This is a very sweet story about a love triangle between a woman, her boyfriend, and the ghost of her dead husband. The subtext about getting on with your life after suffering a tragedy seemed heartfelt rather than manufactured; and Sally Field was, well, the incredible actress that she's always been.
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DaCritic-215 December 2000
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GOWBTW6 November 2009This comedy gives the meaning to move on with your life. Oscar winner Sally Field plays a widow who moves back into the house that she and her late husband(James Caan) lived in. She has a fiancé that Jolly doesn't like, and she is the only one that sees him. Everywhere she goes, Jolly follows. Jeff Bridges plays the fiancé who thinks Kay is a total nut case. He himself isn't quite all there. He sees quite a few things that will make Kay question his sanity. There were quite a few scenes that are total classic. Like where the electricity when haywire and the guy fixing it get locked in. Or when the dog started to act funny, and the fiancé just wanted to go all the way nuts. Then there's the part where the priest left his empty booze bottle and the fiancé slips on it. The cast of the movie are great, including celebrity chef Alan Haufrect. Not many people remember this movie, but I do remember the preview and premiere. You would have a ghost of a chance to miss this classic! 3 out of 5 stars!
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Isaac58557 December 2005I think I may have been one of the few people who saw this film in the theaters, but I really enjoyed KISS ME GOODBYE, a lighthearted comedy about a widow (Sally Field)preparing to remarry, who, days before her wedding, is visited by the ghost of her deceased first husband (James Caan), who was a Broadway director and choreographer. The story goes to all the familiar places that you would expect it to, but it is played with such an exuberant energy that you can't help but start to care for these people. Field and Caan are in top form and Jeff Bridges is at his adorably nerdy best as Field's new fiancée (a precursor to his performance in THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES). There's also a brief, but memorable turn by the late Claire Trevor as Field's mother. A charming romantic fantasy that will grow on you upon repeated viewings.
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Coxer997 May 1999Very attractive cast propels this comedy/fantasy about the ghost of a deceased husband (Caan) who pays a visit to his widow (Field) as she's about to remarry (Bridges). Robert Mulligan's touch of genius is at work one more time. The story may be a bit strained at times, but the results are satisfactory altogether in the end.
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davidnewyorker7 November 2015The first time I saw this was on a long air trip. Jeff Bridges and Sally Field did a fine job with the material But James Caan walked away with the show...
I really never tire of watching this movie again. The Dusty Springfield song and music by Peter Allen at the opening and closing are one of my favorites they are two people whose talent are greatly missed in the industry.
I think the performances by the supporting cast were great too. I think it was likely one of the last roles for Mildred Natwick and Claire Trevor. It was fun to see some of the NYC locations used as well. -
gordonb-5958711 March 2022Apparently "Kiss Me Goodbye" is a remake of another movie. I didn't see the first movie and really don't care about it, so I wish people doing reviews would stop comparing them. This film isn't going to win any best movie award, but it wasn't designed to. It's just a funny movie. Laugh and enjoy it. Too many reviewers fancy themselves as movie experts and all we "little people" desperately need their advice. Hogwash!
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fisherforrest23 October 2002You would be better advised to seek out a tape of BLITHE SPIRIT before wasting your time on this "pastiche". O.K., the sexes are reversed here, but it just barely falls short of being a scene-for-scene "remake" of BLITHE SPIRIT. Note, though, that no credit is given to Noel Coward. Some South American tale "Dona Flor and her two Husbands" gets cited. If you are familiar with BLITHE SPIRIT, the similarity leaps at you. There is even the comic "exorcism" episode, again with the sexes reversed.
The question is: why does it fail? It must be the direction, because the cast work is quite good. Perhaps, too good. Too serious. There is no lightness about it. The director simply didn't understand that a ghost story that is supposed to be a light comedy, has to be light. Here, everyone and everything is so intense. They are taking this ghost business seriously, one way or another, so presumably the viewer is supposed to do so too. But when you do, the humour evaporates.
The story is fairly simple, though complexities arise. Sally Field is a widow of three years who plans to wed again and open her closed house. The former spouse was something of a rake-hell dancer/choreographer; the new one is a dead serious archaeologist. Alas, the nuptials are only in the rehearsal stage when the ghost of Numero Uno appears and wreaks havoc. Now, here, we must pause a bit. Does the director want us to believe the ghost is real, or is he the product of Sally's own indecision as to whether she is still in love with the former spouse? That's what I mean about introducing seriousness.
