Diary of a Mad Housewife

Carrie Snodgress (a very unattractive name for, at least in THIS film, an attractive woman) gives one of the great, edgy film performances of the early 70's. The early 70's seems to be when some of the best films in recent years were made. This story of a bored housewife in New York who has an affair with a young Frank Langella is rarely seen on TV but you should rent it as soon as possible and witness some great movie entertainment. Frank also gives one of his best performances in this. As a matter of fact, Frank, Carrie and Richard Benji haven't really made a film anywhere near as good as this since. Its been all downhill for the three of them since. Hopefully their careers will have good third acts, ya dig?

Richard Benjamin would drive anyone crazy in 'Diary of a Mad Housewife'(1970).Benjamin and wife Carrie Snodgrass are an upper- middle class New York couple, he totally absorbed with social climbing and Ms. Snodgrass bored to death with her isolated life.Director Frank Perry(David and Lisa) does an excellent job directing this sometimes funny, sometimes sad film of a materialistic, yet emotionally empty lifestyle.Script by Eleanor Perry.

This highly entertaining and memorable film provides a glimpse into a New York of not so long ago that now exists only in memory. But Diary of a Mad Housewife ultimately succeeds on the strength of its actors, particularly Snodgress, who plays a Smith graduate-turned prisoner of a Central Park West apartment inhabited by her overbearing, pitifully ambitious husband and spoiled daughters. Her performance is somehow flat and anemic but compelling at the same time--a combination that seems to have been consciously emulated by Chloe Sevigny in The Last Days of Disco.

Bejamin is perfectly cast as the insufferable husband, adenoidally petulant and demanding. When Snodgress's patience is finally exhausted, she takes up with Langella, a glowering animal presence as a bad-boy writer whose selfishness, it turns out, rivals and even exceeds Benjamin's.

The husband and wife represent two people whose lack of use for their education has led them astray: Snodgress finds herself in a state of frustration with the humiliations of her housewifely duties, and Benjamin, unappreciated in his office, comes up with ill-fated schemes for self-expression and social advancement.

All in all, the film brings The Feminine Mystique to life in unexpectedly original and diverting ways.

Singer songwriter Neil Young was watching this very movie on TV in the early seventies. He fell in love with Carrie Snodgrass,eventually meeting her and having a son with her. They never married. The incident was immortalized in song on his legendary Harvest album in 1972. The song is entitled A Man Needs A Maid . The last verse tells the story: "A while ago somewhere I don't know when I was watching a movie with a friend. I fell in love with the actress. She was playing a part that I could understand.

A maid. A man needs a maid. A maid." Lyrics by Neil Young Because of this song I searched out the movie and just loved it. When will it be issued on DVD. After reading the review by the experiment in editing guy, I would just love to see his version. I am not sure which version I saw. I think it was the darker version.

There are two different versions of this movie, one for t.v. and one on video. They're both the same length, but they are incredibly different in tone. On t.v., the movie is about a harried housewife who has a brief (mostly offscreen) affair as part of her attempt to make sense of her life. On video, the movie is a dark portrayal of an illicit affair, emphasizing the sexual dysfunctions of everyone involved. If one reads the book, it is clear that both versions are unsatisfying--the best solution is a "Director's Cut," like the one I made on my own, that incorporates all the scenes and brings the running time up to a tolerable 2 hrs even. This makes it an almost perfect adaptation of the book, and a very fulfilling movie. Here's hoping someone, someday, has the sense to release this great old film on DVD this way.

Career-defining roles for Carrie Snodgrass, Richard Benjamin and Frank Langella, as well as a wonderful blend of humor and drama.

And the little brats are just great: "Why, even the salad isn't normal--mooky oranges and cut up plants!"