The Main Event

The Main Event tries to capture some of the flavour of those old '30s comedies in which the main characters were fast-talking, argumentative types who ultimately fell in love with other against all expectations. Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal are re-teamed seven years on from their much-admired What's Up Doc? but this film isn't really from the same league. It is, however, moderately enjoyable and sharply written.

Streisand plays Hilary Kramer, a successful business-woman who runs a perfume corporation. She discovers that her accountant has fled to South America with all her money and all her assets, leaving her ruined. However, the one contract that the accountant forgot to take with him is that of a boxer, Eddie "Kid Natural" Scanlon (Ryan O'Neal). Hilary threatens Kid Natural with breach of contract if he won't fight for her (even though he's barely been in the ring for goodness knows how many years). Eventually, Kid Natural agrees to box again but he turns out to be pretty useless. Undeterred, Hilary fixes up a lucrative fight with one of his old adversaries, but complications arise when she realises that she has actually fallen for him.

Fans of Streisand will undoubtedly enjoy the film. For others, it's a bit irritating. She gets into the role with heart and soul, but her constant fast-talk, put downs and wise one-liners becomes very wearing if you're not an admirer. O'Neal is frustratingly laid-hack and seems to be playing his role with the minimum of effort, but he somehow just about gets across a likable enough performance. The situations and incidents that comprise the plot are nicely thought-out. The only moment which feels wrong is the ending, wherein Streisand does something really crazy to prove her love for O'Neal but what she does would, in actual fact, probably annoy the hell out of him, yet he takes it really well and it all seems somewhat unbelievable. Still, The Main Event is undemanding entertainment and you could do a lot worse.

Exceptionally brassy, brawling comedy set mostly in the boxing ring. Barbra Streisand is a perfume executive with the #1 nose for business ("It's the kind of scent a man can give to a woman, a woman can give to a man, a man can give to a man, a woman can give to a woman, have I left anybody out?"). Unfortunately, she's been embezzled against and has lost all her finances, except the contract to a boxer who no longer boxes (he just spends her money). Streisand and Ryan O'Neal eke out some laughs from the groaning dialogue (a really bad joke regarding Patti D'Arbanville's threat to meddling Streisand is the most offensive). The plot coasts along on the amiable chemistry between the leads, though all they seem to do here is argue. It bottoms out in the final stretch, ending with an extremely weak climax which got boos from the theater audience I saw this with in 1979. Barbra looks pretty sexy though and--braless in T-shirts and showing lots o' leg in her short-shorts--don't think she doesn't want us to notice. *1/2 from ****

I echo the previous viewers comments. When released in 1979, THE MAIN EVENT was an immediate summer hit grossing $66 million in the US and $80 million around the world. The film was popular not only because it reunited the stars of the 1972 blockbuster WHAT'S UP, DOC?, but also because of it's light tone and old-fashioned fun.

The story doesn't really matter, all you need to know is that the chemistry between the stars is fun and exciting and the screenplay gives them plenty of room to inhabit the screen. Streisand is as lovable as ever and O'Neal has rarely been more charming.

As I said before: Good fun! 7/10.

I have to ask how do you get a job like Ryan O'Neal had. Imagine a promising fighter who injures his hand and doesn't box for four years. But he and trainer Whitman Mayo live on the arm and just show up and hang out at a gym for with all their living expenses paid and are on salary. It's all because perfume tycoon Barbra Streisand is using this as one of many tax dodges set up by her manager.

But said manager has up and fled the country taking his clients assets except for O'Neal. So now O'Neal has to fight in earnest because Barbra is broke and the gravy train is over. Barbra having nothing else to do becomes O'Neal's manager.

Like that old line about 'Ginger Rogers running the Brooklyn Dodgers' from Hollywood Hotel that sums up the comedy in The Main Event which is what Streisand and O'Neal are striving for. She's just a fish out of water. But dare I say it because Barbra hates him, but her character shows a Trump like ability to garner free publicity. And ballyhoo is an integral part of boxing.

Taking up where they left off from What's Up Doc, Streisand and O'Neal have a well meshed chemistry. Have to also give big kudos to James Gregory as the Mike Jacobs like fight promoter who knows box office when he sees it.

Funniest scenes in the film are at O'Neal's training camp where Barbra is trying very hard to fit into this most masculine of worlds. Not an easy fit by any means.

The Main Event is a fun film, the only comedy I can recall about boxing.

Reuniting seven years after What's Up, Doc?, Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal play a boxer and manager in the aptly titled The Main Event. If you're having trouble picturing Barbra as a boxing manager, don't worry. She only takes that job as a last-ditch effort to get her money back after losing her fortune, and she isn't supposed to know the ropes-no pun intended.

Of course, since this is a comedy, Ryan and Barbra fall in love while she's training him. It's a classic case of love-at-first-hate for the pair, so if you like that sort of banter, you'll probably like this classic '70s romantic comedy. As for me, I'm more than happy to watch this movie anytime because of the fabulous title song - one of my favorite Barbra tunes!