Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

I’ve enjoyed Goldie Hawn’s movies for many years. She hasn’t made a new movie for a while now, but I can still enjoy her older movies either on tv or DVD. Foul Play is one of my favorite Goldie Hawn movies. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen it and I still enjoy it every time I watch it.

Gloria Mundy, a librarian, picked up a hitchhiker one day. The two had a nice conversation and Gloria agreed to meet him to see a movie. Before leaving her, he put something in her purse. Gloria thought he stood her up until he arrived late. He said something that made no sense and then died in the theater. When Gloria returned with the manager, the body was gone. Several strange men, including an albino, started following Gloria, looking for the item she didn’t even know she had. She briefly met Stanley when she was attempting to hide from the men after her. Tony and Fergie were two cops that got involved in the case. They thought she was imagining things at first, but Tony started believing as more strange things happened to Gloria.

Foul Play contained a combination of comedy with mystery and some suspense. As the movie progressed, more and more strange things happened to Gloria. People discovered that she’d given the hitchhiker a ride which put her in danger. The audience knew that something had been put in Gloria’s purse, though it wasn’t exactly clear what the item was or why it was so important to so many people at that point. Gloria didn’t understand what was happening but she did her best to deal with the strange situations. The movie kept my interest and I was never bored. Certain things connected to the mystery were a bit complex without making the movie hard to follow. I thought the movie was very entertaining even though not everything that happened wasn’t realistic. Some viewers may not think the mystery part was strong enough.

Gloria ended up in several unique, dangerous situations throughout Foul Play. She didn’t understand what was really going on. She’d never had any self defense training - though a friend did give her mace and a few pointers - but she managed to take care of herself. She didn’t just cower in a corner and wait for a big strong man to come along and rescue her. I don’t think it was that common for movies made in 1978 to feature a strong female character. Gloria used what she had available, like knitting needles or an umbrella, to defend herself. She was very resourceful. She did need help in some situations and she realized that. She didn’t blindly run into dangerous situations thinking she could handle anything. She called the police as more things happened even though they didn’t believe her at first. There were a few fights and confrontations throughout the movie. There was plenty going on to keep the movie interesting even though it wasn’t action packed.

Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase were known for comedic roles when Foul Play was released. There were several funny moments that make me laugh every time I see the movie. Gloria did a few things that were funny. She ended up going with a man she didn’t know in an attempt to hide from the men that were following her. What happened in that apartment, along with Gloria’s reaction, was very funny. Late in the movie, she and Tony ended up racing through the streets of San Francisco in a taxi with two tourists from Japan in the backseat. The tourists couldn’t speak English and didn’t really know why Tony was driving the way he was, but they had a ball. It was some kind of adventure for them. That sequence was very funny. Even though there were several funny moments throughout the movie, it wasn’t a typical comedy. I felt like the mystery was the true main focus of the movie and that the humor was just added in some places to help lighten the mood a bit.

Gloria and Tony briefly met early in the movie at a party. When the strange things started happening and Gloria called the police, Tony was one of the detectives put on the case. He and Gloria spent a lot of time together. There was an attraction between them that they did end up acting on. The romance aspect wasn’t a main focus and I don’t think it detracted from the mystery. There wasn’t any nudity or sex scenes in the movie, though it was made clear that Gloria and Tony had sex. There were some sexual situations in a few other scenes that were slightly suggestive. It was hinted that Tony had been involved with several different women before Gloria entered the picture. There was a brief mention of drug use in one scene. I don’t remember there being any swearing in the movie.

There were a few Barry Manilow songs used during Foul Play. One of the songs, Ready to Take a Chance Again, was nominated for several awards, including the Oscar for best original song. The song played during the opening credits and later in the movie, the melody at least was used in a few of the romantic scenes between Gloria and Tony. People that don’t care for Manilow’s music may be put off by the fact that a few of his songs are in the movie, but they really weren’t played that much. There were some other instrumental pieces played during certain scenes that did go well with what was going on for the most part. Late in the movie, there was some light hearted sounding music played during an important scene that did seem a bit corny. That piece of music does seem a bit dated when I watch the movie now.

Gloria seemed a little naive at times which did cause people to underestimate her. She was able to handle things in the dangerous situations she found herself in, though she didn’t rush into those situations. She was a lot stronger and more capable than some of the other characters realized. She was kind to most everyone she met, even when she was in a dangerous situation. I really liked Goldie Hawn in this movie. I think this is a more serious part for her even though there were funny things going on as well. This movie had some suspense and mystery in it, though it wasn’t as serious or suspenseful as Deceived. I did read that Farrah Fawcett turned down the part of Gloria. I really can’t imagine her in the part.

Tony acted like a fun loving guy most of the time. He was interested in Gloria when he first saw her at the party and his interested continued even though their first meeting didn’t go as he had hoped. He seemed to just be humoring Gloria at first when he was put on the case, but as more and more strange things happened, he started believing that she was in danger. He could be serious when the situation called for it. Chevy Chase was very good in the part. The part wasn’t as funny some others he’s played, like Clark in the Vacation movies.

Mr. Hennessey was one of Gloria’s neighbors and a friend. He did what he could to help her in the unique situation she ended up in. Mr. Hennessey was a very kind man. I wasn’t too fond of his pet snake though. I’ve seen the movie enough now to know when she was going to appear so I really didn’t freak out like has happened to me in some movies that had snakes. I still don’t like to see her though. In one scene, Gloria was sitting on a couch holding the snake and it just gave me the creeps to see that. Burgess Meredith was fine in the part. Dudley Moore had a small part as Stanley, a man that Gloria met during her adventure. He was a very unique character. Brian Dennehy played Fergie, another cop that was working on Gloria’s case.

Main Cast

Chevy Chase - Tony
Brian Dennehy - Fergie
Goldie Hawn - Gloria
Burgess Meredith - Mr. Hennessey
Dudley Moore - Stanley

I recently found the DVD of Foul Play for $5.50 at Wal-Mart in the bin thing they have. I didn’t hesitate to grab it. The DVD has the widescreen version of the movie. I’m not sure if there is a full screen version of the movie as well or not. The DVD doesn’t have any extras. It does feature 5.1 surround sound and subtitles in English. Even though the DVD doesn’t have any extras, I am very glad that I found it and think it is worth owning since I enjoy the movie so much.

Foul Play is a funny, entertaining movie that I really enjoy. Fans of Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase should check the movie out if they haven’t seen it already.

Chevy Chase Movie Reviews
Christmas Vacation ~ Vegas Vacation ~

Goldie Hawn Movie Reviews
Housesitter ~ Deceived ~



Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD