One of the simple pleasures of viewing Woody Allen's films is you don't have to be kosher necessarily to relate to Allen's stock character of the down-trodden goy fraught with a plethora of neurosis-everything from sexual dysfunction to the nagging doubt predicated by existential angst over our natural inclination towards God and the infinite. What cheap shots Allen did throw at religion were strictly for laughs both as parody and commentary. In other words, Catholicism and Judaism suffered slings and arrows in the same measure. At the time of
the film's release, "Goodbye, Columbus" was criticized for being "too jewish". It's simple tale of nice jewish boy meets spoiled jewish princess meets crass wealthy jewish family (who somehow along the way forgot their humble
beginnings) is met with tribulation and turmoil mostly from shrewish jewish
mother inevitably leading to a parting of the ways for nice jewish boy arrived during a period in Hollywood when the youth of America were being heard at
peace marches, flag burnings, love-ins, gay and feminist movements, sexual
liberation and draft dodging. From 1967-72, audiences were being treated to
films of relevant social commentary beginning with "The Graduate" and just
about ending with the release of "Harold and Maude". It's all good as it was all about consciousness-raising. Among them, "Goodbye, Columbus" is a bit of a
peon but a film that still remains a stinging comment on class-conscious
America in it's whole up-the-rich-screw-the-poor-warts-and-all approach to
story telling. Richard Benjamin is fine as Neil, a man smitten by Ali McGraw (her debut) as Brenda but taken aback by her family and her unremitting
dependence on them. The final scene involving Brenda's willingness to commit an unconscionable act of sex sans condom and it's consequences prompting
Neil's apathy to face the world wiser but at least no worse for the wear remind us of just how emotionally disconnected most Americans were in the late
sixties. We were battered and bruised having come through an unpopular war .
Add to that the violent demonstrations we were witnessing at home leaving a
nation numb if not weary. Perhaps the most evocative scene which says the
most about our culture is the wedding reception for Brenda's lunkhead brother in which friends and relatives descend upon the banquet table like a plague of locusts devouring everything in sight. It sets just the right tone for the film: 'I'm so hungry, I'd eat my own kind. And only then with certain reservation.'
the film's release, "Goodbye, Columbus" was criticized for being "too jewish". It's simple tale of nice jewish boy meets spoiled jewish princess meets crass wealthy jewish family (who somehow along the way forgot their humble
beginnings) is met with tribulation and turmoil mostly from shrewish jewish
mother inevitably leading to a parting of the ways for nice jewish boy arrived during a period in Hollywood when the youth of America were being heard at
peace marches, flag burnings, love-ins, gay and feminist movements, sexual
liberation and draft dodging. From 1967-72, audiences were being treated to
films of relevant social commentary beginning with "The Graduate" and just
about ending with the release of "Harold and Maude". It's all good as it was all about consciousness-raising. Among them, "Goodbye, Columbus" is a bit of a
peon but a film that still remains a stinging comment on class-conscious
America in it's whole up-the-rich-screw-the-poor-warts-and-all approach to
story telling. Richard Benjamin is fine as Neil, a man smitten by Ali McGraw (her debut) as Brenda but taken aback by her family and her unremitting
dependence on them. The final scene involving Brenda's willingness to commit an unconscionable act of sex sans condom and it's consequences prompting
Neil's apathy to face the world wiser but at least no worse for the wear remind us of just how emotionally disconnected most Americans were in the late
sixties. We were battered and bruised having come through an unpopular war .
Add to that the violent demonstrations we were witnessing at home leaving a
nation numb if not weary. Perhaps the most evocative scene which says the
most about our culture is the wedding reception for Brenda's lunkhead brother in which friends and relatives descend upon the banquet table like a plague of locusts devouring everything in sight. It sets just the right tone for the film: 'I'm so hungry, I'd eat my own kind. And only then with certain reservation.'