Shampoo (film)
Shampoo | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Hal Ashby |
Written by | |
Produced by | Warren Beatty |
Starring |
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Cinematography | László Kovács |
Edited by | Robert C. Jones |
Music by | Paul Simon |
Production company | Rubeeker Films |
Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 110 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $4 million[2] |
Box office | $60 million[3] |
Shampoo is a 1975 American satirical comedy-drama film directed by Hal Ashby, and starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Lee Grant, Jack Warden, Tony Bill, and Carrie Fisher in her film debut. Co-written by Beatty and Robert Towne, the film follows a promiscuous Los Angeles hairdresser on Election Day 1968, as he juggles his relationships with several women.
The theme of the film is not presidential politics, but sexual politics; it is renowned for its sharp satire of late-1960s sexual and social mores.
Plot[]
On the eve of the 1968 United States presidential election, successful Beverly Hills hairdresser George Roundy meets with Felicia, one of his several clients/sexual partners, in a hotel. During sex, he receives a phone call from Jill, his naive, younger, up-and-coming actress girlfriend, who is suffering a panic attack, paranoid that an intruder is in her home. George rushes from the hotel to calm Jill, which frustrates Felicia.
George's occupation and charisma have provided him the perfect platform from which to meet and have sex with beautiful women, including his current girlfriend. Despite this, 34-year-old George is dissatisfied with his professional life; he is the creative star of the salon in which he works, but has to play second fiddle to Norman, the "nickel-and-diming" mediocre hairdresser who owns the business.
George dreams of setting up his own salon business, but cannot convince any bank to lend him the capital he needs. In turn, George seeks out Felicia and her unsuspecting husband Lester to bankroll him. George's meeting with Lester supplies a second secret for him to keep from his would-be benefactor; Lester's current mistress, Jackie, is George's former girlfriend, perhaps the most serious relationship he has ever had. Jackie is also best friends with Jill, making the situation even more complicated. Jackie arranges for George to style her hair, which he fashions nearly identically to Felicia's. Sexual tension arises between the two, and George attempts to kiss Jackie. At first, Jackie rebuffs George, but then kisses him back. They are about to have sex when they hear Lester announce his arrival. As Lester comes into the room, they pretend for his benefit that George is finishing styling Jackie's hair.
Lester, who assumes George is gay because of his profession, asks George to escort Jackie to a Republican Party election-night soiree. Upon arriving, George finds himself in the same room as a number of present and former sexual partners, including Jill, who came with Johnny Pope, a film director considering her for a role in his next film, and Felicia. Jackie becomes upset, drinks too much, and behaves outrageously, so Lester asks George to take her home, but she refuses. All the principals, except Felicia, adjourn to a posh counterculture party at a Beverly Hills mansion, where guests indulge in alcohol, other drugs, and sexual pursuits. Lester, followed moments later by Jill and Johnny, happen upon a couple having vigorous sex in the dark on the kitchen floor. Lester comments admirably on this tryst to Jill and Johnny, who look on through the window in stunned silence. Suddenly, the refrigerator door George had failed to close properly comes open, illuminating Jackie and him. Lester, shocked, abruptly leaves. An enraged Jill throws a chair, breaking the window, and swears at George. Jackie flees as George tries to placate Jill with an obvious lie, but Jill, unmollified, runs off to spend the night with Johnny.
The following morning, Jill confronts George at her home with one of Felicia's earrings, which she found in his bed. When she asks about his dalliances, George admits he sought a career in the beauty industry as a means to pursue beautiful women, and that his promiscuity, while making him feel like he will live forever, may mean he does not love her. Upon returning to his home, George is met by Lester and some intimidating men. The two soon find mutual understanding, and Lester and the men leave. George subsequently goes to Jackie's house, but she worriedly flees in her car, claiming she does not want Lester to find them together. George pursues her on his motorcycle, and the two arrive on a hilltop overlook above her house. George proposes to Jackie, but she tells him it is too late; she has arranged to go to Acapulco with Lester, who has said he will divorce Felicia and marry her. Jackie leaves George alone on the overlook, from where he sadly watches her depart with Lester.
Cast[]
- Warren Beatty as George Roundy
- Julie Christie as Jackie Shawn
- Goldie Hawn as Jill Haynes
- Lee Grant as Felicia Karpf
- Jack Warden as Lester Karpf
- Tony Bill as Johnny Pope
- Jay Robinson as Norman
- George Furth as Mr. Pettis
- Randy Scheer as Dennis Lolly
- Susanna Moore as Gloria
- Carrie Fisher as Lorna Karpf
- Luana Anders as Devra
- Mike Olton as Ricci
- Kathleen Miller as Anjanette
- Richard E. Kalk as Detective Younger
- Brad Dexter as Senator East
- William Castle as Sid Roth
- Howard Hesseman as Red Dog
- Michelle Phillips as Girl at Party
- Susan Blakely as Girl on the Street
- Cynthia Wood as Beauty Shop Customer
Analysis[]
Film scholar Emanuel Levy describes Shampoo as a critique of suburbia, comparing its self-contained Beverly Hills setting to the small towns depicted in films such as Jaws and The Stepford Wives (both also released in 1975).[4] He elaborates on the film's political themes:
Made in 1975, less than a year after [Richard] Nixon’s resignation (August 1974) over the Watergate scandal, the film suggests parallels between Nixon’s hypocrisy and cheating and similar devices among the average Americans... The TV set is on most of the time, but no one has time to really watch, reducing the screen to a constant blur of images and sounds... The film suggests that Americans have become slaves to their private and sexual lives at the expense of getting involved emotionally or politically. No character talks about or understands politics. Shampoo is about whoring in sex and in politics, and the price of doing it.[4]
Soundtrack[]
The soundtrack includes songs from its setting of the late 1960s. Included in the party sequence are the Beatles ("Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"), Buffalo Springfield ("Mr. Soul"), Jefferson Airplane ("Plastic Fantastic Lover"), and Jimi Hendrix ("Manic Depression"). Also included on the soundtrack album is "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys, which plays over the opening and closing credits of the film.
