Paula McFadden (Marsha Mason) is a single mother. Her daughter, Lucy (Quinn Cummings), is only only 10 years old. Together, they live in an appartment in New York with a Paula's commonlaw male friend - an actor. One day, Paula and Lucy come home to find him gone - off to Italy to get a better job; to film a movie. All three of them were supposed to move to California the very next week.
Paula goes into a state of dissarray. She has no job, and no way to support herself or her daughter. Paula, already sepparated from her first husband, another actor, was fed up with men. She vowed never to live with or date another actor. Later that night, she learns an ugly truth: her ex-roomate, who owened the apartment, sub-let it to an actor, a friend of his.
Paula wants nothing to do with this "actor," Elliot Garfield (Richard Dreyfuss). He insists that he is going to live in the apartment, and so they form an uneasy agreement.
Paula would like him to be sensible around her daughter. Elliot, rather, makes it known that he lights insense and meditates every morning. He also plays the guitar to help him sleep. The is unacceptable to Paula, but she bares with it... for the time being.
While they live together, they help each other out with financial issues. Elliot even develops a likeing for Lucy. as well, both Elliot and Paula go through several mishaps, and it seems as though the two of them will never like each other for love or money. But after one night, and some strong words from Elliot, things start to change... for the better.
But hold on! Just when you start thinking that it's all a sham, and that Elliot is going to leave like all the others, we see that the power of faith is all too powerfull.
Four-time nominee Marsha Mason, as the widowed mother Paula, is outstanding. The youngster, Quinn Cummings, was also nominated (in the supporting role), as she too gave an electric performance. Richard Dreyfuss gives an outstanding performance, and steals the show.
The Goodbye Girl is a "feel good" romantic commedy, and it all works because the whole cast works well together. Throw in some funny lines (and a homosexual portrayal of Richard III), and you have a wonderful movie about love, faith, and especially hope.
Plot: 
The story is a timeless one that always seems to work, and it certainly does here.
Visual Effects: 
Not a lot of visual effects. Any are average.
Sound:
There is only one song in in The Goodbye Girl, and it is located at the very end of the film, sung while the end credits are rolling. It is a great song, and brings up the rating in this catagory. The other sounds and stuff you hear are averge for this type of film.
Character Development:
Paula and Elliot can't stand each other from the moment they meet each other, but they grow to accept, and eventually like one another. Soon (maybe a little too soon), they grow to love each other, and that is the whole concept of this genre.
Atmosphere: 
Right off the bat in The Goodbye Girl, you see a woman reduced to nothing, an you instantly have a connection to her... you want to see her get back on her feet. This is the hook, line and sinker that gets you to stay with the movie, and it works very well.
Realism:
Warren�s Rating:
Movies it was nominated with for Best Picture:
*Annie Hall, (1977); Julia, (1977); Star Wars, (1977); The Turning Point, (1977)
8.43/10 Is the movie worth your time to watch?
22-08-03
Age at win: 31
Nominated for: Best Actor in a Leading Role, Elliot Garfield, The Goodby Girl
Nomination: 1/2 (acting), 1/2 (total); Win: Only
Richard Dreyfuss is a gives a knock-out performance in The Goodbye Girl, and was rewarded with the Oscar the he so rightly deserved.
Richard has appeared in some of the biggest movies of the 70's and 90's, like American Graffitti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Mr. Holland's Opus.
He was sensational in all of them, garnering another Oscar nomination for Mr. Holland's Opus. The Goodbye Girl is a fun, quirky romantic comedy revolves around a separated mother sharring her apartment with a total stranger, who shows up on her doorstep at midnight. To make matters worse, the two don't like each other, but grow to love each other.
Dreyfuss' performance is sweet, funny, slapstick and all around great. It's an almost perfect comedic performance.
22-08-03
