Arthur (1981)
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A spoiled, alcoholic millionaire must choose between a wealthy arranged marriage and a working-class woman he actually loves.
The story
Arthur Bach is a spoiled, alcoholic man-child in New York City who enjoys living a life of luxury. He is the heir to a vast fortune, but only on the condition that he marries Susan Johnson, the daughter of a business acquaintance. While Arthur has no feelings for Susan, his family believes she will help him mature. During a shopping trip in Manhattan, Arthur encounters Linda Marolla, a working-class woman from Queens, and finds himself instantly attracted to her. Despite his growing feelings for Linda, Arthur remains under intense pressure from his family to proceed with the arranged marriage to Susan.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Arthur Bach, a wealthy alcoholic, is pressured by his father to marry Susan Johnson to secure his inheritance. While shopping, he meets Linda Marolla, a working-class woman, and falls for her. His valet, Hobson, who acts as a father figure, secretly encourages the romance. After Hobson is hospitalized and eventually dies, Arthur remains sober but faces the ultimate choice. On his wedding day, he visits Linda and proposes. At the church, he jilts Susan, leading to a confrontation where Susan's father tries to stab him. Arthur announces there will be no wedding and passes out. Later, Linda tends to him, and they discuss a life of poverty. Although his grandmother offers him his fortune if he stays with Linda, Arthur initially declines, only to later reveal he accepted $750 million but declined the social obligations of his family.
- First release year
- 1981
- Runtime (minutes)
- 97
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Steve Gordon
- Writers
- Steve Gordon · writer
- Cast and characters
- Dudley Moore · Arthur Bach; Liza Minnelli · Linda Marolla; John Gielgud · Hobson
- Genres
- romantic comedy; comedy-drama; romantic drama
- Themes
- alcoholism; inheritance; interclass romance; upper class; coming of age
- Tone and mood
- jovial; boozy; romantic
- Premise and plot tags
- romantic comedy-drama; American films; English-language films; 1980s romantic comedy-drama films
- Franchise connections
- Arthur
- Content notes
- alcoholism
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim and was considered one of the best films of 1981. It was a commercial success, becoming the fourth highest-grossing film of the year despite a disappointing opening.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 86% · review count: 36; Metacritic · score: 69 · scale: 100 · review count: 12
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Original Song · win; Academy Award · Best Supporting Actor · win; Academy Award · Best Actor · nomination; Academy Award · Best Original Screenplay · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was ranked 10 on Bravo's '100 Funniest Movies'.; The film was ranked No. 53 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs.; The film was ranked No. 79 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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