Release[]
Shampoo premiered in New York City on February 11, 1975.[5]
Critical response[]
Upon its release, the film generally received positive reviews from critics who lauded its talented cast and sharp, satirical writing. Praise was not universal; some critics, including Roger Ebert, pronounced it a disappointment.[6] From reviews compiled retrospectively, review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 62% based on 37 reviews, with an average score of 6.5/10. The site's consensus reads: "Shampoo trains a darkly comic lens on post-Nixon America, aiming at—and often hitting—an array of timely targets".[7]
Commercially, Shampoo was a great success. Produced on a budget of $4 million,[2] the film grossed $49,407,734 domestically[8] and $60 million at the worldwide box office.[3] It earned an estimated $23.9 million in North American rentals,[9] making it the third-highest grossing film of 1975, beaten only by Jaws and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
The year after its release had a blaxploitation send-up, Black Shampoo.
Accolades[]
Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Academy Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Jack Warden | Nominated | [10] |
Best Supporting Actress | Lee Grant | Won | ||
Best Original Screenplay | Robert Towne and Warren Beatty | Nominated | ||
Best Art Direction | Richard Sylbert, W. Stewart Campbell and George Gaines | Nominated | ||
British Academy Film Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Jack Warden | Nominated | [11] |
Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Nominated | [12] | |
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Warren Beatty | Nominated | ||
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Julie Christie | Nominated | ||
Goldie Hawn | Nominated | |||
Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Lee Grant | Nominated | ||
National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Screenplay | Robert Towne and Warren Beatty | Won | [13] |
New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Screenplay | Nominated | ||
Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen | Won |
The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
- 2000: AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs – #47[14]
Home media[]
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released Shampoo on DVD in January 2003.[15] On October 16, 2018, The Criterion Collection re-released the film on Blu-ray and DVD in a special edition, featuring a new 4K scan of the original film elements.[16]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "SHAMPOO (X)". British Board of Film Classification. 1975-02-24. Archived from the original on 2015-01-08. Retrieved 2012-12-04.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Beach 2009, p. 176.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Box Office Information for Shampoo. Archived 2016-02-01 at the Wayback Machine Worldwide Box Office. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Shampoo (1975): Warren Beatty's Oscar-Winning Satire, Starring Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn, Lee Grant". EmanuelLevy.com. April 10, 2006. Archived from the original on October 6, 2020.
- ^ "Shampoo (1975) Miscellaneous Notes". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ "Shampoo Movie Review & Film Summary (1975)". Chicago Sun-Times. 1975-01-01. Archived from the original on 2013-02-08. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
- ^ "Shampoo (1975)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
- ^ Shampoo at Box Office Mojo
- ^ Top 20 Films of 1975 by Domestic Revenue
- ^ "Shampoo (1975) Awards". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on November 26, 2019.
- ^ "In Memory: Jack Warden". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 11 May 2012. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017.
- ^ "Shampoo (1975) Awards". AllMovie. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021.
- ^ "Past Awards". National Society of Film Critics Awards. 19 December 2009. Archived from the original on October 17, 2015. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs" (PDF). American Film Institute. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-03-16. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
- ^ Erickson, Glenn. "DVD Savant Review: Shampoo". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ Bowen, Chuck (November 5, 2018). "Blu-ray Review: Hal Ashby's Shampoo on the Criterion Collection". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
Sources[]
- Beach, Christopher (2009). The Films of Hal Ashby. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8143-3415-7.
External links[]
- Shampoo at IMDb
- Shampoo at the TCM Movie Database
- Shampoo at AllMovie
- Shampoo at Box Office Mojo
- "Shampoo: First as Farce", an essay by Frank Rich at the Criterion Collection
- 1975 films
- English-language films
- 1975 comedy-drama films
- 1975 romantic drama films
- 1970s romantic comedy-drama films
- 1970s satirical films
- 1970s sex comedy films
- American films
- American romantic comedy-drama films
- American satirical films
- American sex comedy films
- Films about elections
- Films directed by Hal Ashby
- Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award-winning performance
- Films produced by Warren Beatty
- Films set in California
- Films set in Los Angeles
- Films set in 1968
- Films set in the 1960s
- Films shot in California
- Films shot in Los Angeles
- Films with screenplays by Robert Towne
- Films with screenplays by Warren Beatty