Starting Over poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Burt Reynolds, Jill Clayburgh, Candice Bergen, Charles Durning, Frances Sternhagen ... see more see more... , Austin Pendleton , Macintyre Dixon , Jay O Sanders , Richard Whiting , Sturgis Warner , Kevin Bacon , Anne De Salvo , Russell Horton , Charles Kimbrough , Tara King , Marvin Lichterman , Mort Marshall , Ian Alexander Martin , Gilmer McCormick , Sol Schwade , Wallace Shawn , Lisa Sloan , Helen Stenborg , A.C. Weary , Alfie Wise , Mary Catherine Wright , Mary Kay Place , Tony Romano , Daniel Stern , Michael Herz & Llyod Kaufman , Simon McQueen , Nadine Darling , Kitty Muldoon , John Murray

Scripted by James L. Brooks from Dan Wakefield's novel, Alan J. Pakula's romantic comedy follows the tribulations of a freshly divorced man as he looks for love with a wary single woman. Phil Potter (... read more read more...Burt Reynolds sans mustache) can't quite believe it when his aspiring songbird wife Jessica (Candice Bergen) kicks him out to realize her career dreams, but the added revelation of her adultery speeds him out the door by choice. Relocating to Boston, Phil starts to settle in with the help of his psychiatrist brother Mickey (Charles Durning), joining a divorced men's therapy group. Phil really begins to feel better when Mickey and his wife Marva (Frances Sternhagen) set him up with her friend Marilyn (Jill Clayburgh), a preschool teacher who has had her share of grief from newly single men. Phil wins her over and even convinces her to move in, but an unexpected visit from a regretful, saucily clad Jessica, and an anxiety attack over buying a couch, threaten to end Phil's new life with Marilyn before it has a chance to start. Starting Over offers a ruefully comic look at how the decade's rising divorce rate did not mean fun and games for all the new bachelors; Brooks' movie debut after a sparkling career in 1970s TV with The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Taxi, it was also proof that top '70s star Reynolds could be more than just a good 'ol boy. Still, while the three leads were all praised for their work, only Clayburgh and Bergen received Oscar nominations. Starting Over was a moderate hit, and its humorous yet down-to-earth view of single life and its discontents reassured unattached thirtysomethings that, even though it may not be easy, everything could still turn out fine in modern romance. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

Flixster Users

47% liked it

1,281 ratings

R, 1 hr. 46 min.

Directed by: Alan J. Pakula

Release Date: October 5, 1979

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: June 21, 2005

Get It:

Stats: 51 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Candice Bergen in Starting Over Jill Clayburgh in Starting Over Starting Over Candice Bergen in Starting Over Jill Clayburgh in Starting Over Starting Over
Upload a Photo | View All Starting Over Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (51)

  • Dannyrovira
    March 2, 2011
    Dannyrovira
    A truly engaging comedy of modern manners. a love trangle, with two brilliant lead star performances by Burt Reynolds and the late Jill Clayburgh. Reynolds in one his finest performances as Phil Potter, a newly divorced man struggling to choose between a teacher Marilyn Holmberg,... read more played so endearingly by Jill Clayburgh in a Oscar nominated performance, and his capricious, song writing ex-wife Jessica Potter, played by scene stealer Candice Bergen, who is marvelously funny, especially when she is singing to Burt with a voice that could wake the dead, her comedic talents are very evident here, there are other marvelous scenes like the church-sponsored divorced men's discussion group that Burt's a part of, it is hilarious with sharp witty dialogue. Terrific supporting performances from Charles Durning, Frances Sternhagen, Austin Pendleton, and Jay O. Sanders. A smart, warm romantic gem from the late 70s, smoothly directed by Alan Pakula, and wonderfully written by James L. Brooks. Highly Recommended.
  • jam233
    August 21, 2009
    jam233
    Decent romantic comedy. Burt Reynolds is surprisingly good and he gives one of his best performances. Candice Bergen is hilarious as the woman he is separated from. I have never been a fan of Jill Clayburgh, but she is pretty good in this one.

View All Starting Over Reviews

Critic Reviews

Tim Brayton
October 20, 2009
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

A better story than you'd probably expect for a film of this kind of this vintage. Full Review

Scott Weinberg
June 20, 2005
Scott Weinberg, DVDTalk.com

A whole lot better than most of the divorce-centric comedies of this ilk, mainly because it focuses on the characters and not the act of divorce itself. Full Review

October 18, 2008
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Janet Maslin
May 9, 2005
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Lori Hoffman
February 5, 2007
Lori Hoffman, Atlantic City Weekly

No review available.

Emanuel Levy
July 5, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Derek Adams
February 9, 2006
Derek Adams, Time Out

Click to read the article Full Review

May 24, 2003
Film4

Click to read the article Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

This list looks lonely.
Add a suggestion!

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

Starting Over : Watch Free on TV

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for Starting Over. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add Starting Over to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?