Bye Bye Love (film)
Bye Bye Love is a 1995 American romantic comedy film that deals with the central issue of divorce. It was directed by Sam Weisman and written by Gary David Goldberg and Brad Hall. It stars Matthew Modine, Randy Quaid, Paul Reiser, Janeane Garofalo, Amy Brenneman, Eliza Dushku, Rob Reiner, Amber Benson, and Lindsay Crouse. Production costs were heavily underwritten by McDonald's product placement.
| Bye Bye Love | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Sam Weisman |
| Produced by | Gary David Goldberg Brad Hall Sam Weisman |
| Written by | Gary David Goldberg Brad Hall |
| Starring | |
| Music by | J.A.C. Redford |
| Cinematography | Kenneth Zunder |
| Edited by | Roger Bondelli |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $12,096,673 |
Goldberg and Hall stated that they included in the script several fictionalized accounts of events that had happened to divorced friends of theirs.
Also acting in the film were Jayne Brook, and Ed Flanders in his last movie role. A not-yet-famous Jack Black has two lines ("What?" and "Reefer?") as a disc jockey at a party.
Co-stars Amber Benson and Eliza Dushku went on to play main roles on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as did Lindsay Crouse.
Plot
This is a story about the breakup of the family. In particular, it focuses on the lifestyle of three divorced men in the Los Angeles area, Dave Goldman (Matthew Modine), wrestling coach/driver's ed teacher Vic D'Amico (Randy Quaid), and real estate agent Donny Carson (Paul Reiser).
The film is presented from their perspective and it reveals their relationships with their children, ex-wives, girlfriends, male friendships, and their identities as divorced men. In addition to dealing with divorce, the film touches on spousal loss and young adult homelessness.
Cast
- Matthew Modine as Dave Goldman
- Randy Quaid as Vic D'Amico
- Paul Reiser as Donny Carson
- Janeane Garofalo as Lucille
- Rob Reiner as Dr. David Townsend
- Amy Brenneman as Susan (formerly Goldman)
- Ross Malinger as Ben Goldman
- Dana Wheeler Nicholson as Heidi Schmidt
- Mae Whitman as Michelle Goldman
- Lindsay Crouse as Grace (formerly D'Amico)
- Amber Benson as Meg D'Amico
- Cameron Boyd as Jed D'Amico
- Jayne Brook as Claire Carson
- Eliza Dushku as Emma Carson
- Johnny Whitworth as Max Cooper
- Maria Pitillo as Kim
- Brad Hall as Phil
- Ed Flanders as Walter Sims
- Wendell Pierce as Hector
- Danny Masterson as Mikey
- Jack Black as DJ at party
- Stephen Root (uncredited) as Awakening neighbor
- Michael Spound as Mike
Reception
The film was not considered particularly successful, grossing less than $13 million in the U.S. in its theatrical run. It has a 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 21 reviews. Although overall critical reaction to the film was not positive, Janeane Garofalo's performance as the "date from hell" got good reviews, and earned her a nomination for an American Comedy Award. Many of the reviews complained that the movie played more like an episode of a sitcom than a feature film.
It was released on DVD on March 8, 2005 through Anchor Bay Entertainment.
Soundtrack
The film's soundtrack includes performances by Linda Ronstadt, The Proclaimers, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ben Taylor, Everly Brothers, and Jackson Browne.
In Popular Culture
In episode 7 of Decker: Port of Call Hawaii, a copy of the videotape is employed as part of a surveillance plot by a terrorist.