Well, finally we are about to get to the nuptials, when the spouse to be falls down the stairs, just as Numero Uno had done at a drunken bash three years previously. Again KISS ME GOODBYE is emulating BLITHE SPIRIT, because the new wife there was killed at the end, leaving two ghosts to haunt the widower. Is this a repeat? If you must know, see this film to find out. Sally Field is always worth a watch. That's the one point on which KISS ME GOODBYE doesn't fail. -
jotix1009 March 2005The Brazilian film "Dona Flor and her Two Husbands" was the model for this Sally Field vehicle. As directed by Robert Mulligan, it's mildly funny, but nothing to brag about when compared with the original movie directed by Bruno Barreto. Better yet, why not pick up the immensely funny Jorge Amado novel? If memory serves me right, it was translated from the Portuguese by Harriet de Onis and it's a delight to read.
In this version, young Kay, now happily engaged to Rupert, wants to fix the townhouse where she lived with Jolly, her late husband, in which this theater genius has died. Well, little prepares her for the sudden appearance of the dead man.
Jolly comes at the most inappropriate times; when she's in the sack, especially. It's enough to drive the would-be-hunk husband to think twice about what he's going to get into. Ruppert loves Kay, but he would like her to exorcise the impish Jolly.
Sally Field is at her perkiest in the film. James Caan does a fantastic job as the dead Jolly. Jeff Bridges is perfectly befuddled as Rupert, the man who can't comprehend what's going on. Claire Trevor makes an elegant Charlotte, who is Kay's mother and can't seem to see eye to eye to her future son-in-law. Paul Dooley, Mildred Natwick, William Prince, contribute to make the movie better than what it is.
On the other hand, the much superior Brazilian film had an edge and an underlying naughtiness that this Hollywood product doesn't have. The American version is a pale reminder of what happens when a better film is remade without the wit, elegance and humor of the movie it's trying to imitate. Also, Bruno Barreto's film had the advantage of having the sultry Sonia Braga in the title role and great star turns by Jose Wilker and Mauro Mendonca. See the video or the DVD version of this film and you'll be amazed of what this film should have looked like. -
I realize this movie is a remake of the 1978 Brazilian classic 'Dona Flor and Her Husbands' with the stunning Sonia Braga..but some things should be left alone. While I adore Sally Field, she seems majorly miscast as Kay Villano, widow of philandering choreographer Jolly Villano, played by James Caan, who also seems woefully miscast. Jeff Bridges is delightful as Rupert, the befuddled Egyptologist in love with Kay, and a hilarious standout, especially during the scenes in the diner, and at the inn. Claire Trevor is smashing as Kay's mother, an acid tongued woman who still holds her late son in law in high regard. The dialogue seems stilted at times, and some of the humor forced, with a silly subplot about exorcism. There is a basic sweetness about the movie, and the thought of a ghost of a husband wanting his wife to move on irresistible (which 'Ghost' did so much better 8 years later). But Robert Mulligan (who helmed 'Summer of '42 and 'The Man in the Moon'..two classics if you've never seen them) lacks that light touch that would have made this a classic. This is like a fine meal, elegantly prepared, but after you've had a bite..it leaves an unpleasant taste on your palate.
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Bunuel197629 January 2009This is an Americanization of the popular Brazilian film DONA FLOR AND HER TWO HUSBANDS (1976), which I own in a rather dismal print recorded off French Cable TV but haven't yet watched. Though a minor effort by this director, as a romantic comedy/fantasy especially for a title emanating from the 1980s it's fair, aided in no small measure by a good cast: Sally Field as the woman torn between two loves; James Caan as ghostly husband No. 1, a star Broadway choreographer; Jeff Bridges as her current "boring" intended, an Egyptologist (ironically, he gets the best lines); Claire Trevor as Fields' outspoken mum, who adores Caan but can't stomach Bridges; and Paul Dooley as Bridges' assistant, who also happens to be an ex-priest. The film is a pleasant enough trifle but, obviously, a long way behind the Noel Coward/David Lean BLITHE SPIRIT (1945) which had one husband and two 'sparring' wives or, for that matter, the innumerable screwball comedy classics (usually featuring Cary Grant as the husband who won't give up his bride and eventually gets her back) of the late 1930s and early 40s. To get back to the highlights: Bridges embarrasses Field at an isolated resort (to which Caan is also 'invited') by pretending to see himself a former acquaintance; when another vacationer witnessing the scene helpfully admits that she can barely make her out too, Bridges blows his top and insults her in front of the woman's perplexed husband! During the wedding rehearsal, Bridges brings Dooley along to drive away Caan's ghost once and for all: asking him to remain inconspicuous throughout, the would-be exorcist immediately begins loudly spouting Latin chants, with Bridges snapping: "You call that being nonchalant?!" Finally, during this same climactic sequence, Trevor's amateur electrician husband gets locked in the attic, the door to which is guarded by their pet dog; believing the man's pleas for help to be coming from the latter, Dooley alerts Bridges that Caan's ghost has possessed the canine with the result that the Egyptologist then has a hard time explaining to the guests his attempt to strangle it!
