User reviews

A young man meets a young woman and falls in love. Then as the relationship develops the man discovers that the young woman, who is beautiful and charming, is a confused shrill who is using him to act out against her parents. Now the man has to make a decision: stay or leave. This movie is remarkable for one reason: Ali McGraw. Thirty-five years ago Ali McGraw was a mega-superstar and is a truly great actress. Ali McGraw makes this movie watchable. Her performance, in this noteworthy movie, was great. This is not an upbeat movie and does not have any heroes. None of the characters in this movie are particularly likable, especially the Richard Benjamin character whose perpetual scowl reflects a condescending arrogance that adds to the movie's negativity. But that does not mean that this is a bad movie. Quite the contrary. It's a well acted, well-scripted movie that tells a story. But don't expect a happy story.

I remember enjoying this film in the theater. I saw some similarities between my life and that of the Potamkins, if not their religion, the suburban household complete with a father from the city. College-bound, I looked to Ali McGraw as a role model. She always conveyed the image of the east coast college girl portrayed in Seventeen magazine, Glamour and Mademoiselle, wearing the clothes shown in these magazines. I was also struck by Jack Klugman's performance as the provider operating a plumbing supply business in the Bronx. Like Jack Klugman, my Dad grew up in South Philadelphia. My uncle stayed there, commuting to a lumberyard in North Philly. Jack Klugman should have been nominated for and won an Oscar just for that scene with Neil in his office, leaving an impression on me long after leaving the theater. Neil himself? I worked in a library, too, and really liked it! Finally, the romance. I dated a Jewish guy from Northeast Philly. Whenever his parents came home from a wedding, they compared the reception to the one in this film.

The title has nothing to do with the Italian gentleman who crossed the ocean blue in 1492. It refers to the fact that one of the characters studied at Ohio State University in Columbus; upon graduation he and his classmates were presented with a record nostalgically recalling their student days and ending with the words "goodbye, Columbus". The film is based on a novella by Philip Roth, but as it is a long time since I read it I will not make any comparisons.

The story deals with a romance between two twenty-something Jewish New Yorkers, librarian Neil Klugman and Brenda Patimkin, a Radcliffe student from a wealthy family. The main obstacle to their love is a difference in social class. Neil is intelligent and well-educated, but originally from a working-class background, and Brenda's nouveau riche social-climbing parents do not see him as a suitable husband for their daughter. (Some branches of Neil's family, however, are presumably wealthier, as his cousin Doris belongs to the same exclusive country club as Brenda). Other issues discussed include (unsurprisingly for a film which appeared in 1969 during the so-called "sexual revolution") include premarital sex and contraception; Neil is horrified to discover that Brenda does not intend to take any precautions to avoid unwanted pregnancy.

I was surprised to see so many reviews on this board comparing this film, sometimes favourably, to "The Graduate", which I have long regarded as one of the greatest American films of the era. Certainly, there are some similarities- both came out in the late sixties, both are boy-girl romances and in both the main male character is a university graduate. (Neil is a graduate of Rutgers University; it was Brenda's brother Ron who was at Columbus).

The main themes of the two films, however, are different. "The Graduate" is a brilliant analysis of the "generation gap", a particularly pertinent topic at a time when relations between a conservative older generation and their radicalised sons and daughters were looking increasingly strained in many Western societies, particularly in America. "Goodbye Columbus" is mainly about social class, a theme which plays no part in "The Graduate", but does not deal with it in any great depth. It is an amiable comedy-drama, and Richard Benjamin and a pre-"Love Story" Ali MacGraw play their parts reasonably well as the two young lovers, but it lacks the depth and power of Mike Nichols's drama. 6/10.

Many of Philip Roth's novels plough the same furrow. A sane, rational, sensible Jewish man has a difficult life because of oppressive Jewish society amongst well-off New Yorkers, in which women are capricious, malevolent, and obsessed with frippery and social position. This one is an example.

Richard Benjamin, often looking remarkably like Rowan Atkinson, plays Philip Roth (under the name of Neil Klugman), opposite Ali McGraw in her first cinema role. She's a Jewish-American Princess - and this was probably the movie which exposed this species to the world outside New York State.

Everybody except Roth is incredibly shallow and boneheaded, although the father, nicely played by Jack Klugman, is allowed a certain rough honest grace and decency.

The main message one gets from the film is that the wealthy of Westchester County are unpleasant people, Jewish-American Princesses especially so, but even they pale in comparison with their ghastly mothers.

In the book, Roth's ability as a writer enlivens the proceedings, but his verbal felicity isn't translated into the visuals of the screenplay, and the film is laboured.

