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Only When I Laugh (1981)

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Top Critics

Average Rating: 4.9/10
Reviews Counted: 6
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 3

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 1
Fresh: 0 | Rotten: 1

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Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 650

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Movie Info

Playwright Neil Simon made one of his periodic forays into serious themes with the drama The Gingerbread Lady, and while this screen adaptation adds a bit more wit to the proceedings, it remains a change of pace from his usual breezy comedies. Georgia (Marsha Mason) is a successful actress who has just spent 90 days in a rehab clinic in an effort to beat her addiction to alcohol. A number of crises are waiting for Georgia upon her return; her teenage daughter Polly (Kristy McNichol), whom she

R, 2 hr.

Drama, Comedy

Directed By: Glenn Jordan

In Theaters: Sep 25, 1981 Wide

On DVD: Sep 23, 2003

Cast

Marsha Mason
Georgia
Kristy McNichol
Polly
James Coco
Jimmy
Joan Hackett
Toby
David Dukes
David
John Bennett Perry
Lou the actor
Kevin Bacon
Don
Guy Boyd
Man
Ed Moore
Dr. Komack
Byron Webster
Tom
Peter Coffield
Mr. Tarloff
Mark Schubb
Adam Kasabian
Venida Evans
Nurse Garcia
Birdie M. Hale
Super's Wife
Ellen La Gamba
Receptionist
Dan Monahan
Jason
Nancy Nagler
Heidi
Henry Olek
George the Director
Tom Ormeny
Kyle
Rebecca Stanley
Denise Summers
John Vargas
Manuel
Michael Ross
Paul

Critic Reviews for Only When I Laugh

All Critics (9) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (3) | Rotten (3)

Neil Simon reworked his play Gingerbread Lady for this tale of alcoholic actress (real wife Marsha Mason) and precocious daughter, but the result is just as stagy, schmaltzy and predictable, with the expected witty but utterly theatrical one-liners.

January 11, 2008 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

| Comment

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

Belabored Neil Simon script with Marsha Mason.

July 13, 2005 Comment

Steve Crum

Video-Reviewmaster.com

Only When I Laugh is a film about family ties, friendship and coping in a competitive world.

January 31, 2004 Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice

| Comment

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality and Practice

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Audience Reviews for Only When I Laugh

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This starts out as a good drama about a mother and daughter, but it gets more and more predictable as it goes on. The actors are good, and I like theatre themed movies, but this one is just okay.

September 6, 2010

AJ Verser

Super Reviewer

Although this film has the word laugh in the title it is not a comedy, it's a drama. It's a pretty good drama too, it's a slice of life type story about an actress and her daughter. The movie starts out good, but then you realize how predictable it is, and that it's not so good. Overall, it's an okay movie, though, Simon is a good writer.

August 22, 2010