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arturus21 November 2005This picture went nowhere when it was released in 1982, going almost immediately to cable, mostly because it didn't match the Brazilian movie on which it's based. But seen on its own now, after more than twenty years, it's a well made, well written and played comedy for adults, especially when compared to the stupidly vulgar and juvenile "comedies" produced now. It does descend to the "sitcom" level now and again (underlined by Ralph Burns' incidental score, which "mickey mouses" every move, in the manner of 40s comedies) but still, it has many sweet and touching moments.
The cast is exceptional, with everyone well-cast for their roles. The choice that I've only recently "gotten" is Claire Trevor as Sally Field's character's mother. Trevor made a career of playing "dames" (as in her brilliant showing as Edward G. Robinson's alcoholic moll in "Key Largo"), and I never got why SHE was chosen to play the society-matron mother in this, a "comeback" role for her. And why should she "adore" the character Kay's first husband so much, a womanizing dancer/choreographer, more than the stalwart, upper middle class WASP-Y scientist, played with quiet amusement by Jeff Bridges, whom Kay has chosen as her second husband, perhaps a more "appropriate" choice? But one telling line hints at something: Bridges character's comment about a hat the mother is wearing in one scene: "Are batteries included?" Perhaps the mother isn't quite what she seems, not from a "society" family but an actress who married into money? Someone who ALMOST "gets" it, the way to dress and talk and behave, but not quite... Now THAT makes sense for the choice of Trevor for the role. But this is the only hint in the writing. To me this is an intriguing explanation. -
Boyo-211 February 2002A light movie that is a lot of fun to watch, 'Kiss Me Goodbye' is also not the first movie you think of when doing a filmography for Sally Field, Jeff Bridges or James Caan. But they are all perfectly cast in this comedy that has a lot going for it.
James Caan plays Jolly, the Bob Fosse-like (well, without the cigarettes and open heart surgery) and deceased husband of Sally Field, who reappears the week Field is marrying a 'nerd', Jeff Bridges. Only Sally can see or hear James Caan so it sets up a lot of comedy, most of which is hilarious. Everyone liked Jolly, alot, including Sally, and Jeff is less likable. He's like Cary Grant in 'Bringing Up Baby', down to the research job at the museum doing what Claire Trevor calls 'digging up dead people.'
Stand-out scene - the three of them going to the country for a relaxing weekend, and all hell breaking loose.
Claire Trevor is funny as Sally's domineering mother, Paul Dooley is his usual dependable self as a former priest who gets involved when Bridges decides to 'exorcise' the ghost of Jolly, and Mildred Natwick is the owner of the country bed-and-breakfast.
Touching at the end, funny most of the way through...8/10. -
brileyvandyke23 July 2023I see a number of negative comments about this film and most seem to stem from the viewpoint that Kiss Me Goodbye isn't a good reproduction of the Brazilian film that inspired it. That maybe so, but I am a big fan of Jeff Bridges and James Caan and because of that I really liked this movie.
There were a number of scenes which were funny and light. I have also read that according to Caan he didn't enjoy making this movie and took time away from acting afterwards. Regardless of that I really enjoyed him in his role as Jolly.
I try and accept this film as an independent work and not view it in the shadow of the Brazilian movie, that maybe difficult for some, but I recommend Kiss Me Goodbye as a fun entertaining film. -
moonspinner5529 September 2005American reworking of Brazil's "Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands" manages to drain all the vitality (and sex) out of the original recipe, replacing it with sitcom bickering. A seemingly normal, happy woman on the verge of getting married a second time is visited by the ghost of her late first husband, who then decides to stick around. Whereas the original found its impetus in the joy of the situation (and Dona Flor's embarrassment of riches), this glossily-produced but static, juvenile film just sees the central situation as something to argue over. In the leads, Sally Field, a surprisingly relaxed James Caan as Jolly the Ghost, and Jeff Bridges all try hard, but the screenplay refuses to drop the psychological ramifications; the picture is a comedy but it doesn't remember to have fun. Perhaps Robert Mulligan was the wrong director for a modern farce. Indeed, the movie is uptight and sexless, and Field is put in the unenviable position of constantly defending herself. ** from ****
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Blueghost27 July 2004When I saw this film in the theatre the whole audience was laughing out loud. The humor was intelligent and witty, unlike today's market-researched and audience-tailored bombs. It's a film made for adults about adult sensibilities, and important issues we all face sooner or later.
