The Lonely Guy (1984)

Powerful

A Major Disappointment

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

The Lonely Guy has been one of my favorite comedies since I first saw it on cable TV back in the '80s. I guess you have to have a somewhat offbeat sense of humor to really enjoy it, but to me this is easily Steve Martin's funniest movie. And he's not even the best part of it - Charles Grodin steals every scene he's in as Martin's pathetic friend Warren.You could point out that it's basically a one-joke movie, but they do a lot with the singular premise of coping with life as a lonely guy. Martin's character Larry gets advice from Warren about how to live alone, while simultaneously pursuing Iris, the girl of his dreams. For one reason or another, things just never quite work out with Iris, despite how successful Larry later gets by writing a guide book for lonely guys.A lot of the humor is pretty dry, which might by why this movie is a rare Steve Martin film from the '80s that wasn't hugely popular. I tried to find the movie on DVD years ago and it was only available as part of a boxed set of Steve Martin movies, kind of as a throw-in for people who wanted The Jerk on DVD. There are a lot of running jokes too (like the bits with the ferns and the stick chasing dog), so the movie rewards those who have a decent attention span. Definitely worth watching if you like offbeat comedies.

I went back to see this one after years and years. How does it hold up? It is pretty good but it has a weak ending. So many classic parts that any person who has found themselves alone has experienced will recognize. My wife and I laughed out loud at the first half. We both dated as adults and have had the feeling that you will never find anyone that makes sense. People will try anything to find the "one". You can find the one, but you won't know until you find them. That doesn't make sense to someone who has not found the "one" but once you do you will be satisfied. By the end though we were not invested in the characters enough and started fading out. Worth the watch. Steve Martin is a genius.

With a poll coming up on IMDbs Classic Film board for the best titles of 1984 I started to search around in my DVD folders,and I spotted a Steve Martin film which appeared to be really over looked,which led to me getting ready to find out how lonely things could be.The plot:Getting thrown out by his girlfriend Danielle, Larry Hubbard finds himself joining a growing part of society called "The lonely guy" which is men/women who don't have any friend/family/partner and spend all their time completely on their own.Meeting fellow lonely guy Warren Evans,Hubbard starts getting into the lonely guy lifestyle,from buying a plant who he can talk to,to getting cardboard cut-outs of celebrities who he can "invite" round for parties.Whilst Evans accepts his place in society,Hubbard decides that he must try to be the lonely guy who loses his loneliness.View on the film:In the first half of their adaptation of Bruce Jay Friedman's novel The Lonely Guy's Book of Life,writers Neil Simon/Stan Daniels & Ed. Weinberger give the screenplay a witty,fast-pace sketch Comedy outline,with Hubbard learning the lonely guy lifestyle step by step,from pretending to be a food critic in order to eat on his own,to buying "lonely sweat" in the hope of catching the eyes of a lonely girl.Whilst the second half's focus on Hubbard's attempts to get out of the lifestyle does lead to the film slowing down,the writers make sure to keep the laughs rolling with a jet-black Comedy edge,which goes from lonely guys all using the same suicide bridge,to a lonely howl on the rooftops.Given a misty Fantasy backdrop by director Arthur Hiller,Steve Martin gives an excellent performance as Larry Hubbard,with Martin making sure that no matter how left-field Hubbard's antics are,that Hubbard is always grounded with a desire to get rid of his loneliness.Joining Martin, Charles Grodin gives a hilarious performance as Warren Evans,who Grodin shows to be extremely uncomfortable in his own skin,whilst the pretty Judith Ivey gives some sassy charm as Iris,as Hubbard discovers how lonely things can get.

Who ever had the idea to film Bruce Jay Friedman's book "The Lonely Guy's Book of Life" is most likely out of work now. None of what was probably a wry, dry, occasionally witty user's guide is conveyed by Ed Weinberger and Stan Daniel's script (adapted by Neil Simon). Instead we get a lame, lousy, limp comedy with little to laugh at.Steve Martin tries his darnedest to give us a chuckle, and his infectious persona almost saves something from this flick. Alas he, and the likable Charles Grodin, can rescue nought from a pic whose one reasonable joke dies of loneliness.Also stars Judith Ivey and Dr. Joyce Brothers.Saturday, May 10, 1997 - Video