Altman's The Long Goodbye with Elliot Gould. Yea or Nay?

[Michael C. Jacobs]

I want a good clean discussion, no hitting beneath the belt. Now tap gloves and come out critiquing.

[Simon Wood]

Nay. I love the book, hate movie. I think the adaptation is bad. Switching the WWII backdrop for Vietnam would have worked if handled right. The casting was good using Gould and Hayden, but it's a big disappointment. Farewell My Lovely with Dick Powell remains the best Marlowe movie...

[Michael C. Jacobs]

It's really not fair to judge it next to the book, which I love. The Long Goodbye is probably one of my three favorite novels, and certainly is the one I re-read most often. I can barely think of the movie as the same thing, but I am not sure it is completely without merit.

My favorite adaptation of the story is a BBC radio-drama from the 1980's. I should dig that out again and give it another listen.

[Daniel Hatadi]

Ah, good. People are noticing The Box Office category. I thought I'd sneak it in without making a big deal of it this time. :)

I'm guilty in that I've only seen The Big Sleep. Elliot Gould doesn't strike me as a Marlowe type, but I'll definitely have to check out the Dick Powell flick.

[Jack Getze]

Like most Altman films, The Long Goodbye didn't work for me. Gould didn't work as Marlowe either. And although I love Dick Powell and Farewell My Lovely, Bogart and The Big Sleep are both favorites. When Bogart sticks his chin out, I believe it more. And when bad guy (later a cowboy hero) Bob Steele talks about killing, he makes evil shine in his eyes.

[Anne Frasier]

love it, love it, love it.

one of my top ten favorite movies. have watched it numerous times, went to a screening a few years ago in minneapolis. when it was over elliot gould talked to the audience and answered questions. (they used a clicker to train the cat.) a fairly recent book that kind of put me in mind of the long goodbye was lee goldberg's man with the iron-on badge.

[Patricia Abbott]

I don't always like Elliott Gould, matter of fact, rarely, but this is an interesting seventies take on the genre. Maybe not the most faithful rendition, but worth watching for its style. Only other Gould movie I like is California Split.

[Michael C. Jacobs]

Holy cow! I didn't know about this:

www.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2FASIN%2FB00013F2KO&tag=091764-2..."">Powers Boothe as Marlowe in a HBO series.

You know... my birthday is only a quarter year away.

[Dave Zeltserman]

I love the movie--one of my favorites. Sterling Hayden in anything's great, and Gould was a perfect Chandler for the 70's--just as Jeff Bridges was for the 90s (The Dude, Big Lebowski). Yeah, this movie was okay with me!

[JackBludis]

Nay, but it's probably an age thing, plus the fact that I have an affinity for the 40s and 50s.

[Raymond Embrack]

Love the movie. Altman at his peak. It was a 1970s movie that has since become as classic as the novel. Who is still offended by this picture's violation of Chandler?

[Dana King]

Me, for one.

[Eric Christopherson]

What's the best version IYO, Dana? (I've read the book but only seen the Gould version.)