MovieChat Forums > Funny Girl (1968) Discussion > Just saw it again after 39 years

Just saw it again after 39 years

posted 17 years ago by artistathome
5 replies | jump to latest

Just saw it again after 39 years, and it is frankly almost unwatchable. I fast forwarded thru that whole first part where she is dolled up like she is young. They didn't even try to make her look younger. Very bad.
i enjoyed this movie in 68, when I was a college kid and we all wore that eye makeup and did our hair up like that and Barbra was riding high as a singer. But now it just looks cheesy.

From the beginning the movie was nothing but a big tribute to Barbra not Fanny. I cannot believe I didn't see that before.

She was not believable in even one scene. It was sooo contrived.

But i am looking at it from nearly 40 years ahead. But seriously it is so hokey. but then a lot of the late 60s movies come off hokey. Not sure why.
Yes her voice is wonderful but not a great story.

However, Funny Lady was superb with James Caan. That is the one where she really got my sympathy because he cheated on her. and James Caan was so great in the Godfather. He was perfect as Billy.
Sorry about Funny Girl.

Nina

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] thepartydjz 12 years ago

I just tried to watch it on AMC again after first seeing it as a child probably 40 years ago. I had the exact same reaction you did. I believe that at the time this was released no one had seen baw baw before and they loved her. Now after all of her other films, some of which were terrible, we are pretty much jaded by her less than awesome acting.

Her comedy acting in this reminds of bad skits from the Carol Burnett Show or any of her many other TV appearances, YUCK, unwatchable.

I would've loved to have seen Bette Midler in this role instead of baw baw

[–] aafleming 12 years ago

I had the same reaction when I caught part of this movie on AMC today. I was never a big fan of it but I was surprised by how bad it was and how annoying the characters played by Streisand and Sharif were. Two people meet, fall in love, marry, find they are incompatible, and split up. This happens all the time but when it happens to real people it is usually far more interesting that it is when portrayed by the over-acting Streisand who never shuts up while relentlessly pursuing the unfortunate Nick, and the wooden Sharif portrays a rather dull gambler whose attraction to Streisand's irritating character is never particularly believable. Also the "Baby Snooks" character as portrayed by Streisand is nauseating and unfunny.

[–] Dunewalker-620-44376 9 years ago

The Baby Snooks character is barely portrayed. She's shown taking a bow, then exiting the stage to meet waiting reporters. I would have enjoyed seeing more of what made Fanny Brice a star.

[–] denis-38 10 years ago

Entitled to your opinion of the film--I myself think it falls apart completely after the tugboat scene--but she WAS young. Fanny wasn't supposed to be a teenager. She was supposed to appear gawky. There would no reason to make Streisand look younger. She was beautifully photographed and about 26 years old, I think.