Bye Bye Love (film)


Bye Bye Love is a 1995 American romantic comedy film that deals with the central issue of divorce. It was directed by Sam Weisman and written by Gary David Goldberg and Brad Hall. It stars Matthew Modine, Randy Quaid, Paul Reiser, Janeane Garofalo, Amy Brenneman, Eliza Dushku, Rob Reiner, Amber Benson, and Lindsay Crouse. Production costs were heavily underwritten by McDonald's product placement.
Goldberg and Hall stated that they included in the script several fictionalized accounts of events that had happened to divorced friends of theirs.
Also acting in the film were Jayne Brook, and Ed Flanders in his last movie role. A not-yet-famous Jack Black has one line as a disc jockey at a party.
Co-stars Amber Benson and Eliza Dushku went on to play main roles on the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as did Lindsay Crouse.

Plot

This is a story about the breakup of the family. In particular, it focuses on the lifestyle of three divorced men in the Los Angeles area, Dave Goldman, wrestling coach/driver's ed teacher Vic D'Amico, and real estate agent Donny Carson.
The film is presented from their perspective and it reveals their relationships with their children, ex-wives, girlfriends, male friendships, and their identities as divorced men. In addition to dealing with divorce, the film touches on spousal loss and young adult homelessness.

Cast

The film was not considered particularly successful, grossing less than $13 million in the U.S. in its theatrical run. It has a 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 21 reviews. Although overall critical reaction to the film was not positive, Janeane Garofalo's performance as the "date from hell" got good reviews, and earned her a nomination for an American Comedy Award. Many of the reviews complained that the movie played more like an episode of a sitcom than a feature film.
It was released on DVD on March 8, 2005 through Anchor Bay Entertainment.

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack includes performances by Linda Ronstadt, The Proclaimers, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ben Taylor, Everly Brothers, and Jackson Browne.

In Popular Culture

In episode 7 of Decker: Port of Call Hawaii, a copy of the videotape is employed as part of a surveillance plot by a terrorist.