As his 30th birthday approaches, bored, rich and white Elgar Enders (Beau Bridges) decides to leave life with his wealthy parents and buys a New York tenement with plans to boot the residents and turn it into a deluxe bachelor pad. But as he befriends the locals, his new life could get in the way. Hal Ashby’s directorial debut is a pointed social commentary on race that’s both compelling and funny, featuring a potent screenplay by Bill Gunn that still feels timely today, and an excellent supporting cast including Lee Grant, Diana Sands, Pearl Bailey, and Louis Gossett Jr.
“Hal Ashby’s debut film as a director is one of his best.” – Pauline Kael, New Yorker
