An Unmarried Woman
One of my all time favorite movies is An Unmarried Woman, 1978 by Paul Mazursky staring Jill Clayburgh, Alan Bates, Michael Murphy and Cliff Gorman. If the title sounds like a chick flick, it just may be, then again maybe not. Hear me out. It is brilliantly acted, it is funny and tragic and it explores relationships, love and loss like no other film I have ever experienced. The film was Academy Award nominated for best picture and best actress. As the story unfolds, the perfect life of wealthy New York City wife, Erica Benton (Jill Clayburgh) is shattered when her stockbroker husband Martin (Michael Murphy) leaves her for a younger woman. The film documents Erica's attempts at being single again, where she suffers confusion, sadness, and rage. As her life progresses, she begins to bond with several friends and finds herself inspired and even happier by her renewed liberation. The story also touches on the overall sexual liberation of the 1970s. Erica eventually finds love with a rugged, yet sensitive British artist (Alan Bates). I'm even obsessed with the theme song and I am humming it right now. The drawback on this recommendation is it is hard to see. Now that I have teased you into taking a peek, I cannot recommend how you can watch it. It was streaming on Netflix but was pulled and a used DVD's of the film on Amazon runs from $33 bucks to $220 for a new unused copy. Go figure. I had it on VHS, lol, and it went in the garbage with the VCR when I moved to Delaware, but it remains as a masterpiece of film in my mind. If it comes back to Netflix or streams somewhere else, check it out!