This film oozes charm. There are some similarities to "The Graduate" but messages conveyed are less heavy-handed. There are so many memorable scenes: the kid in the library, introducing college grads to each other, the wedding, etc. The casting is excellent and the resemblance of the younger daughter to the father is uncanny. The character "Ron" steals the show in some respects (I love to shake hands as he does when I encounter snobs). This is probably Richard Benjamin's best role and finest performance. I first saw this film when I was about ten. I've seen it about four times in total. It's certainly not for everyone. If you loved "Top Gun", skip it. If you like to champion good films that have been overlooked, check it out.

I recently watched 'Goodbye Columbus' as I hadn't seen it in years. For me, the movie didn't hold up as well as I originally remembered, however it is still a film worth watching in my opinion.

I think this is the type of movie that is ripe for a remake provided they don't turn it into a farce and stay true to the original theme. The filming and dialogue did seem out of date but the story-line and acting were terrific and it is rare these day's that you see the subtle play of the character actors contribute so much to the story- line.

I recommend this movie but bear in mind is dealing with certain issues that were relevant at that time and today not so much.

The two main characters were great neither were saint or sinner but a product of their environment trying to break free. I think the character of Neal has a certain realization at the end of the film but I don't if the character would have any prolific change. As for Ali McGraw's character I sort of feel the same way, she comes to see herself as she is and I would think she would most likely stay the way the way she is, comfortably numb in her world.

If you like movies like 'the Graduate' I think you may like the movie, if not for the story then at least as a period piece from the late sixties.

A splendid film for a lot of reasons. The Phillip Roth novel from which the film was adapted supplies unusually good dialogue for the script and an excellent structure on which the director can hang visual and audio elements that meaningfully support the story. Check out how well the musical score shifts to support the mood of each scene. Then there is an excellent cast.

The title is a reference to the brother, a basketball player at Ohio State in Columbus, who frequently listens to an OSU sports commentary that signs off with "Goodbye Columbus". And the song lyrics "Hello life, goodbye Columbus" relate to leaving the protection of home/school to face the world.

Although "Goodbye Columbus" is usually thought of as the "The Graduate" with a different ending, it is much more like "Adam at 6AM". The three films were made at the very end of the 1960's, all had a searching young man as their main character, and all revolved around a new romantic relationship. But in "Goodbye Columbus" and "Adam" the tension is not between different generations but between different backgrounds and values. In both the young man eventually realizes that these differences cannot be overcome and both films go out with shots of him leaving.

At the time of its release "Goodbye Columbus" was more dated than the other two more "with-it" movies, which at least acknowledge the counterculture changes that were taking place at the time. Ironically, 35 years later, its failure to incorporate these references make it the least dated of the three films.

The soundtrack album featuring "The Association" (and incidental music composed by Charles Fox) was probably the kiss of death for that group's credibility whatever their musical merits. While cool to be part of an outside film like "Easy Rider", it was uncool to be associated with a Hollywood product like "Goodbye Columbus". This was the summer of Woodstock and by then "The Association" had pretty much lost their audience. In addition to the title song they contributed "It's Gotta Be Real" and "So Kind To Me."

It's two most famous scenes have held up very well: the montage of Ali MacGraw swimming during the title sequence and the comical wedding guests "pig-out" at the buffet table.

This was the film that really introduced fashion model Ali MacGraw to movie viewers. She was 28 playing a 21 year-old college student. Much more believably than just a year later in the somewhat pathetic "Love Story". Physically MacGraw passes fine for a younger woman and being older probably helped her hold her own in scenes with the more experienced Richard Benjamin, Nan Martin, and Jack Klugman. She is excellent in this role and manages to stay accessible and genuine while also projecting poise, grace and beauty.

Benjamin's character is genuinely attracted to MacGraw but seems to maintain a healthy skepticism about the romance (along with pretty much everything in life). MacGraw's Brenda finds him attractive because of his differences but she is really her Daddy's girl and her rebellion is more playful than serious. The best scene is the father-daughter session at the wedding very late in the film. Jack Klugman character knows just the right buttons to push and it is at this point that you know the romance is truly doomed.

The cinematography is first-rate and while the widescreen DVD showcases this, it has been inexcusably trimmed to qualify it for a "PG" rating. The DVD version is only 101 minutes long. Entire sequences have been deleted including the critical first sex sequence where birth control methods are discussed (foreshadowing) and the sequence with the rationale for his moving in with the family for two weeks. Also missing is all the vaguely graphic elements dealing with her initial refusal to have sex. If you are a first time viewer watching the DVD version and find puzzling narrative gaps in the story or incomplete motivational explanations, the trimming is the reason. The trimmed sequences are on the "R" rated VHS, so to see this as intended (widescreen and uncut) you will need to buy both the DVD and the VHS and reconstruct things.

