An observant rom com with a cruel setup

Weirdly cruel and yet romantic, this unique, caustic Elaine May comedy tells the story of a young, aspiring man (Charles Grodin) who meets the woman of his dreams (Cybill Shepherd) while on his honeymoon with another woman ( Jeannie Berlin).

At the time, some people complained about the cruelty of the setup, but the cruelty is part of the point of “The Heartbreak Kid.” Grodin is in pursuit of the American dream, and to him Shepherd represents everything worth having. Neil Simon wrote the screenplay, and it’s smart and fun, but one gets the feeling that the movie’s extra something — it’s air of never-to-besatisfied longing — had something to do with May.

Eddie Albert, in a memorable turn, plays Shepherd’s disdainful blue-blood father.

20th Century Fox 1972