Out of print since 1997 and never released on DVD, it seems curious as to why recent viewers have had to resort to grainy, aging VHS copies ...
Out of print since 1997 and never released on DVD, it seems curious as to why recent viewers have had to resort to grainy, aging VHS copies or pixilated bootleg streaming video feeds. In its day, Looking for Mr. Goodbar was a sensation, framed against the backdrop of the hedonistic late 70’s, disco, and permissive attitudes towards swinging and one-night-stands. It was controversial for many reasons, one being open-mouthed male on male kissing and another being a brief scene inside a gay bar. Without giving away spoilers, I’ll only say that the female lead engages regularly in sexual promiscuity, possibly to reject her strict Irish Catholic upbringing. This may be Diane Keaton’s best role, showing her ample range an actress. Here she is no longer expected to play the comic foil to former boyfriend Woody Allen. Instead, her character holds down a respectable job teaching deaf children in the daytime, while trolling the singles bars at night. At first, her decision to play the field comes across as a personal dare, but with enough experience, Theresa Dunn finds she enjoys playing with fire. Indeed, her complacent, nonchalant attitude towards the unpredictability of this shadowy, smoky world that is her little secret eventually backfires spectacularly. Looking for Mr. Goodbar was considered scandalous in its time, taken as a sobering warning that the sexually liberated Me Generation might contain an unforeseen element of terror. Since its release, some concerned parents have insisted their daughters watch the film as a means of deterrent. The main character, Theresa, resorts regularly to impulsive sexual behavior by actively courting a working class tough as a lover (a young Richard Gere) who is dangerous, rough, and a little nuts. That being said, the burden of ensuring physical safety and avoiding sexual assault should not be placed squarely upon the shoulders of Theresa or any woman. Men ought to bear the primary responsibility, but in situation after situation... Less