Philip Roth's novella becomes glossy, smart-ass, "Graduate"-styled coming-of-age comedy-drama about a young man in New York, a librarian just out of the Army and living with his aunt and uncle, who courts a beautiful college girl from the country club set. Director Larry Peerce exaggerates the Jewish characters for a punchline, making the girl an insensitive brat and her frightful family an impolite bunch of boors (their nouveau riche surroundings may be plush, but their manners are low-class). A lightweight, rather obvious, somewhat self-conscious affair, watchable without being a moving experience. Admirers tend to remember select elements from the film--the hand-holding montages and rowboat kisses, the pop soundtrack, Ali MacGraw in the swimming pool--and forget the gross, pushy jokes and 'with-it' modern attributes. ** from ****

This movie was meaninful to me because the characters represent real people. People who the main character, Neil, rejects (or at least cannot relate to) because of what they represent. For example, the hard-charging businessman played by Jack Klugman, who's portrayed in his plumbing-supply office screaming into the phone, making deals. The brother, played by Michael Myers (not the famous Mike Myers) is the ultimate very-dumb jock. And, of course, Ali McGraw, who's is actually torn between being the good Jewish American Princess and her attraction to Neil. Her father (Klugman) is dumbfounded when he learns that Neil doesn't really mind being a librarian. Finally, Richard Benjamin's Neil, is a kind of existential Jewish outsider who can't relate to the affluence displayed by the Patimkins. One of the more memorable scenes in the movie: Neil discovers a second refrigerator in the Patimkin's basement PACKED with food. Are these people real? They are. And even though the movie is 35 years old we can still relate to these characters. Thank you Phiip Roth.

At the dinner table Harriet, Ron's fiancé, is supposed to call at 5 o'clock and Julie, his little sister, is confused and says that it already was 5 o'clock. She is then told that it is 5 o'clock in Columbus and asks if you could travel back and forth and never grow old. Brenda supports this sarcastically, "Oh that's right sweetie" and is than castigated by her mother for giving the younger sibling misinformation. I am assuming that they mean Columbus,Ohio, the location of Ohio State, Ron's school, but this makes no sense since Columbus, Ohio is in the same EST time zone as Purchase, New York where the action is taking place. This appeared to be a goof, but I was at a loss to explain it until I reread the original Philip Roth Novella, which placed Harriet in Milwaukee and in the Central Time Zone. The screenwriter put her in Columbus for some reason, but neglected to realize that Columbus is in the Eastern Time Zone and that this great dialog would have this inaccuracy.

Thi movie started out fine. It seemed like it would be an interesting and humorous look at playboy sexuality. Somewhere along the line, it lost its way. It flits from subject to subject and has an ending that is as meaningless as the whole flick.

What are we to make of the dated conversation between McGraw and her lover where she blithely admits that she's been using no contraception because,"What do you think? People just get pregnant the first few times they have sex?" Um.. yeah. This couple actually breaks up because her parents find out they are having sex. She has some sort of emotional breakdown over it and he walks out. The End. Huh??? Other issues covered include Judaism father/daughter relations and male insensitivity. None of them well or in depth. It is inconceivable to me that this lame "comedy" actually won an Oscar for best screenplay. Just goes to show the academy's taste can be inexplicable.

Truly a period piece, Goodbye, Columbus is, certainly, an attempt to show the differences between two people of the Jewish religion. While I agree with many of the folks that commented on this film regarding the differences between Brenda's family and Neil's family, I don't see it as a matter of the wealthier character's family having no class and the poorer character having much more. I knew many families that were similar. My upbringing was more similar to Neil's as we were not wealthy. Klugman convey's the typical successful Jewish business man with a good heart. He works hard to provide a very comfortable environment for his wife and children. He is a very loving father and doesn't flaunt his wealth in the film. His family means everything to him. Benjamin's character, while exposed on occasion to the "good life", is content in knowing that he's OK despite his modest position in life. What's important in this film is that he knows there may be something in life that is better than working in a library, but he's not about to sell his soul to get rich just for the sake of being able to live the Potimkin's lifestyle. This film accurately portrays a young man early in his career and life and one of his early attempts at choosing between a safe secure future by marrying a beautiful, intelligent and not-too-spoiled Jewish girl or trying to see if he's really in love with HER and not the family money or trappings. This was a relatively low budget film that made you think. It tried to show how tough it is for a poorer man to deal with his demons in choosing the kind of woman and life he wanted. All in all, this film is an accurate slice of life in the Jewish community and is as relevant today as it was then.

You know the movie is in trouble when Jack Klugman gives the best performance. He really gets the meaning of "goniff." And he drives it home!

