View source for Loving Couples (1980 film)

{{Short description|1980 film by Jack Smight}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Loving Couples
| image          = Loving Couples.jpg
| caption        = Promotional film poster
| director       = [[Jack Smight]]
| producer       = [[David Susskind]]
| writer         = [[Martin Donovan (screenwriter)|Martin Donovan]]
| starring       = [[Shirley MacLaine]]<br>[[James Coburn]]<br>[[Susan Sarandon]]<br>[[Stephen Collins]]
| music          = [[Fred Karlin]]
| cinematography = Philip H. Lathrop
| editing        = Frank J. Urioste
| distributor    = [[20th Century Fox]]
| studio         = Time-Life Films
| released       = {{Film date|1980|10|24}}
| runtime        = 97 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         =
| gross          = $2,806,659 (Domestically)
}}
'''''Loving Couples''''' is a 1980 American [[romantic comedy|romantic comedy film]] written by Martin Donovan and directed by [[Jack Smight]]. It stars [[Shirley MacLaine]], [[James Coburn]], [[Susan Sarandon]] and [[Stephen Collins]].<ref name="medium">{{cite web|url=https://medium.com/@lajp/this-is-the-story-of-director-jack-smights-life-in-entertainment-written-by-himself-2e735a65f837|first=JP|last=Myers|title=This is the story of Director Jack Smight's life in entertainment written by himself|date=March 8, 2018|website=Medium}}</ref>
==Synopsis==
The plot offers a comic spin on [[adultery]]. When Greg crashes his [[sports car]], doctor Evelyn comes to his rescue, and the two soon are engaged in an affair. Evelyn's workaholic husband learns about it from Greg's live-in girlfriend, scatterbrained [[television]] [[Weather forecasting|weather girl]] Stephanie, and the two begin to engage in a dalliance of their own. Complications arise when the two couples plan a clandestine weekend getaway at the same [[Acapulco]] resort.
==Production==
The scenes in [[Mexico]] actually were shot in [[San Diego, California]] at [[Hotel del Coronado]],<ref>(1983-12-01). ''Spotlight on filming in SD County''. ''[[Daily Times-Advocate]]'', 52, 56-57.</ref> and the hotel interiors were filmed at the [[Ambassador Hotel (Los Angeles)|Ambassador Hotel]] on [[Wilshire Boulevard]] in [[Los Angeles]].
Together with ''[[A Change of Seasons (film)|A Change of Seasons]]'', the film was one of two 1980s [[20th Century Fox]]'s releases starring [[Shirley MacLaine]] that dealt with the subject of marital infidelity. Regarding the similarity between the former and his appreciation for ''Loving Couples'', Coburn said: “It was a change of pace. It was a comedy. I thought it was pretty good, but here was another film out around the same time with Shirley MacLaine called ''A Change of Seasons''. You know, that film was a lot like ''Loving Couples''. It was almost the same fuckin’ story. Shirley played the same kind of character. I don't know why”.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=Psychotronic Video|title=James Coburn Seven and Seven Is|first=Lowell|last=Goldman|number=9|date=Spring 1991|page=27|url=https://archive.org/details/Psychotronic_Video_09/page/n28/mode/1up?q=patman}}</ref>
==Cast==
*[[Shirley MacLaine]] — Dr. Evelyn Lucas Kirby
*[[James Coburn]] — Dr. Walter Kirby
*[[Susan Sarandon]] — Stephanie Beck
*[[Stephen Collins (actor)|Stephen Collins]] — Greg Plunkett
*[[Sally Kellerman]] - Mrs. Liggett
*[[Nan Martin]] - Walter's Nurse
*[[Anne Bloom]] - Nurse
*[[Helena Carroll]] - Prudence
*[[Marilyn Chris]] - Sally
*[[Pat Corley]] - Delmonico Clerk
*[[Michael Currie (actor)|Michael Currie]] - Ken
*[[John de Lancie]] - Alan
*[[Peter Hobbs (actor)|Peter Hobbs]] - Frank
*[[Sam Weisman]] - Cop
==Soundtrack==
A soundtrack to the movie was released on [[Motown Records]] featuring new music from [[The Temptations]], [[Syreeta Wright|Syreeta]], and [[Billy Preston]].  Also featured the song "Bass Odyssey" by [[Jermaine Jackson]] from his 1976 album ''[[My Name Is Jermaine]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Various-The-Original-Motion-Picture-Sound-Track-From-Loving-Couples/release/1117756|title = The Original Motion Picture Sound Track from 'Loving Couples' (1980, Vinyl)|website = [[Discogs]]}}</ref>
===SIDE ONE===
#Take Me Away (The Temptations)(written by [[Fred Karlin]] and [[Dean Pitchford]])
#And So It Begins (Instrumental Version)(written by Fred Karlin)
#Turn Up the Music (Syreeta)(written by Fred Karlin and Dean Pitchford)
#I'll Make It With Your Love (Billy Preston)(written by Fred Karlin and [[Norman Gimbel]])
===SIDE TWO===
#And So It Begins (Syreeta)(written by Fred Karlin and Norman Gimbel)
#I'll Make It With Your Love (Instrumental Version)(written by Fred Karlin)
#There's More Where That Came From (The Temptations)(written by Fred Karlin and Dean Pitchford)
#Bass Odyssey (Jermaine Jackson)(written by Greg Wright)
All songs were produced by [[Teddy Randazzo]], except for "Bass Odyssey" which was produced by Greg Wright.  Also Karlin himself produced the instrumental versions of "And So It Begins" and "I'll Make It With Your Love".
==Critical reception==
In her review in ''[[The New York Times]]'', [[Janet Maslin]] called the film "a flat, lifeless movie . . . about as uneventful and unromantic as a romantic comedy can be" and added, "it never creates the impression that any of the lovers much care about one another, or even that they're people at all."<ref>[https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=990CE1DE1538F937A15753C1A966948260 ''New York Times'' review]</ref>
[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' called it "a dumb remake of a very old idea that has been done so much better so many times before, that this version is wretchedly unnecessary . . . the whole project smells like high-gloss [[situation comedy|sitcom]]."<ref>[http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19801031/REVIEWS/10310301/1023 ''Chicago Sun-Times'' review]</ref>
''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' opined, "Direction by Jack Smight is assured and never lags. MacLaine is in top form, sassy and sweet in turn. Coburn delivers a casually effective light comedy performance. Sarandon is topnotch."<ref>[https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117792800.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0 ''Variety'' review]</ref>
''[[Time Out New York]]'' says it "subscribes to conventions as old as the hills and twice as rocky, burying any hints of feminist awareness beneath the routines of macho courtship. Faced with direction paced at a lethargic crawl and dialogue of inconceivable banality, the cast respond with performances of glazed charm."<ref>[https://archive.today/20130204144741/http://www.timeout.com/film/newyork/reviews/80867/Loving_Couples.html ''Time Out New York'' review]</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0081080|title=Loving Couples}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|1012874_loving_couples}}
* {{Mojo title|lovingcouples}}
* {{TCMDb title|82113|Loving Couples}}
{{Jack Smight}}
[[Category:1980 films]]
[[Category:1980 romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:20th Century Fox films]]
[[Category:Films about adultery in the United States]]
[[Category:American romantic comedy films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Jack Smight]]
[[Category:Films scored by Fred Karlin]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:Films shot in San Diego]]
[[Category:Films set in Mexico]]
[[Category:English-language romantic comedy films]]