman to satisfy commerce requirements. Sep 22, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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CodyZamboni Z Wow, Stunning, Insightful, and tragic, Lots of truth to Keaton's character, Richard Gere plays such a jerk so well, Very shocking, disturbing ending. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/21/24 Full Review David H I was too young to watch this movie when it came out in 1977, so I've always been vaguely curious about it. It's very hard to find it nowadays, and I understand that that has something to do with the filmmaker not having received the appropriate permission to use the music or something dumb like that. The only place I could find it was on an old VHS cassette. (Apparently, it's never been released to DVD, and I don't think it's available anywhere on streaming.) In any case, it's an interesting period piece. It reminds me of the TV show All in the Family and lots of movies set in New York City in the 1970s such as Saturday Night Fever, Taxi Driver and The Godfather. I enjoyed the NYC street scenes. The characters were interesting. I wanted to strangle the Richard Gere character, which is a complement to his acting skills. I’ve never seen him play a role like that before. The family dynamics of the main character with her sister and father were very interesting. (The mother didn’t play much of a role in the plot unfortunately.) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/13/24 Full Review nevskislake They don't make them like this anymore. This is a film about loneliness, desperation, the pitfalls of the sexual revolution, and a woman seeking validation through one-night stands. It is dark, it is funny, it is a work of art. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review dave s Based on the Judith Rossner novel, Richard Brooks' Looking for Mr Goodbar is the grim story of a young woman's sexual awakening. Theresa (Diane Keaton) has been raised in an oppressive environment by religious parents and clamors for experiences outside of their control, which ultimately leads her to a life of drugs, nightclubs, and promiscuous sex. The film is hindered by some odd storytelling decisions, including awkward flashbacks and an even stranger visualization of how Theresa sees her future, which diminish the impact of the story. The movie may have benefited by focusing less on some of the secondary characters, including Theresa's sister, and delving even more into the character of the protagonist, much like Scorsese did with Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver. Regardless, it is worth seeing for Keaton's powerhouse performance, proving that she is more than just Woody Allen's sidekick. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Punishment for women who enjoy a night out and have sex without commitment. Must have ended in a frightening end The ending scene is very persistent. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member Diane Keaton is amazing in this movie about a teacher by day and party girl by night. Fascinating film that I have not forgotten since I first saw it as a teen. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Looking for Mr. Goodbar

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Raised in a strict Catholic family, Theresa (Diane Keaton) teaches deaf children during the day and cruises singles bars and discos at night. Theresa favors rough sex with random suitors, ignoring the advances of well-meaning but nerdy social worker James (William Atherton). Instead, Theresa pursues the likes of Tony (Richard Gere), whose threatening knife and swagger excite her. Theresa indulges in increasingly dangerous encounters, putting her life at risk.
Director
Richard Brooks
Producer
Freddie Fields
Screenwriter
Richard Brooks, Judith Rossner
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 7, 1977, Wide
Runtime
2h 15m