View source for Diary of a Mad Housewife

{{short description|1970 film by Frank Perry}}
{{distinguish|Diatribe of a Mad Housewife|Diary of a Housewife|Diary of a Mod Housewife}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Diary of a Mad Housewife
| image          = Diary of a Mad Housewife 1970.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Frank Perry]]
| producer       = Frank Perry
| screenplay     = [[Eleanor Perry]]
| based_on       = {{Based on|''Diary of a Mad Housewife''<br>(1967 novel)|[[Sue Kaufman]]}}
| narrator       = 
| starring       = [[Richard Benjamin]]<br/>[[Frank Langella]]<br/>[[Carrie Snodgress]]
| music          = 
| cinematography = [[Gerald Hirschfeld]]
| editing        = [[Sidney Katz]]
| studio         = Frank Perry Films Inc.
| distributor    = [[Universal Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1970|8|10}}
| runtime        = 95 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = 
| gross          = $6.1 million <small>(rentals)</small><ref>"All-time Film Rental Champs", ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', 7 January 1976, pg 46.</ref>
}}
'''''Diary of a Mad Housewife''''' is a 1970 American comedy-drama film about a frustrated wife portrayed by [[Carrie Snodgress]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_XCDRFZE5I |title=Larry Karaszewski on DIARY OF A MAD HOUSEWIFE - Trailers From Hell on YouTube |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=2020-11-16 |archive-date=2021-01-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112140050/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_XCDRFZE5I |url-status=live }}</ref> Snodgress was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]] and won a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama|Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in Motion Picture – Drama]]. The film was adapted by [[Eleanor Perry]] from the 1967 novel by [[Sue Kaufman]] and directed by Perry's then-husband [[Frank Perry]]. The film co-stars [[Richard Benjamin]] and [[Frank Langella]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Greenspun|first=Robert|date=August 11, 1970|title='Diary of a Mad Housewife' Bows: Perrys Present View of Emotional Crisis|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E0CEFDF1038EE34BC4952DFBE66838B669EDE|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 5, 2014}}</ref>

==Plot==
Tina Balser, an educated, frustrated housewife and mother, is in a loveless marriage with Jonathan, an insufferable, controlling, emotionally abusive, social-climbing lawyer in New York City. He treats her like a servant, undermines her with insults, and belittles her appearance, abilities, and the raising of their two girls Sylvie and Liz, who treat their mother with the same rudeness as their father. Searching for relief, she begins a sexually fulfilling affair with a cruel and coarse writer, George Prager, who treats her with similar brusqueness and contempt, which only drives her deeper into despair.

At the climax of the film, Jonathan confesses to Tina that his ambitious plans have collapsed. A French vineyard he had invested in is wiped out, and he is now in debt. Because he has been focusing on non-job issues, his work at his law firm has suffered. He also confesses to having an affair. Tina tells Jonathan that she accepts what he has done and promises to support him, but does not tell him of her own affair with George.

In the conclusion, Tina is shown telling this story in a [[group therapy]] session, thus opening the possibility that her presentation of these events has been slanted to make her look more put-upon and the men in her life more mean and foolish. However, the other participants of her therapy group criticize and belittle her, while complaining about their own lot in life and how her issues seem petty by comparison. The final shot is of Tina's steadfast face as angry voices from the group are heard from off-screen with the credits rolling at the sides.

==Cast==
* [[Carrie Snodgress]] as Bettina "Tina" Balser
* [[Richard Benjamin]] as Jonathan Balser
* [[Frank Langella]] as George Prager
* Lorraine Cullen as Sylvie Balser
* Frannie Michel as Liz Balser
* Lee Addoms as Mrs. Prinz
* Peter Dohanos as Samuel Keefer
* Katherine Meskill as Charlotte Rady
* [[Leonard Elliott]] as M. Henri
* [[Margo (actress)|Margo]] as Valma
* Hilda Haynes as Lottie
* [[Alice Cooper (band)|The Alice Cooper Band]] as Themselves
* [[Lester Rawlins]] as Dr. Linstrom (uncredited)
* [[Peter Boyle]] as Man in group therapy (uncredited)

==Release==
===Critical response===
The film was critically acclaimed: It maintains an 82% rating at [[Rotten Tomatoes]] from 17 reviews.<ref name="rt">{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/diary_of_a_mad_housewife/|title=''Diary of a Mad Housewife''|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=December 13, 2021|archive-date=October 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028114716/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/diary_of_a_mad_housewife|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] gave the movie three out of four stars, writing "What makes the movie work...is that it's played entirely from the housewife's point of view, and that the housewife is played brilliantly by [[Carrie Snodgress]]."<ref name="rt" />

