Single Bars, Single Women (1984)

As a long time Shelley Hack fan, I finally found this rare film decently priced on ebay & grabbed it up. And while I was not expecting much (not a fan of much of anybody else in the film), this was a decent little film. Shelley was strong and consistent. And she isn't always with other projects. Her effortless class and sophistication does shine through here and there and this is not who the character is. But it is not enough to throw the project off.

Tony Danza and Keith Gordon were cast as brothers. Um...yeah right. Tony does his one note performance as always. Very Brooklyn. Very Italian. Keith was sweet and very endearing. But you will never buy them as siblings. Christine Lahti is OK. A tad bland and doesn't really keep your attention. Mare Winningham was also a little bland. Jean Smart was terribly wasted in a briefer than brief cameo.

The highs and lows of being single, hanging out in bars and trying to connect with someone on more than a intimate level is nicely captured. The injured romance between Shelley's character and Paul Michael Glaser was the most watchable portion of the movie. Though Paul Michael's performance was pretty weak.

While certainly not without it's negative aspects- this was a fine little telefilm from the 80's. Using the actual recording of "Single Bars, Single Women" by Dolly Parton was great.