Unmarried Woman

UPC: 024543219361

Studio: 20th Century Fox

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Brief Nudity, Adult Situations, Adult Language]

Summary: A New York wife learns about the satisfactions of single life in this landmark 1970s "woman's film." Unlike her dysfunctional friends, vibrant Erica (Jill Clayburgh) seems to have it all: a nice Upper East Side home, a well-adjusted teenage daughter (Lisa Lucas), a job at a Soho art gallery, and a loving husband, Martin (Michael Murphy). Erica falls apart, however, when Martin leaves her for a younger woman. Finally, at her female therapist's urging, Erica ventures out into the world of singlehood, finding solace in female bonding and even casual sex. As she adjusts to her new life, Erica realizes that she likes her freedom and independence. But when she falls in love with sensitive bearded artist Saul (Alan Bates), Erica must decide whether to turn down a lucrative job to spend the summer with her man in Vermont or forge ahead with her new existence. One of a group of new "women's pictures" made in the wake of post-1960s feminism, including Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and The Turning Point (1977), An Unmarried Woman updated the genre's concern with relationships and love by turning the heroine's unwedded status into a positive growth experience. The great female stars of the past like Joan Crawford and Bette Davis may be gone, as Erica and her friends mourn, but so is the all-consuming suffering of classical weepies, as writer/director Paul Mazursky ends the film on a note of reserved affirmation. While some critics (including feminists) complained that Saul was too much of a romantic fantasy, An Unmarried Woman was praised for Clayburgh's performance, and earned Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay. A hit with 1978 audiences, An Unmarried Woman provoked viewer debate over Erica's final choice and its meaning for women. Either way, An Unmarried Woman astutely pointed to how far the new 1970s woman had come -- and how far she still needed to go. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

Category: Comedy Drama

Awards: Best Screenplay – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Director – Directors Guild of America Best Picture - Drama – null Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama – null Best Director – null Best Screenplay – null Best Original Score – null Best Actress – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Screenplay – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Actress – Cannes Film Festival Best Picture – National Board of Review Best Screenplay – New York Film Critics Circle Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Score – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Screenplay – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Director – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Features: Commentary by director Paul Mazursky & actress Jill Clayburgh
Theatrical trailer

Unmarried Woman

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 01/10/2006

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo, DD1 Dolby Digital Mono

Runtime: 124 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French,Spanish

Subtitles: English,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- An Unmarried Woman
1. Main Titles/Jogging [:09]
2. Prima Ballerina [3:41]
3. Girl Talk [2:52]
4. Pillow Talk [:32]
5. Happily Married [4:20]
6. Charlie [2:18]
7. The Affair [4:17]
8. Good Friends [2:37]
9. Was That a Pass? [:15]
10. Erasing a Husband [2:39]
11. Dim Sum [5:05]
12. Bob [2:48]
13. Misplaced Anger [4:32]
14. Therapy [1:14]
15. From Bad to Worse [1:29]
16. Self-Esteem [3:47]
17. Feeling Lonely [3:06]
18. Testing the Waters [3:10]
19. Let's Be Friends [3:49]
20. Casual Sex [3:50]
21. Gallery Party [:51]
22. Three Choices [2:31]
23. Healing [7:07]
24. The Dinner Guest [:18]
25. New Found Strength [9:04]
26. Finding Herself [:20]
27. An Unmarried Woman [1:47]
28. Saul's Gift/End Titles [3:31]

Michael Betzold

Jill Clayburgh made a big impact as the heroine of this 1970s examination of the liberation of a woman whose life seemed to be ruined by divorce. As in other films of the era, throwing off the shackles of marriage is just the first step in the protagonist's realization of her own self-worth. Director Paul Mazurksy is a fine delineator of characters, and in this detailed, beautifully acted film, he is determined to substitute all-too-human characters for Hollywood stereotypes. Disturbingly real and vivid, An Unmarried Woman is an iconic feminist film and was surprisingly popular at the box office; Clayburgh, the script by Mazursky, and the picture itself were all nominated for Oscars. The film's power is aided by Alan Bates's performance as Clayburgh's newfound, artistic love, even though that character also drew the lion's share of criticism, as an idealized solution to Erica's situation. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Michael Tucker  Actor 
Clint Chin  Actor 
Linda G. Miller  Actor 
Jill Eikenberry  Actor 
Ken Chapin  Actor 
Chico Martinez  Actor 
Vincent Schiavelli  Actor 
Ivan Karp  Actor 
Ultra Violet  Actor 
Paul Mazursky  Director 
Paul Mazursky  Producer 
Paul Mazursky  Screenwriter 
Tony Ray  Producer 
Bill Conti  Composer (Music Score) 
Jill Clayburgh  Actor 
Alan Bates  Actor 
Michael Murphy  Actor 
Cliff Gorman  Actor 
Pat Quinn  Actor 
Kelly Bishop  Actor 
Lisa Lucas  Actor 
Andrew Duncan  Actor 
Daniel Seltzer  Actor 
Matthew Arkin  Actor 
Penelope Russianoff  Actor 
Novella Nelson  Actor 
Raymond J. Barry  Actor 
Paul Mazursky  Actor 

Country: USA