The Entertainment
The Entertainment
17. Finding The Heartbreak Kid
0:00
Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -53:59
-53:59

17. Finding The Heartbreak Kid

Part Two of our four part series on the films and legacy of Elaine May
The Heartbreak Kid - Movies - Special Screenings - The Austin Chronicle
Jeannie Berlin and Charles Grodin in The Heartbreak Kid

If A New Leaf was a romantic comedy with a tinge of attempted murder that ultimately gave way to sweetness, The Heartbreak Kid is a murderless romantic comedy that is much more brutal. Directed by Elaine May and written by Neil Simon, The Heartbreak Kid tells the story of Lenny Cantrow (Charles Grodin), a newlywed who falls out of love with his wife Lila (Jeannie Berlin) during their honeymoon, only to become infatuated with the beautiful and unattainable Kelly (Cybill Shepherd). What ensues is maybe the earliest example of what today we might call cringe comedy. And, despite the film attaining a classic status, good luck finding it by traditional means.

The Entertainment is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Today’s show features insights from Elizabeth Purchell, Carrie Courogen, Ethan Warren, and Matt Singer about the film’s production history, bizarre distribution purgatory, and legacy. Purchell is currently working with theaters around the country to bring The Heartbreak Kid back to the big screen from a newly discovered print. Courogen is the author of the upcoming Miss May Does Not Exist: The Life and Work of Elaine May, Hollywood’s Hidden Genius, which will be available wherever you get books on June 4th. Warren wrote about The Heartbreak Kid in his Bright Wall/Dark Room essay “Still Heartbroken After All These Years.” And Singer is the author of Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel and Ebert Changed Movies Forever.

Keep the conversation going. Follow The Entertainment on Facebook, Instagram, or Substack and let us know what you think. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app and we’d love it if you gave us a review. The Entertainment is a production of KIOS 91.5 FM Omaha Public Radio. It is produced and edited by Courtney Bierman. Our artwork was created by Topher Booth.

Tune in next week for our episode on Mikey and Nicky.

Thank you for reading The Entertainment. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Share

Discussion about this podcast

The Entertainment
The Entertainment
Everything we do is filtered through entertainment. If it’s not entertaining, there is a good chance that nobody is paying attention. So, to understand the world, you have to not only look at your screen but comprehend what is on it. Where does our entertainment come from? Why? How is it shaped by the world around us and how is it shaping that same world?
This is the focus of The Entertainment. Each week, host Tom Knoblauch explores an element of our culture through conversations with creators and consumers of film, television, music, art, and more.