Movie Review: What's Up, Doc?
The American Film Classic Stars Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal
Patterned after the comedic flick 40 years before its time, "What's Up, Doc?" provides humorous entertainment for viewers of all ages.
Singer/actress Barbra Streisand is often known for her off-beat characters. Ryan O'Neal was a leading man in 1970s Hollywood. So it's no surprise the two would create an intriguing dynamic in the 1972 film, What's Up, Doc?
Known as a "screwball comedy", director Peter Bogdanovich pays homage to the funny films in the 1930s such as "Bringing Up Baby" and the classic Looney Tunes cartoons. Some audiences may have to remind themselves the film was actually made in the 1970s because of the relative silly humor.
Plot
It all starts with four identical bags belonging to four separate characters who all end up at the Bristol Hotel in San Francisco. Judy Maxwell (Streisand), an gregarious young woman, owns one of the bags while another belongs to a mysterious man with possibly stolen government documents. A third bag is in the possession of a wealthy woman and carries expensive jewels. Musicologist Dr. Howard Bannister (O'Neal) carries the last bag which holds his igneous rock specimens, used as the basis of his study.
Bannister is in town, with his rather orthodox fiancee, Eunice Burns (Madeline Kahn), because he is a competing for a generous grant. He hopes the grant will further his studies in musicology. But as soon as Bannister meets nutty Maxwell, his world becomes a ball of confusion especially when she poses as his fiancee in front of his influential colleagues.
Everywhere Judy Maxwell goes, trouble seems to follow. Add a huge switcheroo with the identical bags, and you have scene after scene of crazy antics and quirky witticism.
Perfect Chemistry
The entire cast is remarkable together. Streisand and O'Neal have unparalleled on-screen chemistry, and Kahn, in her debut film appearance, provides the perfect third wheel to the love triangle.
The characters play off of each other so well with sharp-tongued dialogue. Where there is no dialogue, classic slapstick action takes over including a climactic chase scene up and down the hills of San Fransisco. The literal and figurative twists and turns keep a quick pace in this far too short film.
Recognition
According to the American Film Institute, What's Up, Doc? is the 61st funniest film in 100 years of movie making and number 68 in AFI's greatest love stories list.
In 1973, the film won a Writer's Guild of America award for Best Comedy Written Directly for Screen (presented to Buck Henry, David Newman and Robert Benton). Madeline Khan also received a Golden Globe nomination for Most Promising Newcomer-Female.
