Based on Neil Simon’s successful Broadway play of the same name, I Ought to Be in Pictures poignantly captures a head strong 19-year old, desperately trying to reconnect with her father after 16 years of estrangement. Dinah Manoff reprised her Tony Award winning role as Libby Tucker, who travels unannounced from New York to Los Angeles in order to solicit the help of her screenwriting father Herb (Walter Matthau), so she can make it as an actress. Herb has been less than forthcoming about his past with his make-up artist girlfriend Steffy (Ann-Margret), who has grown tired of Herb’s underachieving and noncommittal ways. Perhaps no other actor brought to life Neil Simon’s witty banter more than Matthau, and fans of his curmudgeonly persona will not be disappointed, although Libby’s yearning to fill in the missing years without a father, eventually softens Matthau around the edges. Director Herbert Ross and one of the most in-demand comedy cinematographers from the 70’s and 80’s, David M. Walsh, captured a smoggy Los Angeles underneath the Hollywood sign that is fun to revisit.
“Simon’s best dialogue revolves around genuine emotion. He’s the only screenwriter dealing consistently with familial issues. He’s working toward something more lasting than gags. Pictures is a step in that direction.” – Bruce McCabe, Boston Globe
“I Ought to Be in Pictures is a slender but endearing Neil Simon comedy-drama, reflecting the human side of the prolific writer.” – Bob Thomas
