Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)
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A schoolteacher's search for excitement outside her ordered life leads her into a dangerous world of substance abuse and casual sex.
The story
Theresa Dunn, a young schoolteacher in an unnamed American city, experiences a sexual awakening while seeking excitement beyond her structured life. Burdened by personal insecurities and a complicated family history, she begins to explore a lifestyle of casual encounters and substance use. While she finds a stable connection with a coworker, the allure of a more hedonistic life—encouraged by her sister—leads her to frequent bars and engage in risky behaviors. As she navigates the complexities of her desires and the consequences of her choices, she finds herself increasingly entangled in a world of strangers and dangerous men.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Theresa Dunn, a schoolteacher with a traumatic past regarding her physical appearance, seeks excitement outside her orderly life. She begins a series of sexual encounters, including an affair with a married professor and a relationship with Tony Lopanto, a man who eventually becomes controlling and abusive. While her parents approve of her relationship with a stable man, James, she finds his traditional approach stifling. As she moves deeper into a lifestyle of drugs and sex with strangers, she eventually meets Gary Cooper White. On New Year's Eve, she convinces Gary to help her avoid James. However, during a sexual encounter at her apartment, a misunderstanding regarding his sexuality leads Gary to believe she is questioning him. In a fit of rage, Gary attacks her, rapes her, and stabs her to death.
- First release year
- 1977
- Runtime (minutes)
- 136
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Richard Brooks
- Writers
- Richard Brooks · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Diane Keaton · Theresa Dunn; Tuesday Weld · Katherine; William Atherton; Richard Kiley; Richard Gere; Tom Berenger
- Genres
- crime drama
- Themes
- sexual awakening; identity; substance abuse; body image; domestic violence
- Tone and mood
- serious; fearless; repellant
- Premise and plot tags
- crime; drama; based on a novel; based on true events
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1975 novel by Judith Rossner, inspired by the 1973 murder of the schoolteacher Roseann Quinn.
- Content notes
- sex
- Reception
- The film was a commercial success and received generally favorable reviews, particularly praising Diane Keaton's fearless performance.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 63% · scale: percentage · review count: 32; Metacritic · score: 64 · scale: 100 · review count: 9
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · nomination; Academy Award · Best Cinematography · nomination; Golden Globe · Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was unavailable on home media for nearly 20 years due to soundtrack rights issues.; It was the first major screen credit for both Richard Gere and Brian Dennehy.; The film was shot in Chicago's Rush Street neighborhood despite being set in San Francisco.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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