IMDb RATING
6.2/10
7.9K
YOUR RATING
A writer for a greeting card company discovers the struggles and tribulations of living alone after breaking up with his unfaithful girlfriend.A writer for a greeting card company discovers the struggles and tribulations of living alone after breaking up with his unfaithful girlfriend.A writer for a greeting card company discovers the struggles and tribulations of living alone after breaking up with his unfaithful girlfriend.
Joyce Brothers
- Joyce Brothers
- (as Dr. Joyce Brothers)
Dan Hannafin
- Park Guard
- (as Daniel P. Hannafin)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSteve Martin claims that he and Charles Grodin improvised 30% of their dialogue.
- GoofsThe mechanical chess game moves its rook and says, "Queen Rook to Queen Seven," taking Warren's queen, then says "Checkmate." The space it moves the rook to is King 7, not Queen 7. It is also not checkmate because there is no piece guarding the rook. Warren could have taken the rook with his king.
- Quotes
Warren Evans: I don't like to take naps. I don't like to wake up more than once a day. 'Cause when I first wake up I get that shock of who I am and everything. I... I really don't like to do that more than once a day.
Larry Hubbard: Ya.
- ConnectionsFeatured in At the Movies: Special Show: At the Cassette Store, Part 3 (1986)
- SoundtracksLove Comes Without Warning
Performed by America
Music by Jerry Goldsmith
Lyrics by John Bettis
Produced by Matt McCauley
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Featured review
The Lonely Guy (1984)
Director: Arthur Hiller
Watched: 12/26/19
Rating: 3/5
"I don't like to take naps. I don't like to wake up more than once a day. 'Cause when I first wake up I get that shock of who I am and everything. I... I really don't like to do that more than once a day."
A favorite quote, which shows how this film managed to be funny although it did at times go maybe too far in minimizing or making light of suicide (other examples include the nonchalant freak show of falling bodies on the Manhattan Bridge, suicides reported casually on the radio after the weather announcements). But this is a black comedy after all and Steve Martin makes up for this with his hilarious shenanigans. Favorite shticks included: spotlight activated for a single diner; psychiatrist via apartment call box; automated chess machine friend; ferns as friends; fake sweat for possible running meet-cute; party cutouts from "The Lonely Guy Store"; renting a guy to talk to your girlfriend or wife so she won't wait for you alone in a bar; donating blood in order to lay in bed with a woman; and man on foot "pulled over" by a police officer who then"escorts" him on foot, all along regular traffic on the move!
Steve Martin is certainly in his element and is slowed down only by the subpar writing. Which makes sense as to why he usually writes and directs the films he stars in. I have no doubt that "The Lonely Guy" would have been much better received if this were the case. The first 45 minutes of this film were outstanding- Hubbard is a newly minted Lonely Guy, does his best to cope and find a new girl, and his antics keep us engaged and laughing. But the story quickly runs out of steam after he gets inexplicably hooked on Iris and the writing loses its wittiness.
Cameos by Merv Griffin and Doctor Joyce Brothers were a nice touch but not quite enough to save the latter half of the film.
#cameo #comedy #dog #loneliness #NewYork #meta #narration #onaboat #pagetoscreen #publishingindustry #romanticcomedy #rooftopscene #subway #suicide #wedding
"I don't like to take naps. I don't like to wake up more than once a day. 'Cause when I first wake up I get that shock of who I am and everything. I... I really don't like to do that more than once a day."
A favorite quote, which shows how this film managed to be funny although it did at times go maybe too far in minimizing or making light of suicide (other examples include the nonchalant freak show of falling bodies on the Manhattan Bridge, suicides reported casually on the radio after the weather announcements). But this is a black comedy after all and Steve Martin makes up for this with his hilarious shenanigans. Favorite shticks included: spotlight activated for a single diner; psychiatrist via apartment call box; automated chess machine friend; ferns as friends; fake sweat for possible running meet-cute; party cutouts from "The Lonely Guy Store"; renting a guy to talk to your girlfriend or wife so she won't wait for you alone in a bar; donating blood in order to lay in bed with a woman; and man on foot "pulled over" by a police officer who then"escorts" him on foot, all along regular traffic on the move!
Steve Martin is certainly in his element and is slowed down only by the subpar writing. Which makes sense as to why he usually writes and directs the films he stars in. I have no doubt that "The Lonely Guy" would have been much better received if this were the case. The first 45 minutes of this film were outstanding- Hubbard is a newly minted Lonely Guy, does his best to cope and find a new girl, and his antics keep us engaged and laughing. But the story quickly runs out of steam after he gets inexplicably hooked on Iris and the writing loses its wittiness.
Cameos by Merv Griffin and Doctor Joyce Brothers were a nice touch but not quite enough to save the latter half of the film.
#cameo #comedy #dog #loneliness #NewYork #meta #narration #onaboat #pagetoscreen #publishingindustry #romanticcomedy #rooftopscene #subway #suicide #wedding
- ASuiGeneris
- Dec 31, 2019
- Permalink
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Ein Single kommt selten allein
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $5,718,573
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,072,130
- Jan 29, 1984
- Gross worldwide
- $5,718,573
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