''Blume in Love'' is a 1973 American

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

written, produced and directed by

Paul Mazursky Irwin Lawrence "Paul" Mazursky (April 25, 1930 – June 30, 2014) was an American film director, screenwriter, and actor. Known for his dramatic comedies that often dealt with modern social issues, he was nominated for five Academy Awards: three t ...

. It stars George Segal in the titular role, alongside

Susan Anspach Susan Florence Anspach (; November 23, 1942 – April 2, 2018) was an American stage, film and television actress, who was best known for her roles in films during the 1970s and 1980s such as ''Five Easy Pieces'' (1970), '' Play It Again, Sa ...

and

Kris Kristofferson Kristoffer Kristofferson (born June 22, 1936) is a retired American singer, songwriter and actor. Among his songwriting credits are " Me and Bobby McGee", " For the Good Times", " Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and " Help Me Make It Through the ...

. Others in the cast include Mazursky,

Marsha Mason Marsha Mason (born April 3, 1942) is an American actress and director. She has been nominated four times for the Academy Award for Best Actress: for her performances in '' Cinderella Liberty'' (1973), '' The Goodbye Girl'' (1977), '' Chapter Two ...

and

Shelley Winters Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American actress whose career spanned seven decades. She appeared in numerous films. She won Academy Awards for ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959) and ''A Patch o ...

Plot

Wandering alone around St. Mark's Square in

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The isla ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

where he and his former wife Nina had honeymooned,

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

divorce lawyer Stephen Blume wonders why he was unfaithful to Nina, whom he continues to love in spite of himself. Through a series of extended flashbacks, he reflects on the aftermath of their breakup and divorce. Nina comes home to find Blume in his bathrobe and his secretary hidden behind their bedroom door, whereupon she leaves him. Although Blume begins to actively date, he is unsatisfied and grows wistful for his married life. Nina, a social worker, embarks on a journey of self-discovery, trying new experiences like

yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...

and starting a relationship with Elmo, a free-spirited unemployed musician who is 12 years younger than she. After his divorce, Blume discovers how much he loved Nina and goes to great, sometimes humiliating and mostly futile lengths to win her back, complicated by the fact that he likes Elmo. Although Nina remains skeptical of his motivations, Blume befriends the easygoing Elmo and the three form an unlikely if precarious group of friends. One night Blume visits Nina's house, ostensibly to see Elmo, but Elmo is not there. Blume tells Nina that he still loves her. She tells him to leave, but he forces himself on her. Elmo enters and Nina tells Elmo that Blume had raped her. Blume admits to the rape and Elmo hits him, ending their friendship. Elmo visits Blume's office to inform him that Nina is pregnant with Blume's baby. Elmo also tells Blume that he is leaving town because "it's time to go." Blume tells Nina that wants to help support the child, but she is hesitant. They stay in communication and eventually Nina tells Blume that she wants him to leave town for two weeks in order that she may decide what she wants. Blume is in Venice for the two weeks away from Nina, but he sees her across the square and they embrace.

Cast

* George Segal as Stephen Blume *

as Nina Blume *

as Elmo Cole *

as Arlene *

as Mrs. Cramer * Donald F. Muhich as Analyst *

as Hellman * Erin O'Reilly as Cindy *

Annazette Chase Annazette Chase (born May 20, 1943) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the films ''The Mack'' (1973) and ''Truck Turner'' (1974). She also portrayed Muhammad Ali's wife Belinda in '' The Greatest'' (1977), in which Ali ...

as Gloria * Shelley Morrison as Mrs. Greco * Mary Jackson as Louise *

Ed Peck Ed Peck (March 26, 1917 – September 12, 1992) was an American actor. He is best known as Officer Kirk in ''Happy Days'' (1975–1983). Early life Peck was born in New York City on March 26, 1917. Career Peck played a captain in the Broad ...

as Ed Goober

Reception

The film was nominated for a

Writers Guild of America The Writers Guild of America is the joint efforts of two different US labor unions representing TV and film writers: * The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), headquartered in New York City and affiliated with the AFL–CIO * The Writers Gu ...

