University of Virginia Library

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.