The Main Event (1979 film)
The Main Event is a 1979 American sports romantic comedy film starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal, written by Gail Parent, directed by Howard Zieff, and produced by Jon Peters and Streisand.
The Main Event
Gail Parent
Andrew Smith
Barbra Streisand
Ryan O'Neal
Edward Warschilka
- June 22, 1979
112 minutes
United States
English
$6 million[1]
$42.8 million[2]
The film received negative reviews from critics, but was among the top 20 highest grossing films of the year at the box office. It was also the impetus for Streisand's first foray into disco singing the Golden Globe-nominated theme song written by Paul Jabara and Bruce Roberts.
Production[edit]
Renee Missell wanted to do a film about a woman who "owned" a boxer. Missell and partner Howard Rosenman set up a deal at MGM under Daniel Melnick and hired Gail Parent and Andrew Smith to write a script. Initially the proposed stars were Nick Nolte and Susan Blakely from Rich Man, Poor Man. Melnick was replaced as head of production by Richard Shepherd who had the script rewritten by Bob Kaufman as a vehicle for Diana Ross and Burt Reynolds.[3]
The film was offered to Ryan O'Neal when Goldie Hawn was going to star. The producers then proposed Diana Ross to appear in the lead, but O'Neal refused.[4] It later was learned that O'Neal and Ross had been in a brief relationship and had an acrimonious split.[5]
Eventually the film was offered to Barbra Streisand. More writers worked on it, including the team of Charles Shyer and Alan Mandal, and original writer Gail Patrick. The project went from MGM to First Artists.[6]
Other titles for the film were Knockout and The Woman And The Boxer.
Filming started in October 1978 with a budget of $7 million.
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
The Main Event was a box-office success. It opened with $6.6 million grossed from 853 theaters in three days.[7] It grossed a total of $42.8 million against a budget of $8 million.[2] It was the 16th highest-grossing film of 1979.
Critical[edit]
Roger Ebert gave the film 2 stars out of 4 and called it "a meet cute from beginning to end, forced smiles, smarmy dialog and all. Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal act so cute, indeed, that I was squirming."[8] Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote "This sort of situation could only be funny if it's out of character, and it is out of character for Mr. O'Neal. The pushy cosmetics executive, however, seems to be an extension of the role played in real-life by Miss Streisand, who coproduced the movie, stars in it and seems to have ordered every close-up and line-reading. Miss Streisand has become a contradiction: she's too much without being enough."[9] Dale Pollock of Variety called it "a film whose sum is way less than its parts," adding "Putting aside all of the ridiculous aspects of 'Main Event' (Streisand's glamorous wardrobe on a nickel-and-dime budget, the complete disregard for boxing rules and tradition, and the highly improbable ending), major disappointment is Streisand's apparent contentment to stay with a character she has now exhausted on the screen."[10] Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave the film 3.5 stars out of 4 and wrote that Streisand "walks away with this film, and turns it into a romantic comedy acting lesson. She is as delightful here as she ever has been, and that includes Funny Girl and a personal favorite, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever."[11] Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times wrote of Streisand: "It is her first movie since A Star Is Born and it is all hers. Every entrance, exit, composition and quip favors her, somewhat to the concealment of a suave and ingratiating performance by O'Neal, who really has become an amusing and debonair light comedy actor in a tradition not much honored in 'The Main Event.'"[12] Gary Arnold of The Washington Post wrote "This premise looks remarkably unappealing on paper, and doesn't improve in the playing. New romantic comedies seem to be degenerating at the moment, and 'The Main Event' is nothing to rave about."[13] David Ansen of Newsweek wrote "The stage is set for a knockabout romantic comedy, a sort of rolereversed Pat and Mike. What develops, however, is only fitfully amusing — and sometimes downright annoying".[14]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 40% of 10 critics' reviews are positive.[15]