(WGA)

award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An awar ...

in the category of Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen. In a contemporary review for the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago ...

'', Roger Ebert awarded the film four stars out of four, proclaiming it to be "what everybody is always hoping for from

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...

: a comedy that transcends its funny moments, that realizes we laugh so we may not cry, and that finally is about real people with real desperations."

Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' described the film as "a restless, appealing, sometimes highly comic contemporary memoir."

Richard Corliss Richard Nelson Corliss (March 6, 1944 – April 23, 2015) was an American film critic and magazine editor for ''Time''. He focused on movies, with occasional articles on other subjects. He was the former editor-in-chief of '' Film Commen ...

of ''

Film Comment ''Film Comment'' is the official publication of Film at Lincoln Center. It features reviews and analysis of mainstream, art-house, and avant-garde filmmaking from around the world. Founded in 1962 and originally released as a quarterly, ''Film Co ...

'' praised Segal's performance, claiming that "No contemporary actor can touch George Segal for klutzy charm or a seriocomic capacity for suffering (he’s the

Tom Ewell Tom Ewell (born Samuel Yewell Tompkins, April 29, 1909 – September 12, 1994) was an American film, stage and television actor, and producer. His most successful and most identifiable role was that of Richard Sherman in ''The Seven Year Itch'' ...

of the Seventies), and no film has used his manic copelessness as well as ''Blume in Love''." In an interview with

Robert K. Elder Robert K. Elder (born January 20, 1976) is an American journalist, author, and film columnist. He is currently the President and CEO othe Outrider Foundation He has written more than a dozen books on topics ranging from the death penalty and m ...

for his book ''

The Best Film You've Never Seen ''The Best Film You've Never Seen: 35 Directors Champion the Forgotten or Critically Savaged Movies They Love'' is a book by the journalist and editor Robert K. Elder. Synopsis Published in 2013, the book features interviews with 35 directors a ...

'', director

Neil LaBute Neil N. LaBute (born March 19, 1963) is an American playwright, film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is best-known for a play that he wrote and later adapted for film, '' In the Company of Men'' (1997), which won awards from the Sundance F ...

explained: “I was both intrigued and frustrated by what was happening. There’s this fractured telling of the story, several trips to Venice and the rest takes place in

Venice, California Venice is a neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles within the Westside region of Los Angeles County, California. Venice was founded by Abbot Kinney in 1905 as a seaside resort town. It was an independent city until 1926, when it was annexed by ...

. So, I think there was attraction to it by the frustration of it—like, ‘What’s happening here? What’s the story?’" In later years, the film has been cited as a seminal social comedy. On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, ''Blume in Love'' holds a rating of 68% from 19 reviews.

Soundtrack

* "Chester the Goat" - music and lyrics by Kris Kristofferson, performed by Segal, Anspach and Kristofferson * "Settle Down and Get Along" - music and lyrics by Kris Kristofferson * "

Liebestod "" ( German for "love death") is the title of the final, dramatic music from the 1859 opera ' by Richard Wagner. It is the climactic end of the opera, as Isolde sings over Tristan's dead body. The music is often used in film and television produ ...

" - from ''

Tristan and Isolde Tristan and Iseult, also known as Tristan and Isolde and other names, is a medieval chivalric romance told in numerous variations since the 12th century. Based on a Celtic legend and possibly other sources, the tale is a tragedy about the illic ...

'' by Richard Wagner, performed by Arturo Toscanini and NBC Symphony Orchestra * " Mr. Tambourine Man" - music and lyrics by

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

* "Pickpocket" - music by

Sammy Creason Sammy Lee Creason (27 November 1944 – 21 December 1995) was an American session drummer who played with Tony Joe White, Kris Kristofferson and Bob Dylan amongst others. Life and career Growing up in Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States, he ...

