An Unmarried Woman
Martin (Michael Murphy) and Erica (Jill Clayburgh) are a successful New York couple who have been happily married for 17 years. The parents of Patti (Lisa Lucas), a precocious and witty teenager, they seem to have it all until Martin confesses to Erica that he is leaving her for another woman. Erica is emotionally devastated, unable to imagine life without her husband, and seeks comfort in therapy and her group of close woman friends. Ultimately, she is able to start over, finding fulfillment in her job at a Soho art gallery and a relationship with a passionate artist (Alan Bates). Erica is profoundly affected by her new freedom, finding strength within herself for the first time in her life. Clayburgh gives an excellent performance as a thoroughly modern woman of the 1970s forced to face her own fears and desires. Director Paul Mazursky's realistic and poignant portrayal of a generation of women in crisis was groundbreaking at the time of its release, capturing the true nature of women's friendships and struggles as well as the dilemma of divorce.
Member Reviews
A real life story told in the 70's - WVRealtor
I liked this movie, but also couldn't help laughing a bit too much at how add the 70's look now we are in 2011. Everything looked so dated and old and music accompaniment sort of drove me a little nuts as didn't fit the scene at all in my mind.
However the story is well told and I have to think the movie was well ahead of it's time. It's a classic jerk husband hitting midlife crisis story - of which is too often the case. It did remind me how old I must be!An Unmarried Woman - Pax79
I loved this movie when it first came out and saw it an unhealthy number of times during it's first run. Many years later it came to pass I found myself in somewhat the same situation as Erica, no Saul alas, but the romantic bits of the film aside, it turned out to be rather prophetic for me.
Certainly it is dated in a number of ways but for all that the realities of the experience of finding yourself adrift after making a marriage and family the core of your world hasn't changed all that much. I didn't think of the movie until months after I'd had my moment to say no which motivated me to search it out again. Dated though it may be it spoke to my reality, and on a more historical note, made me very glad of the progress we've all have made since the '70's.All a Matter of Prospective - McStinky
How you see this film and what you get out of it all comes down to prospective. It's unfortunate to say, but this prospective will likely be dictated by whether you are male or female. Being a man, the following review will most definitely be biased towards a man's prospective.
I think the message at the beginning of the movie is that Martin (Michael Murphy) is the scum bag for ending the marriage. There is a scene were Erica (Jill Clayburgh) and her friends lament about there being no strong role models for women and how they never had any self-esteem. As if the man in their lives took it away from them when their relationships ended.
After Erica starts seeing a psychiatrist who convinces her to get back into the “swing of life” Erica begins meeting other men. The first act of self-confidence building is going to bed with the prototypical sleaze ball from the office who had tried to convince her to sleep with him when she was still happily married. Later she does it again with a painter (Alan Bates) who takes an interest in her. She tells him that the only reason she slept with him was to “see what it feels like to make love to someone that I’m not in love with”. As Erica’s confidence builds she becomes more independent and appears to be less reliant on men. By the end of the movie she is seeing Saul the painter regularly but deflects all of his long term advances.
There is also a scene late in the movie when Martin tells Erica that his relationship with the younger women has ended, that he wants to get back together. She rejects his offer with a straight out no. She didn't need him anymore, just like he didn't need her earlier.
As the overview above states, this is a picture about women gaining control of their lives, gaining their independence. I think it might be a matter of opinion as to what degree women are being held back by being in a relationship, but at the very least this picture is thought provoking.
Member Reviews
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A real life story told in the 70's - WVRealtor
I liked this movie, but also couldn't help laughing a bit too much at how add the 70's look now we are in 2011. Everything looked so dated and old and music accompaniment sort of drove me a little nuts as didn't fit the scene at all in my mind.
However ...An Unmarried Woman - Pax79
I loved this movie when it first came out and saw it an unhealthy number of times during it's first run. Many years later it came to pass I found myself in somewhat the same situation as Erica, no Saul alas, but the romantic bits of the film aside, it turned ...All a Matter of Prospective - McStinky
How you see this film and what you get out of it all comes down to prospective. It's unfortunate to say, but this prospective will likely be dictated by whether you are male or female. Being a man, the following review will most definitely be biased towards ...