Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

Dirtylogy It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

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

Cody One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

HotToastyRag Everyone knows Robert Redford's acting style is perfect for the camera, rather than the theater. He's subtle; the slight raise of his eyebrow means volumes. That being said, would you be surprised to find out he originated the lead role in Barefoot in the Park on Broadway? I was.In Neil Simon's romantic comedy, newlyweds Robert Redford and Jane Fonda ride out some early speedbumps in their marriage. Bob is an uptight lawyer, and Jane is a free spirit. Their arguments are legendary, and chances are you've seen a clip in a romantic film montage. Robert Redford's "I have a case in court in the morning" line has become a household phrase in my family.While this is a pretty famous romantic classic, I actually really didn't like it the first time I saw it. Jane Fonda is absolutely adorable beyond belief; this is definitely one her cutest roles. But Robert Redford was too convincing in his role, and I couldn't stand him! I realize now that my hatred of him was a compliment to his acting, but at the time, I couldn't separate how much I hated his character from his acting ability. It wasn't until I watched The Great Gatsby that I fell in love with him.

Emil Bakkum The film Barefoot in the park interests me, because it describes a love affair, and because it has been recorded during the flourishing period of the counter culture movement. It is a time of rapid changes in the social position of women and in the (pre-)sexual habits. Lovers start calling Dr. Ruth. Indeed the film gives a sparking display of the new lifestyle, although the couple has just effected a traditional marriage. Apparently the institution still has a nice ring to it. The male character is rather boring, even in his profession (lawyer). He uses his personality for birth control. On the other hand, the female character certainly has the attitude of a hippie. And what else can you expect from Jane Fonda? Corie (Fonda) loves to break through conventions, rules and authority. Her favorite T-shirt is offensive in 19 states. Thus it is evident from the start that this marriage is forged in hell. Already in the second week Corie complains: "There are doers and watchers", and she is the doer of the two. She realizes her mistake, and wants a divorce. This would indeed have been the logical end, were it not that the narrative is supposed to be a comedy. Therefore her mother convinces her that in a good marriage both partners must give up some parts of their personality. They must support each other. Now Corie comes to the conclusion that she actually wants a sterling and caring husband, that is to say, a watcher. The marriage is saved. In its joyous end the film turns back to the spirit of the gay and conservative fifties, in the days before Doris Day was a virgin. The same can be said about the music, which is still classic. Electric guitar players are meant to deliver pizzas. The film is a recast of a theatrical play, and the melodrama is kept intact. The original theater script is also visible in the lack of dynamics in time and space, and the location of most scenes in just a few rooms. In conclusion, Barefoot is an amusing but not deep pastime (at least, I do not see it). It hovers somewhere between conservatism and revolution. If you ate pasta and antipasto, would you still be hungry?

lasttimeisaw Another film adaptation of Neil Simon's play with the same name, directed by his frequent collaborator, the stage and film directer Gene Saks, who has recently passed away at the age of 93. It pairs Fonda and Redford as a couple of newlyweds Corie and Paul, whose marriage is hanging on a thread when they find out their personalities are poles apart. Like the outworn running gag of climbing a five-storey building (New Yorkers are really that easy to be defeated by this not-so-challenging altitude?), the film doesn't weather too well through the time, its story is quite common-or-garden, the adventurous spirit Vs. the prudent comportment, which is also reflected by pairing up their idiosyncratic neighbor Victor (Boyer) and Corie's widow mother Ethel (Natwick). Nothing is wrong about all that, but the viewing experience is chiefly blighted by Fonda's hammy endeavour to be "funny", her character is irritating to say the least, and her high-pitched voice doesn't help either, surely her hyperactive restlessness is by design, but the effect is cringe-worthy, what is the virtue of this woman (apart from her gymnastic physique)? Maybe it is the gaping generation gap which sours the supposed comedic moment for Generation Y. Also knowing that Simon based the story on his first marriage, it could be a deliberate manoeuvre of aggrandisement with an intent of personal mockery. Redford, on the other hand, is in a safer place of being likable, by the way, he is reprising his role in the original play, he has that kind of awkward charm of "pretty boy entrapped in a nicely-fitting suit", and when it comes to his "barefoot in the park" inebriated caper, he is competent enough to act in a comedy without overdoing what the script offers. But the amorous frisson between him and Fonda has never hit the boiling point, in spite of the fact they kiss a lot in the movie, mostly instigated by the free-spirited Corie, whose aggressive longing and volatility is the killjoy of any romance at all. Veteran theatrical dab hand Mildred Natwick is honoured with an Oscar nomination for rehashing her role in the film version, she both dignifiedly and comically personifies Ethel as possibly "the kindest mother-in-law" ever on the silver screen; also Charles Boyer exhibits a droll poise with his exotic panache, oddly enough, their flirtation seems to be more appealing than our two young protagonists. Anyhow, it is sad to find out there is a Jane Fonda's performance I am wholeheartedly unable to stomach, this is something I could never have expected before watching this substandard Neil Simon flick.

Wuchak "Barefoot in the Park" (1967) is a romcom starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda as newlyweds in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. The former is conservative while the latter is free-spirited and their differences come to the fore after a few days of marital bliss. Mildred Natwick plays the mother of Fonda's character and Charles Boyer plays an eccentric neighbor, Victor Velasco, who lives in the attic of their apartment building.This movie is good as a mid-60's period piece where you get to view a 20-something couple who are just a bit too old for the counter-culture, albeit somewhat "hip." It's an amiable and innocent sitcom with a few amusing moments, but it was a chore for me to get through. The story and characters just never engaged me. The film only perked up when the eccentric neighbor was around, Velasco. Another problem is too much of the movie takes place in the apartment -- like 90% -- which means the setting is one-dimensional. Of course, this wouldn't be a problem if the story and characters were interesting. Also, Natwick, as the mother, is too old for the part because the character's supposed to be like 53 years-old while Natwick was 61 during filming and looked like 63-65.While "Barefoot" is a must for serious fans of Redford and Fonda, 1979's "The Electric Horseman" is the far superior choice if you want to see the two starring together.The film runs 106 minutes and was shot in Greenwich Village, Manhattan.GRADE: C-