Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Frank Perry

Writers:

Sue Kaufman (novel)
Eleanor Perry (writer)

Release Date:

10 August 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

I, Tina Balser, Housewife, Did Not Do My Chores Today. I Did...Something Else!

Plot:

A housewife with an abusive husband has an affair with a writer.

Plot Keywords:

Love Triangle | Lawyer | Homemaker | Satire | Extramarital Affair

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Richard Benjamin	...	Jonathan Balser
Frank Langella	...	George Prager
Carrie Snodgress	...	Tina Balser
Lorraine Cullen	...	Sylvie Balser
Frannie Michel	...	Liz Balser
Lee Addoms	...	Mrs. Prinz
Peter Dohanos	...	Samuel Keefer
Katherine Meskill	...	Charlotte Rady
Leonard Elliott	...	M. Henri
Valma	...	Margo
Hilda Haynes	...	Lottie
Donald Symington	...	Pediatrician (as Don Symington)
Alley Mills	...	Women's lib girl (as Allison Mills)
Alice Cooper	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael Bruce	...	Himself... guitarist for the Alice Cooper band
Glen Buxton	...	Himself... guitarist for the Alice Cooper band
Jeanette Du Bois	...	Vera
Dennis Dunaway	...	Himself... bassist for the Alice Cooper band
Kurt Garfield	...	Carpenter
Jason Holt
William Kiehl	...	Elliot Asher
I.W. Klein	...	Stuttering man in group therapy
George Loros	...	Malcolm
Lester Rawlins	...	Dr. Linstrom
Renee Semes	...	College Girl in group therapy session
Neal Smith	...	Himself... drummer for the Alice Cooper band

Runtime:

95 min | 104 min (original version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | USA:R

Company:

Frank Perry Films Inc.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Empty Nest: Diary of a Mad Housewife (#6.6)" (1993)

I've known a man who is just like Jonathan.

With the feminist movement on the rise, they obviously had to make a movie about a woman in an abusive relationship, and "Diary of a Mad Housewife" does a good job with it. Tina Balser's (Carrie Snodgress, RIP) husband Jonathan (Richard Benjamin) is the biggest jerk in the world. Any bad qualities that a person could have, you can bet money that Jonathan has them. So, Tina starts having an affair with George Prager (Frank Langella), only to find out his secret.

As it is, I've actually known a man who is almost exactly like Jonathan. To avoid any lawsuits, I won't say his name, but he is one creepy person. This movie could almost be based on him (but obviously it's not). A really good movie, even if it is a little dated.