Day Six: Lovesick

LOVESICK

Starring:
-Dudley Moore
-Elizabeth McGovern
-Alec Guinness

Directed by: Marshall Brickman

Screenplay Credits: Marshall Brickman

MPAA Rating: PG

Dudley Moore wakes up next to his wife, has his morning coffee, then heads to the office. He's a psychiatrist with a kinky collection of tribal art and a kooky smattering of patients. Christine Baranski is on the couch going into great detail about a lusty dream. She’s followed by an equally odd stream of people divulging their innermost thoughts and secrets, all of whom Dr. Saul takes great pleasure in telling “your time’s up.”

Cut to Wallace Shawn (Otto) blowing out candles on a birthday cake and no doubt slobbering all over them. Otto opens a few gifts, but ends up dragging Saul into the study to discuss a personal problem. It seems that Otto has fallen hard for one of his patients. He asks Saul’s advice, and Saul recommends he refer the patient to another doctor. The men exchange pleasantries and return to the party.

Later that night, Otto drops dead and his patient obsession Miss Chloe Allen gets referred to – you guessed it – Saul Benjamin. Chloe begins telling him about the anxiety attacks she’s had since moving to New York and Saul finds himself falling under her spell. He fantasizes about kissing her, and Dr. Freud himself (Alec Guinness) enters the fantasy too, calmly scolding Saul for his unprofessionalism. Saul asks Freud what he should do, but Freud just checks his watch and announces that Saul’s time is up.

The fantasy is over. Saul learns that Chloe is seeing ted, one of the actors in her play. Cut to the theatre where Ted shows himself to be a heck of a demanding diva. People like Ted are the reason people hate actors.

Chloe reveals she’s had a sexy dream involving Saul. Later, Saul accompanies his wife to an artist’s show. I’ve never seen people dancing at an art gallery, but these people are anyway. Saul sneaks off and calls Chloe just to hear her voice.

Saul is smack dab in the middle of another fantasy that he and Chloe are picnicking and cruising around in a rowboat. Freud also interrupts this one, making him a repeat offender party pooper. Saul tells his next patient that he can’t see her today and follows Chloe through the city and to the theatre. He sneaks in and finds a seat in the back where Freud appears, puffing on a cigar.

Saul almost gets caught in the costume shop, but he improvises with a mask and a Greek robe. Saul goes to see a doctor himself and ends up putting the man to sleep with his problems. In Saul’s next session with Chloe, she reveals that she keeps a diary. Saul is instantly intrigued, but Chloe won’t reveal what she writes in it. Chloe accidentally leaves her wallet on Saul’s desk. She comes back for it, but not before Saul notes her address and swipes her keys.

Saul: She left her purse with her keys in it. She wants me to see it. You never heard of a Freudian slip.
Freud: No, what’s that?

Saul wanders around Chloe’s apartment, finds her journal, and starts reading. Chloe comes home and discovers Saul in her bathtub. He confesses that he is in love with her, and then tells her she needs to find another doctor. Their exchange here is pretty precious. Saul continues to fantasize about her, and one day she calls and tells him she’s had a panic attack and needs him to come get her at the theatre. Saul picks her up and they go to dinner.

Later that night, Saul drops by his wife’s art gallery to tell her about Chloe, but while there he learns that his wife is also having an affair. They celebrate the dissolution of their marriage, and Saul runs to tell Chloe the good news: they can be together.

Saul’s coworkers debate whether or not he should be terminated or suspended. Saul has to go defend himself in front of the membership committee. He and Chloe get into a huge fight. Saul meets his coworkers for supper and they insist he get rid of Chloe. Saul has a bad fantasy that Chloe has married Ted and they have three children. Saul refuses to give Chloe up and pulls the tablecloth out from under the dishes.

Freud meets Saul in his office. Saul tells him he’s finally happy, so Freud says goodbye. Saul chases down Chloe and they make up.

If Dudley Moore is bothered by the fact that all his leading ladies are taller than him, he doesn’t let it show.

Overall grade:

C+