It's not a film that's funny from one moment to the next, but is a poignant tale about a woman (played by Sally Field) dealing with some profound changes in her life. The moments of humor (good, funny, smart moments) are sprinkled in here and there to lighten the tale, and told in a way that will be appreciated by veteran movie goers.
I wish I had more to say about it, but it's been so long since I saw it last that I can't add too much more to the other positive comments, other than to say that I want to see it again :-)
A top notch cast delivers good funny performances for a film making style that's been long forgotten, and wrongfully shelved. One can only hope that a DVD of this film will be forthcoming: A good one from the original negative, letterboxed, and in 5.1 Dolby, and not some low-cost quick-to-market, full-screen, hack cine-transfer job.
DVD RE-SCREENED; "There is no Monica you dumb...*%&$@!!!" I bought the DVD when it came out, and enjoyed reviewing this American remake of a racy Brazilian "sex comedy". Again, I don't have too much more to add to my review or anyone else's other than it was a film made at a different time for a different audience. Today's romantic comedy's geared for adult teenagers are, by comparison, embarrassing. But that's just me. -
mark.waltz30 January 2019On the heels of the 1978 supernatural comedy "Heaven Can Wait", Hollywood once again used a dead character as the antagonist in a screwball comedy. A great cast but just an average script dominates the story of widow Sally Field on the verge of marrying Metropolitan Museum of Art Exhibit designer Jeff Bridges and returning to her old house for the first time since the death of her first husband, Broadway director James Caan. But Caan hasn't left even though he's deceased, and hangs around as Field and Bridges plan their future. Caan's ghost apparently has the ability to follow Field and Bridges everywhere they go, which includes escorting Field by herself to the Broadway Theater where his last show is still playing and to the country where they encounter a bunch of confused guest at the bed-and-breakfast run by the delightful Mildred Natwick.
There's a sense of deja vu and "I've seen this plot before" (only done better) in films such as "Heaven Can Wait" and the "Topper" series (both on film and TV), but the trio of stars seem to be having such a delightful time that it is fun to watch their insane antics. Field once again proves herself to be a natural funny lady, and Caan (who ironically played Broadway producer Billy Rose in the Fanny Brice movie sequel "Funny Lady") is delightfully over-the-top. This leaves Bridges with the least interesting of the characters, but somehow he plays this nebbish man so brilliantly that it hardly seems like he is acting.
Veteran Oscar-winning actress Claire Trevor makes a triumphant return to the screen in a delightfully catty role as Field's opinionated mother and pretty much steals every scene that she is in with what she says and with what she wears. Natwick is delightfully befuddled in her lengthy portion of the film, a testament to her performance in "Blithe Spirit". A beautiful title song written by Peter Allen is heard over the opening and closing credits but unfortunately did not get an Academy Award nomination due to the abundance of movie songs written at the time. While this is far from a perfect film, it is still extremely likeable in many aspects and most importantly has managed to stand the test of time. -
DKosty12327 February 2016I actually pity Sally Field here. First they script her a a widow whose husband Jolly has been dead for 3 years. Second, the dead one is James Caan who no woman has lasted with anyhow with 4 ex wives none of which have lasted except the latest one more than 5 years. What an insult that she has to pretend she loved him. She should get an award for just acting like she cares here.
This film is stocked with a lot of veteran supporting cast even going back to Claire Trevor and Mildred Natwick who were both veteran performers for a long time when this one was made. When I watched it, it WA funny in a screwball comedy type of way. That is just the trouble with it.
This type of comedy was not doing well in the theaters in 1982. Instead movies were either more mature or more for kids - ET and An Officer and a Gentleman for example. This was not a world where this film would work, though in the 1950's it would have.
