“Marriage is a legal commitment to grow annoyed with one person for the rest of your life.”
synopsis
Newlyweds Corie and Paul move into a tiny, drafty New York apartment — five flights up, no elevator — and quickly discover that marriage is less about romance and more about compromise. She’s spontaneous and impulsive; he’s cautious and practical. The clash between their temperaments becomes both battleground and bonding ground.
pairs well with ...
mini-review
Based on Neil Simon’s play, this is witty, theatrical, and very much a product of its era. Jane Fonda brings spark; Robert Redford plays the straight man with controlled frustration. The film thrives on dialogue and character contrast rather than plot mechanics. It’s light but not weightless — there’s real friction beneath the banter. Not elite-tier, but sharply executed and still charming.
Classic cocktails and the kind of evening where you don’t mind dialogue doing the heavy lifting.
Absurdist's Corner
That apartment would rent for approximately $4,800 a month today.
fun facts
Adapted directly from Neil Simon’s Broadway hit.
The apartment set was designed to feel increasingly claustrophobic as tensions rise.
Redford and Fonda would reunite years later in The Electric Horseman.