Summary
This Paul Mazursky film was considered pretty hot stuff when it came out in 1978 and was part of a wave of films that opened Hollywood's eyes to stories of women discovering their own identity. And it still holds up. Jill Clayburgh plays a comfy East Side wife whose lawyer husband (Michael Murphy) one day drops a bombshell on her: He doesn't love her and he's walking out on the marriage. Clayburgh, who is accustomed to thinking of herself as an adjunct to her man, suddenly must stand on her own two feet. But it's not an easy transition for her. This was one of the first movies to show how tough it can be, and Clayburgh portrays a compelling blend of vulnerability and growing strength. She even meets a great new guy, a painter (Alan Bates) who, she discovers, she can love without losing herself in the process. "--Marshall Fine"