Field does a good job getting tortured by Caan and Jeff Bridges. There is little else about this one but if your a fan of screwball comedies, this one fills the bill. It is screwy, for sure. -
brefane9 August 2012Take a frothy, sexy Brazilian comedy, flatten it, neuter it, remove the laughs and you've got Kiss Me Goodbye a retro adaptation of Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands directed by Robert Mulligan, fondly remembered for To Kill a Mockingbird(1962) and Summer of '42(1971), but who is merely marking time with this film, and wasting ours. Kiss Me Goodbye is actually less sophisticated and amusing than Topper(1937) and less entertaining than The Ghost and Mr Chicken(1966). It's Casper the Friendly Ghost meets Blithe Spirit. As a ghost, James Caan's performance consists of a smirk and a fedora while chemistry-free couple Sally Feild and Jeff Bridges are frantic rather than funny in that tired tradition of having characters talk to a someone only they, and the audience, can see. It's all pretty pointless and completely unfunny. Kiss it goodbye!
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SnoopyStyle2 September 2016Kay (Sally Field) lost her charmer husband Broadway choreographer Jolly (James Caan) when he fell down the staircase at home. Three years later, she is finally ready to move back home. She wants to marry stiff Egypt archaeologist Rupert (Jeff Bridges). He is concerned about her past with Jolly and then his ghost shows up. Only Kay can see him and he's not satisfied with Rupert.
Sally is adorably flustered. She works really hard to sell this. Jeff Bridges is in a tougher position. He has to stay adorable despite disbelieving Kay. James Caan is perfectly good as the charming cad. It does get a bit sitcom-like at times. The movie is basically sold on the three legged acting foundation. This is a remake of a Brazilian film which I have not seen. -
myronlearn6 December 2023So where do I begin? 'Kiss Me Goodbye' (KMG) starts out pretty well. A widow (Sally Field) is starting to reclaim her life after her husband's (James Caan) accidental death three years earlier. She's now contemplating marriage to her new beau, (Jeff Bridges), much to the dissatisfaction of her mother (Claire Trevor). I will admit it was a pleasure seeing Ms. Trevor in what would end up being her last film. Too bad this was her final bow after a most distinguished career.. The young couple decide to inhabit the same beautiful NYC brownstone she lived in with her first husband. This is where it starts going downhill.
The ghost of the widow's first husband appears making plans difficult for the widow. Shes the only person who can see him. Caan clearly doesn't belong here. This picture might have worked better with just Field and Bridges exploring their future together. They can easily carry a movie. However, now with the 'ghost plot', Field overacts terribly trying to hide the fact that Caan's spirit is present. Comedy isn't her forte. The script also suffers as a result. Bridge's character is reduced to a boring boyfriend who nobody likes, including the dog and her mother. I won't go on further, but this is not something I'd recommend to the fans of Ms. Fields, Mr. Bridges and Mr. Caan. I gave it four out of ten stars only because of Ms. Trevor's inclusion in the film and the precious dog who might be the funniest character than any of the others. I also liked the Dusty Springfield's opening number which should have been nominated for best song. It might be the best thing about KMG. -
SimonJack15 January 2018The idea of a loved one's ghost coming back to taunt, tease or help one who misses her or him, is as old as story-telling and the making of movies. Sometimes it works, and other times it doesn't. Unfortunately, for 20th Century Fox, this one didn't work. In spite of a considerable cast of the day - Sally Field, James Caan and Jeff Bridges, "Kiss Me Goodbye" is lacking in most of what it's touted for - comedy and romance.
There is so little comedy in this film that it might be false advertising to bill it as such. And there's about as much spark of romance between Kay and Jolly, and Kay and Rupert, as there is between the animated cartoon characters Tom and Jerry. One can understand James Caan's later dismay over having made this film. His role as Jolly is rueful. He seems to be going through his lines rote, with no life or feeling, and only a smile pasted on his face. And, if he had any more energy in his brief tap dancing bits, one might thing he actually could have been on stage in Broadway.
It's hard to understand how Sally Field received a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Kay. The best thing to say about her role is that she over acted most of the time. At least that showed some life compared to the rest of the cast. But it stood out like a sore thumb, and gave the film an aura of amateur theater. Jeff Bridges came close to giving a capable performance as Rupert. But his character is so uncertain and wishy-washy with no passion for Kay. The rest of the cast play into the pale of poor performances, for the most part.
