Cactus Flower

1969 "The prickly stage success that convulsed audiences around the world... with all its barbed wit and the sharpest comedy cast of the year!"
7.2| 1h43m| PG| en| More Info
Released: 16 December 1969 Released
Producted By: Columbia Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Distraught when her middle-aged lover breaks a date with her, 21-year-old Toni Simmons attempts suicide. Impressed by her action, her lover, dentist Julian Winston reconsiders marrying Toni, but he worries about her insistence on honesty. Having fabricated a wife and three children, Julian readily accepts when his devoted nurse, Stephanie, who has secretly loved Julian for years, offers to act as his wife and demand a divorce.

Genre

Comedy, Romance

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Director

Gene Saks

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures

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Cactus Flower Audience Reviews

BlazeLime Strong and Moving!
Lightdeossk Captivating movie !
Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
dougdoepke If it's Hawn, it's got to be quirky. And so this generally delightful comedy is. Hawn and Matthau are tangled in romantic relationships both real and faked, while Bergman is a humdrum middle-age cactus but with flower potential. The hijinks all center around Matthau's dental office where Bergman bustles around as his dourly efficient nurse. At the same time, middle-age Matthau carries on with youthful cutie Hawn, while her half-clothed neighbor drops in and out at bad times. And to further complicate, other colorful characters come and go from both the office and everyone else's life. Getting this all straightened out is the problem, especially after it's all premised on Matthau's fat lie to lover Hawn that he's married. If this sounds congested, it is, but then there's 100+ minutes to fill.In fact I think the movie's impact would improve if 20 or so minutes were shaved, especially from an over-extended last part. Nonetheless, it's a delightful cast, especially the big-eyed Hawn in her first big role. She's like a spunky blonde pixie, fully deserving of her supporting Oscar. At the same time, Bergman does the nurse's dour personality in expert fashion. It's her first in-America production since the '40's (IMDB), but you'd never know it. Then too, snappy dialogue along with smooth direction keep things moving before getting somewhat repetitious. And I especially like chunky Jack Weston and his unlikely choice of girlfriends.All in all, it's a chuckle-filled Goldie Hawn showcase from Columbia Productions that loses little to the decades.
Davis P Cactus flower is a very important film Goldie Hawn's filmography. It was her first big role and it was her Oscar win. I had so much fun with Cactus Flower for so many reasons. Probably the biggest reason this one really worked for me was the cast and the great performances they gave. The fine cast includes: Walter Mattheu, Ingrid Bergman, Goldie Hawn, and Jack Weston. They are all perfect fits for their roles. I have to say that Hawn and Bergman really stole the show, I was so charmed by their performances. Hawn absolutely deserved the academy award, but I honestly wish Bergman would've won one as well because her acting here is so amazing, I couldn't take my eyes off her because of how well she can command a scene. The writing is spot on here too, funny and light hearted when it's appropriate, and very charming and sweet when it calls for it. Cactus Flower is just one of those cases of a film that gets everything right, from acting/chemistry to writing. You'll feel refreshed and happy when the credits roll. Highly suggested! 9/10.
Claudio Carvalho In Manhattan, the dentist Dr. Julian Winston (Walter Matthau) works with his efficient nurse and secretary Stephanie Dickinson (Ingrid Bergman) and he likes to compare her to a cactus flower since she represses her emotions. On the first anniversary of his relationship with his twenty- one year-old mistress Toni Simmons (Goldie Hawn), he does not visit her since he dates an Austraian steward. Toni believes Julian is married with three children and stayed with his family; therefore she decides to commit suicide with gas. However her next door neighbor, the young aspiring writer Igor Sullivan (Rick Lenz), saves her life. When Julian learns what Toni did, he decides to marry her. However Toni does not want to be a homewrecker and asks to talk to Mrs. Winston to be sure that she wants the divorce. Julian does not want her to know that he is a liar, so he asks Stephanie to pose of Mrs. Winston, in the beginning of lots of confusions and misunderstandings. "Cactus Flower" is a delightful romantic comedy with an outstanding cast. Ingrid Bergman is impressively beautiful for a fifty-four year-old woman, but Goldie Hawn steals the show. The predictable conclusion is perfect for this entertaining romance. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Flor de Cacto" ("Cactus Flower")
preppy-3 Dentist Julian Winston (Walter Matthau) is a real ladies man. He's dating younger Toni Simmons (Goldie Hawn) but avoids a commitment to her by lying and saying he's married with kids. Finally he decides to marry Toni...but she wants to meet his wife. He gets his receptionist Stephanie (Ingrid Bergman) to pose as his wife and all sorts of complications occur.This plays like a Neil Simon play/movie. There are non-stop one-liners and everything comes out fine and good at the end. That's not saying it's a bad movie--just not a great or realistic one. Berman and Hawn (winning her first Oscar for this) are great! They have incredible comic timing and easily fling out the lines with ease. Bergman especially cuts loose at the end. It moves at a quick pace and I was never bored. There are only three serious problems with this--Matthau, Rick Lenz (playing Igor) and Jack Weston. Having Matthau playing a ladies man is a stretch and he has zero idea of how to do comedy. He always has a blank look on his face and says his lines in a monotone. Even worse is Lenz who is (I think) supposed to be charming, handsome and funny and is none of those. A very dull one note performance. Also Jack Weston is incredibly annoying as Matthau's best friend. Still this is worth seeing for Bergman, Hawn and the lines.