History Film / TheGoodbyeGirl

'''Elliot''': I am decent. I also happen to be naked.

* StylisticSuck: Elliot's performance of ''Theatre/RichardIII', not because his acting was inherently bad, but because of the director's absurd premise of portraying Richard as a stereotypically effeminate CampGay.

Paula [=McFadden=] (Mason), a 33-year-old semi-retired dancer with a ten-year-old daughter named Lucy (Creator/QuinnCummings), has to become un-retired when her actor boyfriend Tony leaves town, breaking up with her via a "Dear John" note. Even worse is that their shared New York apartment was leased under Tony's name, and he has sub-let it to another actor, Elliot Garfield (Dreyfuss), who's arrived from Chicago to star in a play. Paula is horrified to have a stranger moving in to her apartment, and an actor at that, but Elliot has a lease and a key, so they grudgingly work out an arrangement in which they will share the apartment.

''The Goodbye Girl'' was the first time Simon wrote an original screenplay. It received five UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations, and Richard Dreyfuss became the youngest person to win an Oscar for Best Actor up to that time (since broken by Adrien Brody for ''Film/ThePianist'').

''The Goodbye Girl'' is a RomanticComedy from 1977, directed by Herbert Ross, written by Creator/NeilSimon, starring Creator/RichardDreyfuss and Creator/MarshaMason.

Paula [=McFadden=] (Mason), a 33-year-old semi-retired dancer with a ten-year-old daughter named Lucy (Creator/QuinnCummings), has to become un-retired when her actor boyfriend Tony leaves town, breaking up with her via a "Dear John" note. Even worse is that their shared New York apartment was under Tony's name, and he has sub-let it to another actor, Elliot Garfield (Dreyfuss), who has arrived in New York from Chicago to star in a play. Paula is horrified to have a stranger moving in to her apartment, and an actor at that, but Elliot has a lease and a key, so they grudgingly work out an arrangement in which they will share the apartment.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/thegoodbyegirl4-350_9213.jpg]]

->''"You love to love someone but the minute they start taking the initiative like I did last night that scares the pants off you."''

* HangoverSensitivity: Elliot is much the worse for wear the morning after drowning his sorrows (see above).

* CampGay / LargeHam: How Elliot is instructed to play Richard III, much to his horror.

* [[TheLadysFavour The Lady's Favor]]: Gender-swapped. As Elliot is leaving the apartment to go film a movie, just like Tony did, Paula is terrified that he'll never come back as Tony didn't--until she realizes he left his guitar, which he would never willingly give up, in the apartment. Then she knows he's coming back to her.

--> "He rented the apartment. What a shithead."

* ThematicThemeTune / TitleThemeTune: Written and performed by David Gates, it reached #15 on the ''Billboard'' chart.

''The Goodbye Girl'' is a RomanticComedy from 1977, directed by Herbert Ross, written by Creator/NeilSimon, starring Creator/RichardDreyfuss and Marsha Mason.

Paula [=McFadden=] (Mason), a 33-year-old semi-retired dancer with a ten-year-old daughter named Lucy (Quinn Cummings), has to become un-retired when her actor boyfriend Tony leaves town, breaking up with her via a "Dear John" note. Even worse is that their shared New York apartment was under Tony's name, and he has sub-let it to another actor, Elliot Garfield (Dreyfuss), who has arrived in New York from Chicago to star in a play. Paula is horrified to have a stranger moving in to her apartment, and an actor at that, but Elliot has a lease and a key, so they grudgingly work out an arrangement in which they will share the apartment.

* NakedPeopleAreFunny: Elliot sleeps in the nude, and when he can't sleep, he plays his guitar.

* ScreenToStageAdaptation: Simon adapted the movie into a play that premiered on Broadway in 1993, starring Creator/BernadettePeters and Martin Short.

''The Goodbye Girl'' was the first time Simon wrote an original screenplay. It received five UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations, and Richard Dreyfuss became at the time the youngest person to ever win an Oscar for Best Actor (since broken by Adrien Brody for ''Film/ThePianist'').

Paula [=McFadden=] (Mason), a 33-year-old semi-retired dancer with a ten-year-old daughter Lucy (Quinn Cummings), has to become un-retired when her actor boyfriend Tony leaves town, breaking up with her via a "Dear John" note. Even worse is that their shared New York apartment was under Tony's name, and he has sub-let it to another actor, Elliot Garfield (Dreyfuss), who has arrived in New York from Chicago to star in a play. Paula is horrified to have a stranger moving in to her apartment, and an actor at that, but Elliot has a lease and a key, so they grudgingly work out an arrangement in which they will share the apartment.

* BikiniBar: Elliot hands out fliers outside a strip club where the girls keep bikinis on.

* TitleDrop: In the song that plays over the closing credits.

''The Goodbye Girl'' is a RomanticComedy from 1977, directed by Herbert Ross, written by Creator/NeilSimon, starring Creator/RichardDreyfuss and Marsha Mason. Mason is Paula [=McFadden=], a 33-year-old semi-retired dancer with a ten-year-old daughter Lucy, who has to become un-retired when her actor boyfriend Tony leaves town, breaking up with her via a "Dear John" note. Even worse is that their shared New York apartment was under Tony's name, and he has sub-let it to another actor, Elliot Garfield (Dreyfuss), who has arrived in New York from Chicago to star in a play. Paula is horrified to have a stranger moving in to her apartment, and an actor at that, but Elliot has a lease and a key, so they grudgingly work out an arrangement in which they will share the apartment.

* TitleDrop: In the song that plays over the closing credits.

''The Goodbye Girl'' was the first time Simon wrote an original screenplay. It received five AcademyAward nominations, and Richard Dreyfuss became at the time the youngest person to ever win an Oscar for Best Actor (since broken by Adrien Brody for ''Film/ThePianist'').

* [[TheLadysFavour The Lady's Favor]]: Gender-swapped. As Elliot is leaving the apartment to go film a movie, just like Tony did, Paula is terrified that he'll never come back as Tony didn't--until she realizes he left his guitar, which he would never willingly give up, in the apartment.

''The Goodbye Girl'' is a romantic comedy from 1977, directed by Herbert Ross, written by Creator/NeilSimon, starring Creator/RichardDreyfuss and Marsha Mason. Mason is Paula [=McFadden=], a 33-year-old semi-retired dancer with a ten-year-old daughter Lucy, who has to become un-retired when her actor boyfriend Tony leaves town, breaking up with her via a "Dear John" note. Even worse is that their shared New York apartment was under Tony's name, and he has sub-let it to another actor, Elliot Garfield (Dreyfuss), who has arrived in New York from Chicago to star in a play. Paula is horrified to have a stranger moving in to her apartment, and an actor at that, but Elliot has a lease and a key, so they grudgingly work out an arrangement in which they will share the apartment.

* FallenOnHardTimesJob: After his disastrous '''Richard III''' closes, Elliot winds up as a sidewalk barker outside a strip club.

* TheLadysFavor: Gender-swapped. As Elliot is leaving the apartment to go film a movie, just like Tony did, Paula is terrified that he'll never come back as Tony didn't--until she realizes he left his guitar, which he would never willingly give up, in the apartment.