[[Neil Young]] wrote the song "[[A Man Needs a Maid (song)|A Man Needs a Maid]]" inspired by Snodgress in ''Diary of a Mad Housewife'': "I was watching a movie with a friend/I fell in love with the actress/she was playing a part I could understand." The song was included on his 1972 album ''[[Harvest (Neil Young album)|Harvest]]''. Soon after, Young and Snodgress became romantically involved for several years.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.grunge.com/157119/the-tragic-real-life-story-of-neil-young/ |title=The tragic real-life story of Neil Young - Grunge |date=July 2019 |access-date=2020-11-16 |archive-date=2020-11-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120155936/https://www.grunge.com/157119/the-tragic-real-life-story-of-neil-young/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Groucho Marx]] criticized the movie in an interview on ''[[The Dick Cavett Show]]'' on May 25, 1971. He stated that it was an example of dirty entertainment and that he did not like it because the characters were in bed for 80 minutes. He made a joke of this, saying "Well I'm not interested in that. I don't care what they're doing in the sack. If I'm not doing it, why should I sit in the theater and watch it?"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3zmcg0VOk0|title=Groucho talks about dirty entertainment (Grouch Marx interview on ''The Dick Cavett Show'' from May 25, 1971)|website=[[YouTube]]|access-date=April 6, 2014|archive-date=April 26, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140426121310/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3zmcg0VOk0|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Awards and nominations===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| [[43rd Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Carrie Snodgress]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1971 |title=The 43rd Academy Awards (1971) Nominees and Winners |access-date=July 4, 2015 |work=oscars.org |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702005544/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1971 |archive-date=July 2, 2015}}</ref>
|-
| [[25th British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles|Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1972/film |title=BAFTA Awards: Film in 1972 |website=[[BAFTA]] |year=1972 |access-date=16 September 2016 |ref={{harvid|BAFTA|1972}}}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[28th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy|Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/diary-mad-housewife |title=Diary of a Mad Housewife – Golden Globes |website=[[HFPA]] |access-date=July 5, 2021 |ref={{harvid|HFPA|1971}}}}</ref>
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy|Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]]
| [[Richard Benjamin]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical|Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy]]
| Carrie Snodgress
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor|Most Promising Newcomer – Male]]
| [[Frank Langella]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress|Most Promising Newcomer – Female]]
| Carrie Snodgress
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[Laurel Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Best Picture
| {{draw|7th Place}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"| 
|-
| Top Male Comedy Performance
| Richard Benjamin
| {{draw|5th Place}}
|-
| Top Female Dramatic Performance
| Carrie Snodgress
| {{won}}
|-
| Star of Tomorrow – Male
| Frank Langella
| {{nom}}
|-
| Star of Tomorrow – Female
| Carrie Snodgress
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[National Board of Review Awards 1970|National Board of Review Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[National Board of Review: Top Ten Films|Top Ten Films]]
| {{draw|7th Place}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1970/ |title=1970 Award Winners |website=[[National Board of Review]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| rowspan="2"| Frank Langella
| {{won}}
|-
| [[1970 New York Film Critics Circle Awards|New York Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| {{Runner-up}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nyfcc.com/awards/?awardyear=1970 |title=1970 New York Film Critics Circle Awards |website=[[New York Film Critics Circle]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|}

===Television edit===
When the film was premiered on [[NBC]] in 1973, [[Universal Pictures|Universal]] prepared an "Edited for Television" alternative version, removing all traces of nudity and strong language, and also including a substantial amount of material not found in the theatrical cut. The reinstated scenes depicted interactions between Tina Balser (Snodgress) and various domestics and repair personnel, and her male psychiatrist, Dr. Linstrom ([[Lester Rawlins]]), as well as a confrontation between her and her disrespectful daughter Sylvie (Lorraine Cullen). The extent and intensity of her extramarital affair with George was toned down due to the removal of scenes depicting them naked or involved in sex activity. It was not authorized or approved by either [[Frank Perry|Frank]] or [[Eleanor Perry]].

===Home media===
Universal had made the film available on VHS through its [[Universal Pictures Home Entertainment|MCA Home Video]] label, and later through license to [[GoodTimes Entertainment|Goodtimes Home Video]]. However, for many years, it was not made available on DVD, likely due to music clearance issues with the [[Alice Cooper (band)|Alice Cooper]] performance, and VHS copies of ''Housewife'' became rare, with sealed copies routinely selling for more than $100 on websites like [[Amazon (company)|Amazon.com]] and [[eBay]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000F37T|title=''Diary of a Mad Housewife'' – VHS|website=[[Amazon.com]]|access-date=April 6, 2014}}</ref> The film was released on a bootleg DVD on October 15, 2014;<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Diary-Mad-Housewife-1970-Snodgress/dp/B00OJN1J04/ |title=Amazon.com: Diary of A Mad Housewife 1970 Snodgress |website=Amazon |date=15 October 2014 |access-date=2017-08-30 |archive-date=2016-03-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322031826/http://www.amazon.com/Diary-Mad-Housewife-1970-Snodgress/dp/B00OJN1J04 |url-status=live }}</ref> After years of being out-of-print, [[Kino Lorber]] released the film on DVD and Blu-ray on December 15, 2020. The UK-based label Indicator/Powerhouse released their own Blu-ray edition in 2022, which included the long-unavailable TV recut of the film as a bonus feature.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|id=0065636|title=Diary of a Mad Housewife}}
*{{TCMDb title|id=73076|title=Diary of a Mad Housewife}}
*{{Letterboxd film|diary-of-a-mad-housewife}}
*{{AFI film|23474|Diary of a Mad Housewife}}
*{{Rotten-tomatoes|id=diary_of_a_mad_housewife|title=Diary of a Mad Housewife}}

{{Frank Perry}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diary Of A Mad Housewife}}
[[Category:1970 films]]
[[Category:1970 comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1970s American films]]
[[Category:1970s English-language films]]
[[Category:1970s feminist films]]
[[Category:1970s sex comedy films]]
[[Category:American comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:American feminist films]]
[[Category:American sex comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language sex comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:Films about adultery in the United States]]
[[Category:Films based on American novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Frank Perry]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe winning performance]]
[[Category:Films set in New York City]]
[[Category:Films shot in New York City]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]