Review of Goodbye, Columbus (1969) by Keenan S — 06 Apr 2018

Goodbye, Columbus is an underrated romantic comedy/drama. Admittedly, I only discovered this film due to my fondness for the underrated actress, Ali MacGraw, in which it is credited as being her first major film debut.

The film follows a slacker named Neil who falls in love with a rich girl named Brenda. The two basically use one another - Neil scoring the hot rich girl, while Brenda uses him to spite her mother, whom she does not get along with.

They also have genuine chemistry with one another, especially with Neil and Brenda giving each other crap at various points. However, this is a romance not destined to last, not just because of class differences, but also in personality with Neil's slacker nature and Brenda's headstrong nature and devotion to her father who is disappointed in her actions.

It's a funny, oddly honest film within its genre. It's not perfect (There are points where there are too many montages and not enough character development), but I found Goodbye, Columbus to be a rather enjoyable film that is sadly forgotten and viewed as dated by modern viewers.

It has a lot to say, and if nothing else, the performances are great and the music kicks ass (I even own the soundtrack). If you like this era of films, I think you'll find something to enjoy in this film.