Boobirt Stylish but barely mediocre overall

SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

BallWubba Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

dweilermg-1 In The Graduate we loved the suspension of disbelief ending where Elaine rejects the charming yuppie guy chosen by her parents whom she has just wed to run off with Benjamin who she has previously rejected realizing he is her true love. However the ending of Goodbye Columbus where Neil realizes the reality of the situation and that a happily ever after relationship won't be possible and walks away is more realistic. We rejoice at 1 movie's ending while being just stunned by the other.

ClaraHerald This film oozes charm. There are some similarities to "The Graduate" but messages conveyed are less heavy-handed. There are so many memorable scenes: the kid in the library, introducing college grads to each other, the wedding, etc. The casting is excellent and the resemblance of the younger daughter to the father is uncanny. The character "Ron" steals the show in some respects (I love to shake hands as he does when I encounter snobs). This is probably Richard Benjamin's best role and finest performance. I first saw this film when I was about ten. I've seen it about four times in total. It's certainly not for everyone. If you loved "Top Gun", skip it. If you like to champion good films that have been overlooked, check it out.

Syl I have been doing a lot of research on the author, Philip Roth, who wrote Goodbye, Columbus. Unfortunately, I am disappointed that it was set in the Bronx, New York and not Newark, New Jersey and that Westchester County replaced posh, upscale Livingston, New Jersey. What makes Roth special is that he really is a New Jersey writer even though he has lived in Connecticut for decades. Unfortunately, the story does not lose any of it's original impact as it was written in his novella. Richard Benjamin and Ali McGraw are excellent as Neil and Brenda. Neil Klugman, the Jewish librarian from the Bronx, and Brenda, the Jewish girl from Westchester, who get together. The relationship is believable at times while Neil is from the wrong side of the tracks so to speak while Brenda's family is upscale. Just because they are both Jewish doesn't mean that they don't have their share of problems. Jack Klugman and Nan Martin are perfect as Brenda's parents. The film would have been better or more authentic if it was set in Newark and Livingston rather than the Bronx and Westchester but what's done is done. I hope next time that they will take the time to film where it is set. It's not set that far from New York City anyway.

Noir-It-All I remember enjoying this film in the theater. I saw some similarities between my life and that of the Potamkins, if not their religion, the suburban household complete with a father from the city. College-bound, I looked to Ali McGraw as a role model. She always conveyed the image of the east coast college girl portrayed in Seventeen magazine, Glamour and Mademoiselle, wearing the clothes shown in these magazines. I was also struck by Jack Klugman's performance as the provider operating a plumbing supply business in the Bronx. Like Jack Klugman, my Dad grew up in South Philadelphia. My uncle stayed there, commuting to a lumberyard in North Philly. Jack Klugman should have been nominated for and won an Oscar just for that scene with Neil in his office, leaving an impression on me long after leaving the theater. Neil himself? I worked in a library, too, and really liked it! Finally, the romance. I dated a Jewish guy from Northeast Philly. Whenever his parents came home from a wedding, they compared the reception to the one in this film.