A freshly divorced man tries to maneuver the singles field. It gets off to a great start but half-way through the script runs out of steam, which is somewhat surprising given the track record Brooks has as a comedy writer in TV and film. Shedding his usual macho screen persona for an understated performance as a decent fellow, Reynolds has never been more appealing. Clayburgh is also good as an insecure woman he becomes involved with. However, it is Bergen who steals the film as a songwriter who can't carry a tune but fancies herself a great singer. Pakula rarely did comedies, but he manages to push the right buttons in eliciting laughs.
Review of Starting Over
