For Pete's Sake (1974)

People are voting emotionally.

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Henrietta (Barbra Streisand) and Pete (Michael Sarrazin) Robins are happily married but not rich. He drives a cab for a living when Henrietta struggles to pay the bills. Somehow they're able to have a maid (Vivian Bonnell) who comes in a few times to clean up. Then Pete finds out that the US and Russia are going to make a deal on pork bellies. If he invests he could become rich--but he needs to put down $3,000 which he doesn't have. Henry borrows it from a loan shark--but the pork belly deal doesn't go through and Henry has to do various "hilarious" jobs to pay him back.The script is weak and most of the humor falls flat (and I think it bombed at the box office) but this is OK to watch. Streisand gives it her all and she manges to make some of the very weak lines seem funny with her readings. I never thought she could do comedy till I saw this movie. Sarrazin is super sweet as her husband and is a likable guy. Bonnell is the token wise-cracking black woman but she still manages to be funny. The only casting misstep is Estelle Parsons as a VERY annoying cousin of Pete. She's supposed to be annoying but funny but comes across as a mean, cruel witch. Just ONCE I wanted Streisand to slap her.This is mostly ignored by Streisand fans but it's not her worst movie ("The Mirror Has Two Faces" is). Worth catching. And Streisand DOES sing a song during the opening credits.

Although I have been aware of this film for a long time, it was only after watching its amusing theatrical trailer – on THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT (1970) DVD – that I became eager to watch it. The end result proved to be a patchy affair but, nevertheless, it does have its fair share of belly-laughs and, in any case, watching Streisand in kooky mode is always fun; Estelle Parsons and William Redfield are her hubby (Michael Sarrazin)’s well-to-do and snobbish relatives who particularly look down on Streisand.It clearly emulates the screwball style of WHAT’S UP, DOC? (1972), parodies THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971) – the underground station cat-and-mouse chase between Gene Hackman and Fernando Rey is performed here by a disguised Streisand and a persistent police dog! – and it also homages Buster Keaton’s GO WEST (1925) in the urban cow stampede sequence and Luis Bunuel’s BELLE DE JOUR (1967) in the role-playing encounters during Streisand’s disastrous stint as a call-girl! British action director Yates was surprisingly roped in for this, but he seems to have enjoyed the experience as his next project was on similarly zany lines – the black comedy MOTHER, JUGS AND SPEED (1976; which I’ll be watching presently).Another notable sequence sees the heroine involved, unbeknownst to her, in terrorist activity (she’s asked to deliver a package in disguise to a similarly-dressed woman) – which eventually rebounds on her shady brother employers! Similarly, one of the best lines has Streisand’s nonchalant black maid (she hires a Hispanic woman to do her own cleaning-up!) who, admiring the former’s tenacity, tells her: “Girl, you could even sell a Confederate flag in Harlem!”

Lightweight romantic comedy featuring the always delightful Babs as the put upon housewife who goes all out to put hubby into a higher tax bracket. Fairly funny in spots, dull in most: the slapstick was a tad overdone for my tastes. She did a better job in "What's Up Doc?"

Although this one got left out by the Steisand fans, but it's really an okay movie. Streisend as a the wife of the decade, that would do anything for her depressed cab driver husband, even if it means driving a herd of cattle throughout New York city. Streisand sure has an eye for comedy, and she's doing her best in this film. Not hilariously funny but a pleasant 90 minute flick