Director Robert Mulligan received an Oscar nomination for "To Kill a Mockingbird" in 1962. He directed a few other good films, but he clearly can't guide comedy to fulfillment. That may be a little harsh on him, because the screenplay for this film is very poor. This film was based on a 1976 Brazilian comedy-fantasy. That had significant changes including its setting and time, and it was a huge success. But this is a film that is best forgotten - by audiences as well as by the cast. In years when the top films were grossing $250 million to $350 million, this film was a flop at a mere $15 million worldwide box office. It didn't even cover its $8 million budget. -
vsapiens8 July 2006All in my family love this movie! It is truly a family favorite. There are enough comments from others that describe the movie, so I will not repeat. It is one of a few movies that all of us (myself, spouse, and daughter) can watch over and over. It is light, entertaining, sweet, and funny! There are so many lines that we quote over and over -- they have become part of our family. ("You are starting to annoy Jolly!" and many others.) We also LOVE the scene when Rupert goes to the lawyer. The reactions of the lawyer and his secretary are hilarious! And the scenes previously mentioned by others: in bed with Rupert when Jolly is there, the trip to the country, the restaurant scene on the trip to the country. The movie is perfectly cast and is my favorite for many of these actors, just for the joy it has brought to all of us.
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khunkrumark18 February 2019I made it as far as the ridiculous restaurant scene where sickly and annoying Sally Field is kissing all the men and impotent baby man Jeff Bridges just watches her do it. That was fifteen minutes... so I never got to see James Caan who I really like.
Throw in the aggravating and bossy mother routine and you've got an empty vacuous mess. Annoying and cringeworthy on every level. -
sistasaint17 April 2003I absolutely adored this movie! I thought the acting was first rate as was the script. Sally Field is adorable as a widow who's about to remarry. No one but James Caan could have pulled off the role of Jolly as he did. He's entertaining, light-hearted, and gets his point across in a rather different way. This movie is one of my all time favorites. I especially love the way Jolly helps Kay to get hold of her life and move on. Very entertaining! Worth the watch.
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Sally Field is a widower who finally consents to move back into her old home with her staid fiancé Jeff Bridges, only to be hounded by the ghost of her free-wheeling, philandering former husband James Caan trying to throw a wrench into her upcoming nuptials.
There is not a person in the industry, film fanatic or film critic alive who was not aware that this film was an unofficial American remake of the Brazilian classic Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands. Given that there are probably not an abundance of Americans who have seen the Brazilian film, it was not necessarily an unwise move to remake this, but it becomes apparent fairly quickly why the filmmakers would want to avoid comparisons. The original film was a ribald, yet insightful sex comedy headlined by the multi-talented and sultry Sonia Braga, and in that sentence you have a list of descriptions that do not apply to this remake.
A huge problem is that the filmmakers want to sanitize the source material for PG-rated consumption, so much of the frankness of the original is abandoned (not to mention its decidedly off-beat conclusion). They also want to substitute sloppy sentiment for anything especially insightful or original. For a film that bills itself as a romantic comedy, there is very little romance and precious little comedy. I counted two minor chuckles in the whole endeavor: once when Field is trying to carry on a conversation in bed with both Bridges and the unseen-to-him Caan, and later when Bridges and Field manage to antagonize a honeymooning couple into fighting.
Field is a very good actress, but she is not given enough to work with here. The material does not provide her with enough for her to run with as a comedic actress and the dramatic notes are so predictable and muted that she seems trapped in the part. It also does not help that she shares no chemistry with Caan. Caan (in a part originally played by Jose Wilker) is supposed to represent the exciting sexuality that she misses in her current life with the dull Bridges, but Caan portrays the part with all of the rampant sexuality of a grilled eggplant (perhaps less). In the original film, Wilker's ghost spent the majority of the film nude to reinforce the excitement of sex missing in the heroine's life. Given this film's staid PG-rating, such a decision would be frowned upon, so instead we get Caan garbed as Gene Kelly becoming increasingly irritating with each appearance. It seems improbable that Field's widow would miss his "excitement level", much less that her female friends were also so smitten that they would toss friendship by the wayside to philander with him.
Strangely, Field does have some degree of chemistry with Bridges, even though his character is supposed to be a likable, but boring nebbish. Even more puzzling, while the filmmakers (and Caan) have virtually de-sexed the role of the first husband, Bridges is often filmed in his underwear, sporting a male model's physique and is so physically attractive as to defy belief here, but yet his is the character whose dullness gives Field pause? This is just one more strange creative decision from behind the scenes.
The remainder of the cast is fairly irrelevant. Screen legends Claire Trevor and Mildred Natwick are truly wasted. It seems inconceivable that the director, Robert Mulligan, is the same man behind To Kill a Mockingbird. Caan purportedly despised this film so much that he took a hiatus from acting for several years, but honestly his crummy performance is just as responsible for the end result as some of the other ill-conceived elements. A real misfire!