{"id":92050,"date":"2023-09-25T13:29:09","date_gmt":"2023-09-25T20:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=92050"},"modified":"2023-10-01T13:14:54","modified_gmt":"2023-10-01T20:14:54","slug":"unmarried-woman-an-1978","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=92050","title":{"rendered":"Unmarried Woman, An (1978)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;You are a very complicated woman.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Poster-196x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"196\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-92051\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Poster-196x300.png 196w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Poster-84x128.png 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Poster-176x270.png 176w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Poster.png 615w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 196px) 100vw, 196px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen Erica (Jill Clayburgh) is told by her husband (Michael Murphy) that he&#8217;s leaving her for a younger woman, she and her daughter (Lisa Lucas) both experience shock and anger &#8212; but once Erica begins seeing a therapist (Penelope Russianoff) and ventures out to have affairs of her own, she starts to view her new life in a different light.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Alan Bates Films<\/li>\n<li>Divorce<\/li>\n<li>Feminism and Women&#8217;s Issues<\/li>\n<li>Jill Clayburgh Films<\/li>\n<li>Michael Murphy Films<\/li>\n<li>Paul Mazursky Films<\/li>\n<li>Sexuality<\/li>\n<li>Strong Females<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that &#8220;Paul Mazursky&#8217;s seriocomedy about a woman in her thirties&#8230; who must put her life back together after her husband&#8230; suddenly dumps her&#8221; was &#8220;hailed as a ground-breaking feminist film, but, considering that the women&#8217;s movement had been going strong for a good eight years, it was long overdue and daring only by Hollywood standards.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Confessing.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Confessing-1024x551.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-92054\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Confessing-1024x551.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Confessing-300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Confessing-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Confessing-768x413.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Confessing-502x270.png 502w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Confessing.png 1285w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>He adds that &#8220;nevertheless, it is an interesting film, sensitively made by a male director-screenwriter who obviously feels compassion for his female lead and disappointment in the man who let her down.&#8221; He asserts that &#8220;Clayburgh should have won an Oscar playing Erica&#8221; &#8212; and in <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>, he gives her this award, noting that Clayburgh &#8220;makes us feel [Erica&#8217;s] confusion and humiliation; her initial hatred for and distrust of <em>all<\/em> men&#8221;: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Doctor.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Doctor-1024x549.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"343\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-92055\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Doctor-1024x549.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Doctor-300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Doctor-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Doctor-768x411.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Doctor-504x270.png 504w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Doctor.png 1314w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; &#8220;her jealousy toward her teenage daughter for having a boyfriend, and her worry that her &#8216;baby&#8217; is getting too involved with someone of the heartless gender; her desperate need to pull herself out of the dark abyss when she sees a psychiatrist&#8221;: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Therapist.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Therapist-1024x549.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"343\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-92056\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Therapist-1024x549.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Therapist-300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Therapist-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Therapist-768x412.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Therapist-503x270.png 503w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Therapist.png 1290w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; &#8220;her timidity around new men, curiosity about them and how she&#8217;ll respond toward them sexually, and her improved self-image when she does herself proud during a one-night stand (with Cliff Gorman).&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-One-Night-Stand.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-One-Night-Stand-1024x554.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"346\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-92057\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-One-Night-Stand-1024x554.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-One-Night-Stand-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-One-Night-Stand-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-One-Night-Stand-768x415.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-One-Night-Stand-499x270.png 499w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-One-Night-Stand.png 1293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>We also see &#8220;her realization that she is a desirable woman because of her mutually satisfying relationship with a friendly, handsome artist, Saul (Alan Bates)&#8221;: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Bates.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Bates-1024x548.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"343\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-92058\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Bates-1024x548.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Bates-300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Bates-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Bates-768x411.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Bates-505x270.png 505w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Bates.png 1295w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>SPOILER ALERT <\/p>\n<p>&#8230; &#8220;and her final delighted discovery that she has gained control of her life for the first time and that being alone and single is scary but exciting.&#8221; He adds that &#8220;many viewers couldn&#8217;t understand why Erica wouldn&#8217;t marry Saul, when he (as played by Bates) seems like the man of most women&#8217;s dreams&#8221; &#8212; but &#8220;we agree with her decision to be independent because we see she has blossomed while alone.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Studio2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Studio2-1024x551.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"344\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-92066\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Studio2-1024x551.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Studio2-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Studio2-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Studio2-768x414.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Studio2-501x270.png 501w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Studio2.png 1298w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Peary argues that &#8220;while this film may have gotten its landmark status by default, it is a perceptive portrait of a woman who becomes more interesting by the moment&#8221; &#8212; and for the most part, I would agree. Mazursky&#8217;s film has held up well, and continues to offer a compelling look at the turmoil and triumph that emerge from something as awful as being duped and dumped by your life partner. (To that end, Murphy&#8217;s character is truly despicable &#8212; so it&#8217;s especially gratifying to see Clayburgh staying strong around him.) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Jill Clayburgh as Erica<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Daughter-Depressed.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Daughter-Depressed-1024x553.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"346\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-92060\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Daughter-Depressed-1024x553.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Daughter-Depressed-300x162.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Daughter-Depressed-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Daughter-Depressed-768x414.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Daughter-Depressed-500x270.png 500w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Daughter-Depressed.png 1288w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Good use of New York City location shooting<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Running-Bridge2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Running-Bridge2-1024x557.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"348\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-92068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Running-Bridge2-1024x557.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Running-Bridge2-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Running-Bridge2-128x70.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Running-Bridge2-768x418.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Running-Bridge2-496x270.png 496w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Unmarried-Woman-Running-Bridge2.png 1285w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, for Clayburgh&#8217;s performance. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Noteworthy Performance(s)<\/li>\n<li>Oscar Winner or Nominee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0078444\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1978\/03\/05\/archives\/an-unmarried-woman-film-with-jill-clayburghthe-cast.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s1871woma.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;You are a very complicated woman.&#8221; Synopsis: When Erica (Jill Clayburgh) is told by her husband (Michael Murphy) that he&#8217;s leaving her for a younger woman, she and her daughter (Lisa Lucas) both experience shock and anger &#8212; but once Erica begins seeing a therapist (Penelope Russianoff) and ventures out to have affairs of her own, she starts to view her new life in a different light. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Alan Bates Films Divorce Feminism and Women&#8217;s Issues&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=92050\"> 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":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92050","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=92050"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92050\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92229,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92050\/revisions\/92229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=92050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=92050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=92050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}