{"id":32578,"date":"2013-10-02T11:02:08","date_gmt":"2013-10-02T18:02:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=32578"},"modified":"2020-11-29T15:42:47","modified_gmt":"2020-11-29T22:42:47","slug":"barefoot-in-the-park-1967","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=32578","title":{"rendered":"Barefoot in the Park (1967)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Corie, if it&#8217;s a good marriage, it&#8217;ll last until 5:30.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Poster-121x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"121\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-55694\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Poster-121x300.jpg 121w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Poster-413x1024.jpg 413w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Poster-52x128.jpg 52w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Poster-109x270.jpg 109w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Poster.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 121px) 100vw, 121px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA newlywed couple &#8212; fun-loving Corie (Jane Fonda) and straitlaced Paul (Robert Redford) &#8212; struggle to adjust to married life in a tiny New York apartment.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Charles Boyer Films<\/li>\n<li>Jane Fonda Films<\/li>\n<li>Marital Problems<\/li>\n<li>Neil Simon Films<\/li>\n<li>Newlyweds<\/li>\n<li>Play Adaptations<\/li>\n<li>Robert Redford Films<\/li>\n<li>Romantic Comedy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThis early Neil Simon romantic comedy (based on his own <a href=\"http:\/\/ibdb.com\/production.php?id=3036\">long-running Broadway play<\/a>) remains a surprisingly irritating and dated dud. The primary problem lies with Fonda&#8217;s character &#8212; an enthusiastic young housewife who&#8217;s either clinging rapaciously to her husband&#8217;s shirt-tails or petulantly throwing a fit; one desperately wishes she could channel her energies into some kind of career. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Fonda.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Fonda-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-55692\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Fonda-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Fonda-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Fonda-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Fonda-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Fonda-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Fonda-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Fonda.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>(<a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0061385\/trivia?item=tr1291933\">Many actresses<\/a> were apparently considered for the role of &#8220;Corie&#8221;, yet she&#8217;s so poorly written that it&#8217;s actually difficult to imagine anyone having better success with her than Fonda.) We&#8217;re presumably meant to sympathize with poor Redford&#8217;s character (a stand-in for Simon himself) &#8212; an every-man who simply wants to go to work and earn a living; but he&#8217;s so dull and under-written that we don&#8217;t care much for him, either. Another critical concern is that we aren&#8217;t given sufficient motivation to care about the ultimate survival of this couple&#8217;s sexually charged yet perilously unstable marriage, which suffers from seemingly irreconcilable personality differences (she&#8217;s free-spirited and likes to walk &#8220;barefoot in the park&#8221;, while he&#8217;s more conservative). Meanwhile, a critical subplot involving Fonda&#8217;s attempt to set up her single mother (Mildred Natwick) with an enigmatic foodie neighbor (Charles Boyer) is simply tiresome &#8212; as are the running &#8220;gags&#8221; about how tiny and elevated the couple&#8217;s new apartment is. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Note: <\/strong>Simon would rework the basic concept of conflicting personality types attempting (unsuccessfully) to live together in his infinitely more clever and enjoyable comedy <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=31785\"><em>The Odd Couple<\/em> (1968)<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Mildred Natwick as Fonda&#8217;s mother, Ethel<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Natwick.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Natwick-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-32579\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Natwick-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Natwick-128x72.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Natwick-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Barefoot-in-the-Park-Natwick.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo; skip this one. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0061385\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1967\/05\/26\/archives\/the-screen-barefoot-in-the-parkcomedy-by-neil-simon-at-the-music.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/films\/2001\/05\/17\/barefoot_in_the_park_1967_review.shtml\">BBC Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/3988\/barefoot-in-the-park#articles-reviews?articleId=75750\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/london\/film\/barefoot-in-the-park\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Corie, if it&#8217;s a good marriage, it&#8217;ll last until 5:30.&#8221; Synopsis: A newlywed couple &#8212; fun-loving Corie (Jane Fonda) and straitlaced Paul (Robert Redford) &#8212; struggle to adjust to married life in a tiny New York apartment. Genres: Charles Boyer Films Jane Fonda Films Marital Problems Neil Simon Films Newlyweds Play Adaptations Robert Redford Films Romantic Comedy Review: This early Neil Simon romantic comedy (based on his own long-running Broadway play) remains a surprisingly irritating and dated dud. The primary&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=32578\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32578"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32578\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55695,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32578\/revisions\/55695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}