University of Virginia Library

CINEMA

Perry's Probe Into House wife's Diary

By Paul Chaplin
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

The Perrys have done it again.
That is to say that the director and
his writer-wife have made another
exciting acting discovery, and made
another interesting picture. The
film is "Diary of a Mad
Housewife," based on the novel by
Sue Kaufmann, and stars Richard
Benjamin, Frank Langella and
Carrie Snodgress.

And I doubt if the housewife
called Tina is "mad" (as in
masochist), but more likely
frustrated (as with a social climbing
husband). To say the least, the
household that Miss Snodgress
presides over is enough to make
anybody throw his arms up in
despair.

Main Fault

The main fault for all this is
husband Richard Benjamin who is
"a brilliant Harvard lawyer," and he
knows it. Unfortunately, he longs
to be one of the elite in society,
which means continual partying,
drinking the right wines, wearing
the right clothes, and being in the
right apartment. On top of this,
there appears to be a nightly urge
to "take a ill' roll in de hay" with
Tina.

If a life like the above, in
addition to having two bratty kids
and a poodle, would lead to
madness, then Tina should be called
so. Into this nice structure comes a
writer who develops an
uncontrollable desire for Tina.
Played by Frank Langella, the
writer is persistent and finally Tina
gives in. It is the beginning of the
end for her, and her marriage.

Not Much Plot

For all of that description, there
really isn't much of a plot to the
film, and this is one of its main
drawbacks. The lover episode is a
nice catastrophe, but Tina was
already on the way downhill when
the film begins. What would be nice
to know is if there had been
something specific that has made
Tina so apathetic towards herself in
addition to her husband. This
would probably have involved a
flashback, something the Perrys'
don't usually use. I also assume that
most everyone will think that Tina
is a romantic, and that's why she
married her husband. Her scenes
with the writer would certainly
support this.

Eleanor Perry's script, despite
these weaknesses, is pretty good.
The dialogue isn't crackling with
great wit or elegant statements of
universals, but it manages to move
the story along. The same might be
said of Frank Perry's direction,
which is straightforward, but only
if you sympathize with Tina. Of
course we do, for we're led that
way, but it's not a jarring
experience when we realize what
the Perrys are doing. For all the
praise they get, I really don't think
the Perrys are that fantastic, it's
just that they have the guts to
tackle difficult stories, and have the
good fortune of gathering great
casts.

If for no other reason, you
should see "Diary of a Mad
Housewife" for the performances
of Miss Snodgress and Mr.
Benjamin. Carrie Snodgress is a
small, simple faced woman, with a
fantastically seductive sandpaper
voice. Her performance is quite
good, and hopefully will lead to
other demanding parts. Benjamin's
role is noteworthy for it seems to
be an extension of the character he
played on "He and She," with his
wife Paula Prentiss. Unfortunately
for Benjamin, he seems to be
becoming the victim of type
casting.

Entertaining

While it won't win any awards
for its writer or director, "Diary of
a Mad Housewife" offers
entertainment and some fine acting.
If anyone should give the picture an
award, it would have to be
Women's Liberation: this film does
more to advance their fight against
servitude than any march will.

(Now at the Paramount)