The Main Event (1979)

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

I have to ask how do you get a job like Ryan O'Neal had. Imagine a promising fighter who injures his hand and doesn't box for four years. But he and trainer Whitman Mayo live on the arm and just show up and hang out at a gym for with all their living expenses paid and are on salary. It's all because perfume tycoon Barbra Streisand is using this as one of many tax dodges set up by her manager.But said manager has up and fled the country taking his clients assets except for O'Neal. So now O'Neal has to fight in earnest because Barbra is broke and the gravy train is over. Barbra having nothing else to do becomes O'Neal's manager.Like that old line about 'Ginger Rogers running the Brooklyn Dodgers' from Hollywood Hotel that sums up the comedy in The Main Event which is what Streisand and O'Neal are striving for. She's just a fish out of water. But dare I say it because Barbra hates him, but her character shows a Trump like ability to garner free publicity. And ballyhoo is an integral part of boxing.Taking up where they left off from What's Up Doc, Streisand and O'Neal have a well meshed chemistry. Have to also give big kudos to James Gregory as the Mike Jacobs like fight promoter who knows box office when he sees it.Funniest scenes in the film are at O'Neal's training camp where Barbra is trying very hard to fit into this most masculine of worlds. Not an easy fit by any means.The Main Event is a fun film, the only comedy I can recall about boxing.

The Main Event is a good example of a film that was a very successful blockbuster on initial release making loads of money but that nowadays has almost been completely forgotten. I can only surmise that this is because (a) it's a film very much of its time and (b) despite being popular it probably wasn't actually that good. It's about a successful perfume executive who is left penniless when her business partner disappears with all her money. All she has left is a contract with a has-been boxer who has been living in a giant boxing glove house, living off her cash hand-outs. She makes him get back in the ring to try to earn her back some money but, as is the way, romance follows…After Rocky went supernova at the box office in 1976, boxing films were in fashion in the later part of the decade. I guess that partially explains the plot of this one. It may also explain somewhat why the storyline is pretty lame, as the whole boxing plot-line feels strangely negligible like they have basically shoe-horned it in because it was popular at the time. This means that for a sports movie it really is very hard getting involved in the action. It's very difficult to really care about who wins, etc. The main event, as it were, really is the re-uniting of Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal for the first time since What's Up Doc? It has to be said though that this pales pretty significantly in comparison to that film. While it does adopt a similar silly tone, it doesn't have as good a plot, characters or script; while director Howard Zieff is no Peter Bogdanovich. And it may be superficial to say but the fashions and hairstyles of 1979 were fairly atrocious compared to 1972 – compare how Streisand looks in both films if you need proof. Those big perms sure were popular in the disco age for some reason that's for sure! Anyway, the film itself is entertaining enough, despite being pretty underwhelming. Streisand and O'Neal are always good to watch and they try to make the most of what they've got, even if it isn't really a lot. It all winds up with an ending that is quite poorly thought out, although the film has been so silly beforehand that it doesn't really damage it as much as it should.

This film was a major hit upon release in the summer of '79. With a budget seven-million-dollars, the film took in over $40 million at the domestic box office and became one of the top-ten grossers of the year. Unfortunately, it has since been written off by many fans and critics alike as one of Streisand's weakest film efforts. As for myself, I believe THE MAIN EVENT manages to be likable, funny, and entertaining. Even though we've seen the same story a thousand times before, THE MAIN EVENT is very enjoyable while it's playing.The scenes are all set up very well, the one-liners are funny ("I said celebrate, not fornicate "), and Streisand and O'Neal give off a strong sexual charge between them on screen. The film also features a very strong supporting cast, with Paul Sand, Whitman Mayo, and Patti D'Arbanville turning in terrific performances. Unfairly mangled by most critics and many viewers (many of whom need to learn how to loosen up), the film is complete fun from start to finish. Ignore all of the naysayers, THE MAIN EVENT stands one of my favorite romantic comedies.

Exceptionally brassy, brawling comedy set mostly in the boxing ring. Barbra Streisand is a perfume executive with the #1 nose for business ("It's the kind of scent a man can give to a woman, a woman can give to a man, a man can give to a man, a woman can give to a woman, have I left anybody out?"). Unfortunately, she's been embezzled against and has lost all her finances, except the contract to a boxer who no longer boxes (he just spends her money). Streisand and Ryan O'Neal eke out some laughs from the groaning dialogue (a really bad joke regarding Patti D'Arbanville's threat to meddling Streisand is the most offensive). The plot coasts along on the amiable chemistry between the leads, though all they seem to do here is argue. It bottoms out in the final stretch, ending with an extremely weak climax which got boos from the theater audience I saw this with in 1979. Barbra looks pretty sexy though and--braless in T-shirts and showing lots o' leg in her short-shorts--don't think she doesn't want us to notice. *1/2 from ****