The 1967 film, Barefoot in the Park, is based on Neil Simon’s 1963 play of the same name. A witty comedy, Barefoot in the Park focuses on a newlywed couple and their adventures living in a tiny apartment on the fifth floor of a New York building. Corrie and Paul Bratter, the newlyweds, are played by Jane Fonda and Robert Redford. The film focuses on the fun and misadventure of the first few days of marriage. The couple’s differences become the focal point and the film’s heart is shown through the growth of the relationship despite the surrounding odds.
Barefoot in the Park is a sweet film with lots of romance and fun. It is also a very serious look at relationships and what can happen when couples fail to communicate and work out their differences. Directed by Gene Saks (The Odd Couple, Cactus Flower), the film is very funny and engaging. The characters are constructed well through Simon’s play and the dialogue is witty and smart.
Robert Redford stars as Paul Bratter. He is a “stuffed shirt”, an attorney and a sensible man. Paul’s relationship with Corrie (Fonda) is exciting and fresh for him, but he also has a sense of realism that Corrie doesn’t appear to have. Corrie Bratter is spontaneous and vivacious, longing to experience everything life has to offer and miss out on nothing. She is daring and bold, a true child of the sixties. The relationship between her and Paul is believable because the differences are compelling and smart, not forced and manipulative. The Bratters think, act and talk like a real married couple. Their conflicts are scripted and performed with skill and class, not forced through cookie-cutter segments of dialogue.
Corrie’s mother eventually shows up and she is hilariously bang-on in terms of a concerned parent. Played by Mildred Natwick, Ethel Banks is a woman who very clearly loves her daughter Corrie very much. She is also critical, but she tries to put a positive spin on the obviously minute environment that her daughter and her daughter’s new husband find themselves in. Ethel’s expeditions up the five flights of stairs are hilarious comedy.
There are other brave and bold characters, too, to flesh out this funny little story. Barefoot in the Park is a character comedy of the highest order. It is smart, well-acted and well-intentioned. The film provides hope, love and big laughs for the audience, never forcing any emotion or reaction and always treating the audience with respect. Laughs are not spelled out, the romance is not cheesy and the dialogue rings true. Barefoot in the Park is ably constructed to entertain and succeeds in each avenue it pursues, making it a true comedy classic delight.
8.5/10
