The Goodbye Girl

Former chorus girl and divorcee Paula McFadden and her ten-year-old daughter, Lucy, live in a Manhattan apartment with Paula's married boyfriend, Tony DeForrest. Coming home from shopping, Paula finds a letter from Tony explaining that he has deserted her to travel to Italy for a film role, leaving her devastated. Paula soon learns that prior to his departure, Tony sublet the apartment to his friend Elliot Garfield, a quirky but sweet aspiring actor from Chicago, who arrives in the middle of the night, unaware of the situation and expecting to move in. Although Elliot has already paid three months' rent, Paula turns him away, but after he calls her from a payphone across the street in the pouring rain and begs her to let him stay, she reluctantly agrees to share the apartment with him. Over the next few days, Paula and Elliot often clash over his eccentric habits, including meditative chants in the morning, late-night guitar playing, and sleeping in the nude. Now penniless, Paula attempts to resume her career as a dancer, but she struggles to get back into shape and is rejected in an audition in favor of younger women. Meanwhile, Elliot has landed the title role in an off-off-Broadway production of Richard III, but the director, Mark, wants him to play Richard III of England as an exaggerated homosexual stereotype. Reluctantly, Elliot agrees to the nontraditional portrayal, despite knowing that it may result in the end of his acting career. When Paula and Elliot encounter each other in a grocery store, they amicably agree to split the bill. Afterwards, Paula is robbed, and after Elliot fails to recover her purse, which contains the last of her savings, she lashes out at him. However, the two soon begin to warm up to each other, and Paula attends the premiere of Richard III with Lucy. Later that night, Elliot returns home intoxicated after reading scathing reviews of his performance, and Paula consoles him. The next morning, Elliot is informed that the play is canceled, much to his relief. Returning home one night from his job as a doorman at a strip club, where he is punched by a drunk patron, Elliot makes advances towards Paula, who is amused but insists she has no time for romance. The following evening, Elliot surprises Paula with a romantic rooftop dinner, and after taking shelter from the rain, they sleep together. The next morning, Lucy is displeased with the new relationship; Paula and Lucy both fear another heartbreak, but Elliot convinces Paula that he is not going anywhere. Later that day, Elliot picks up Lucy from school and takes her on a horse-drawn carriage ride, during which she admits she likes him, and he tells her how much he cares for her and her mother. Elliot lands a job with an improvisational group and Paula begins to redecorate the apartment for a fresh beginning. Elliot is soon spotted by a well-known film director, who offers him a film role in Seattle. When Paula learns that Elliot will be away for four weeks, she worries that he will leave her like all the other men in her life, but he assures Paula that he will be back after the shoot. Later that night, he calls Paula from the payphone outside their apartment and invites her to go with him while he is filming. Paula declines but is encouraged by the invitation, saying that his asking her is enough and he will come home to a cozy finished home. Before hanging up, Elliot asks Paula to have his prized guitar restrung, which she takes as proof that he really loves her and will return. Paula climbs onto the fire escape in the pouring rain and proclaims her love for Elliot before he rides away in a taxi.

Plot from The Goodbye GirlCC BY-SA 4.0