Michael Utley Michael Edward Utley is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer for Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band. He is the musical director of the band. Born in Blytheville in Mississippi County, Arkansas, he graduated from the Univer ...

, Terry Paul, Turner S. Bruton and Donald R. Fritts * "I'm in Love with You" - music and lyrics by Dillard Crume and Rufus E. Crume * " I've Been Working" - music and lyrics by

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

* "I've Got Dreams to Remember" - music and lyrics by Zelma Redding and

Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...

* "

You've Got a Friend "You've Got a Friend" is a 1971 song written by American singer, songwriter, and musician Carole King. It was first recorded by King and included on her second studio album, ''Tapestry'' (1971). Another well-known version is by James Taylor f ...

" - music and lyrics by Carole King * "

De Colores "De colores" ('' Made.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Made">/nowiki>Made/nowiki> of Colors'') is a traditional Spanish language folk song that is well known throughout the Spanish-speaking world. It is widely used in the Catholic Cursillo movement and rela ...

" - traditional * "Gondoli, Gondola" - music and lyrics by

Renato Carosone Renato Carosone (; born Renato Carusone; 3 January 1920 – 20 May 2001) was an Italian musician. He was a prominent figure of the Italian music scene in the second half of the 20th century. He was also a modern performer of the so-called ' ...

* "

Dance of the Hours ''Dance of the Hours'' (Italian: ') is a short ballet and is the act 3 finale of the opera '' La Gioconda'' composed by Amilcare Ponchielli. It depicts the hours of the day through solo and ensemble dances. The opera was first performed in 1876 ...

" - from '' La Gioconda'' by Amilcare Ponchielli * "

Largo al factotum "" (Make way for the factotum) is an aria from ''The Barber of Seville'' by Gioachino Rossini, sung at the first entrance of the title character, Figaro. The repeated "Figaro"s before the final patter section are an icon in popular culture of oper ...

" - from ''

The Barber of Seville ''The Barber of Seville, or The Useless Precaution'' ( it, Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione ) is an ''opera buffa'' in two acts composed by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based ...

'' by

Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards ...

* " Wien, du Stadt meiner Träume" - by Rudolf Sieczyński * " Eine kleine Nachtmusik" - by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

, performed by the Cafe Quadri Orchestra

In popular culture

* The film is featured briefly in Stanley Kubrick's ''

Eyes Wide Shut ''Eyes Wide Shut'' is a 1999 erotic mystery psychological drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick. It is based on the 1926 novella '' Traumnovelle'' (''Dream Story'') by Arthur Schnitzler, transferring the story's set ...

'' (1999) when

Nicole Kidman Nicole Mary Kidman (born 20 June 1967) is an American and Australian actress and producer. Known for her work across various film and television productions from several genres, she has consistently ranked among the world's highest-paid act ...

's character is watching the opening scenes on television. * Along with Mazursky's ''

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' is a 1969 American comedy-drama film directed by Paul Mazursky, written by Mazursky and Larry Tucker, who also produced the film, and starring Natalie Wood, Robert Culp, Elliott Gould, and Dyan Cannon. The origi ...

'' (1969), ''Blume in Love'' served as the opening feature for the reopening of

Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...

New Beverly Cinema The New Beverly Cinema is a historic movie theater located in Los Angeles, California. Housed in a building that dates back to the 1920s, it is one of the oldest revival houses in the region. Since 2007, it has been owned by filmmaker Quentin Tar ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

in 2014.History of New Beverly Cinema
/ref>

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blume In Love 1973 films 1970s romantic comedy-drama films American romantic comedy-drama films 1970s English-language films Films about adultery in the United States Films about lawyers Films scored by Bill Conti Films directed by Paul Mazursky Films set in Los Angeles Films shot in Los Angeles Films set in Venice Films shot in Venice Warner Bros. films 1973 comedy films 1973 drama films 1970s American films