If this is Philip Roth's Great Gatsby, you can see where the problem lies. Jay Gatsby adores Daisy Buchanan. He forgives her mistakes. He's hurt by her but he never judges her. But the hero in this dreary story has already judged the girl the minute he walks into her house. He doesn't worship her. He thinks he's better then she is. So how can you believe she's hurt him? Or that when she rejects him he's losing something precious? This movie actually sneers at the idea of loss. And the idea of nostalgia. And the title refers to a college, not an explorer.

The look of the film is very 1969 (the year it came out), but the attitudes are very much 1962. Two Dartmouth students yell with glee when they meet at a party that one is Class of '64 and the other is Class of '66. Brenda, the female lead character, relates how surprised she was when as a little girl her father had shown her 2 $100 bills. She had never seen a $100 bill before.

For a modern audience to enjoy this film, you have to look at it as a period piece. After all, the film's tag line is "Every father's daughter is a virgin". You know you are not in 2004. Not all of the biting satire still holds, but the romance does. Both Ali MacGraw and Jack Klugman give very warm, appealing performances.

It is amazing how many thing have changed in the last 35 years...and how many thing haven't changed. An interesting film from a time when there were "good girls" and "bad girls" and a bride wearing white meant something.

I had only a vague recollection of this film, but remembered it being rather unique. I bought the DVD because the film rarely shows up on TV. I was not disappointed. After 35 years, it holds up remarkably well. Sure, many props are out of date (cars, wired telephones), as are some of the cinematic techniques (clumsy zoom shots, montages), but the issues of social class and ethnic stereotypes remain highly relevant.

The disenfranchised and disillusioned hero became a staple of late 1960s movies, and this film actually makes a fine companion piece to "The Graduate." However, the two films diverge widely in resolving their conflicts, making the comparison all the more interesting.

Much of the credit for the success of this film, which is never less than engrossing, goes to the performers. Ali MacGraw is a revelation. In the years since, she has proved to be less than a great actress. Here, she's sensational. She's practically on screen the whole time, giving charm and nuance to the central character she plays. Jack Klugman is entirely convincing as her benevolent and loving father. Richard Benjamin does outstanding work as well. Supporting players are vulgar stereotypes, but serve as shorthand in getting the major themes across.

The film is an expert blend of humor and drama, leaving the audience with much to think about after it's over. Highly recommended.

I recently saw this film again after seeing it when I was twelve (progressive Jewish parents).

I didn't remember much about it except that Ali MacGraw took her clothes off, that it reminded me A lot of my family at the time, and that there was a very moving scene in a library with Richard Benjamin and a small African American boy.

I was right on all counts -- Ali looks great (her first film), it STILL reminds me of my family and when I showed it to some friends of mine (also Jewish) they all said the same about their families, and the scene in the library is just as I remembered it. I was as moved today, some 36 years later, as I was back then.

A wonderful comedy.

This was the introduction of Ali MacGraw to movie audiences. I can't think of anyone who could have played Brenda Patimkin more believably. She is perfectly cast, as the spoiled, self-involved, smart, gorgeous princess daughter of a wealthy Jewish family. No one plays spoiled, bright and beautiful better than Ali MacGraw.

I also love Richard Benjamin as her unmotivated, anything but ambitious suitor, Neil Klugman. He is the antithesis of everything Brenda and her family epitomize. The dichotomy is that while he espouses supposed disdain for all they represent -- he is more than willing to be seduced.

There is a classic scene where Neil is stuffing his pockets full of grapes and is caught by the younger sister. He tries to hide the fact that his pockets are gorged with luscious fruit. But she calls him out on what he is doing.

The romance is a departure for Brenda. Neil, though Jewish, is a forbidden fruit of sorts. He is not ambitious or destined to be successful husband material. Therefore he is a completely inappropriate choice of suitor for Brenda. This of course makes him all the more attractive -- at least temporarily for Brenda who is rebelling against her mother.

I saw Goodbye, Columbus when it was released and found it almost as profound and moving as The Graduate. Why has this movie been so neglected and forgotten? Why is it not shown on network or cable? It's terrific and still timely. Anyone have any ideas?

I really enjoyed this Comedy/Romance movie, it was surprisingly realistic and thoroughly enjoyable. Won't tell you the plot or ending but don't expect the standard formula. What really made me rate this highly (a 9/10) is how well it sticks in my memory and how enjoyable it is to think of afterwards as well as watch.

This film has the two elements that distinguish a successful film: 1) humanity 2) truth. The characters are fully rounded and the kind you become genuinely interested in and even attached to.

Richard Benjamin nails his role in a beautifully crafted performance and Ali McGraw sparkles in this early screen appearance. There is a warmth and love for humanity that permeates the entire film, so that even when events take an unfortunate turn, you will still feel the joy of life that the film celebrates.

Highly recommended and the dated Sixties dance moves are a delightful bonus!