It's lame to have this announced as "Neil Simon's The Heartbreak Kid" as the film starts because it really belongs to Elaine May. Her improvisational style gives the film it's life and makes even the more routine gags feel real and organic. But it also belongs to Charles Grodin, who's anxious energy and unabashed selfishness is remarkable to watch (especially since I really only knew him as Beethoven's dad prior to this).
Grodin stars as Lenny Cantrow, a young, sports novelties salesman in NYC who
falls in love with a girl, Lila (played by May's daughter Jeannie Berlin) in a bar. All they say to each other is "hello" before a short montage moves them straight to the altar. The words of the priest fade in and out as if Lenny is only half listening. But then their honeymoon! And the long drive down to Miami Beach. Needless to say, on their trip he finds his wife to be much more than the late night impression he got one evening in New York City. She can't sing. She eats a lot of junk food. She's childishly naive and stubborn and ends up with a debilitating sunburn their first day on the beach. All of this may sound broad and rather contrived but it's Grodin's suppressed annoyance and disbelief in all these tiny revelations that make it genuinely hilarious as opposed to Farrelly Bros. "HILARIOUS!!!!"At the Miami resort Lenny finds (or rather she finds him) manic pixie dream girl of the 70's Cybill Shephard. Their flirtation becomes an obsession for Lenny and his complete neglect of his wife becomes a sad/funny interlude to their budding relationship.
Funny, painfully pathetic and often beautifully real, The Heartbreak Kid is something special. Something to remember. But then why would I choose to share it with you lot?
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