What A Way To Go! - A Quick Movie Review

What a Way to Go!

A Quick and Partial Film Review

What A Way To Go!, directed by the prolific J. Lee Thompson, was released in 1964 and discovered by me over fifty years later while researching Edith Head. I found a strange and quirky comedy that I love.

What's the Deal?

Shirley McClaine plays a quadruple widow. A quadwidow? I can't find the adverbial number for four times but suffice it to say she's buried more than a few dudes. Her lost loves are played by Paul Newman (I get it now), Robert Mitchum (Who I only knew from MST3K jokes) , Gene Kelly and Dick Van Dyke. Her no-love-lost is played by Dean Martin.

Louisa tells a psychiatrist the whole story of how she got $200 million (Now, it would be over 1.5 billion), why she's desperate to give it away and how she became Louisa May Hopper-Flint-Anderson-Benson nee Foster.

What A Way To Go! - A Quick Movie Review

Why I love it?

Besides the quirky fun, the film is a tribute to the classic genres of film (silent, French, big budget, musical). Each marriage is defined as a tribute to that film.

The film is often described as "Black Comedy" but that's not accurate in my opinion. Just the comedic deaths of her husbands doesn't qualify it. The movie more comfortably fits into the screwball category with slapstick, plot focused on marriage and the ridiculousness of a woman marrying her way to a 200 million dollar fortune by accident.

EDITH HEAD!

Have you ever heard of Edith? You haven't? She is responsible for the eclectic and ideal costumes of the film. According to Shirley McClaine, Edith Head had a budget of half a million and she makes good use of it. She is a legend. If you like fashion, watch this movie. The wardrobe is worth it.

My brain starts running away.

Louisa May wants a simple life and I guess I do too. Skip to the end if you don't like mental rabbit holes. We only know the lives we lead. When that life is changed against our will, it's hard to see what's around the next corner. I'm not accustomed to uncertainty. I don't handle it well because of that. I'm not experienced at change, I'm experienced with constants. Constants are simple because you can just live and know what to expect. I guess, I'm not looking for simple but a reliable life. I would love a pink pill. Does anyone happen to know where I might find one?

Back to the Point

The zany and unrealistic tone of the movie fits because it's not the past, it's how Louisa remembers it. Married life is perfect until they're successful. Except it's not perfect, she remembers the love as perfect.