California Suite (1978) Columbia/Comedy RT: 103 minutes Rated PG (language, thematic elements) Director: Herbert Ross Screenplay: Neil Simon Music: Claude Bolling Cinematography: David M. Walsh Release date: December 22, 1978 (US) Cast: Jane Fonda, Alan Alda, Maggie Smith, Michael Caine, Walter Matthau, Elaine May, Herb Edelman, Denise Galik, Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby, Gloria Gifford, Sheila Frazier, Dana Plato. Box Office: $29M (US)
Rating: ***
I’ve always had an odd relationship with Neil Simon movies. The acclaimed playwright has a gift for witty dialogue which is the problem. It’s witty, but not authentic. Real people don’t talk like the characters in Neil Simon plays or the subsequent film adaptations. It sounds scripted even to the untrained ear. Also, there’s a lot of it. His works tend to be too talky. I distinctly recall being bored by I Ought to Be in Pictures when I watched it on cable at 15. I’ve never felt compelled to revisit it so I don’t know what I’d think of it now at 56.
I’ve liked a few of Simon’s films like The Odd Couple, Murder by Death, The Goodbye Girl and Seems Like Old Times. I’ve also disliked several like Chapter Two, Only When I Laugh, The Slugger’s Wife and The Marrying Man. I’m going to put California Suite in the like column. The 1978 comedy, which deservedly earned Maggie Smith the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, is an anthology piece set at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Similar to his earlier work Plaza Suite, it consists of four stories centered on guests staying at the hotel. Let me give you a quick rundown.
– “Visitors from New York” has a divorced couple played by Alan Alda (M*A*S*H) and Jane Fonda (Barefoot in the Park) fighting over custody of their teenage daughter (Plato, Diff’rent Strokes) who wants to stay in California with her dad.
– “Visitors from London” centers on aging British actress Diana Barrie (Smith, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie) who’s in town for the Oscars. She’s one of the nominated actresses and is understandably nervous. Her husband Sidney (Caine, Alfie), a closeted gay slowly coming out in public, can’t offer much more than his emotional support.
– “Visitors from Philadelphia” is a bedroom farce featuring Walter Matthau (The Odd Couple) as a married man trying to keep his wife (May, The Heartbreak Kid) out of the bedroom. Why? He’s hiding a hooker (Galik, Melvin and Howard) who’s passed out in the bed. She was a gift from his playboy brother (Edelman, The Odd Couple).
– “Visitors from Chicago” deals with two well-to-do black couples on vacation. They run into disaster at every turn from a malfunctioning rental car to a lost reservation that puts one of them in a room with severe plumbing issues. The husbands, played by Bill Cosby (Uptown Saturday Night) and Richard Pryor (Silver Streak), are at each other’s throats from the start. They decide to settle things on the tennis court.
I’ll start at the bottom. The Chicago segment, which also features Sheila Frazier (Super Fly) and Gloria Gifford (D.C. Cab) as the wives, is the weakest. Most of the time, it’s clumsy and desperate for laughs. The comic timing is noticeably way off. It resorts to slapstick humor that might have been funny in the days of the silents. It’s a shame because both Cosby and Pryor are funny guys. I like the two actresses as well. The material fails them in a big way.
The Philadelphia vignette has a few laughs, but it’s all stuff we’ve seen before. It too tries too hard to amuse. Matthau plays his usual grumpy self while May plays the stereotypical Jewish wife. The final scene is a nice punchline though.
The London story is easily the best of the bunch. It’s more drama than comedy in its depiction of an aging, insecure actress looking for validation in her career and personal life. Smith is wonderful in the role. Her chemistry with Caine, who also delivers a spot-on performance, is solid. They have this one great scene where they let out their pent-up feelings and frustrations. This is the true centerpiece of California Suite.
The New York segment is actually the funniest. Alda and Fonda create comic magic as an ex-couple with unresolved feelings. She’s a tightly wound sort who doesn’t want to lose her daughter. He’s more laid back. Their banter is passive-aggressive funny. They exchange quips and insults with underlying fondness for each other. Yes, everything they say sounds like the work of a playwright or screenwriter, but it’s funny so I’ll give it a pass.
Directed by Herbert Ross (The Sunshine Boys), California Suite is pretty good. Unfortunately, it’s hampered by its total unevenness. It abruptly shifts from drama to slapstick comedy. It’s hard to reconcile the poignancy of the London story with the silliness of the Chicago one. Still, the film benefits from a first-class cast. All of the players- Alda, Fonda, Smith and Caine in particular- give great performances. Look for James Coburn and Richard Burton in uncredited cameos.
Overall, I like California Suite. It’s definitely interesting. It’s flawed but funny. It’s a total product of its time. BTW, this is my first time seeing it. I’ve been meaning to watch it for years. I’m glad I finally got the chance thanks to Tubi.
