January 2022 Film Club Pick: What’s Up Doc?
January can be such a difficult time of the year, between wrapping up the holiday season and settling in for a slight case of the winter blues, the cold winter days and abundance of snow and ice certainly don’t help elevate one’s mood… This month feels particularly melancholic given the recent series of celebrity deaths that have left us, the team at The Film Rewind, rather saddened by the passing of such notable talents as Betty White (1922-2021), Sidney Portier (1927-2022), and Bob Saget (1956-2022), just to name a few. This left us wondering: what should we choose for a Film Club Pick to help us elevate spirits this month?
It was only after we learned of the passing of Peter Bogdanovich (1939-2022) that we knew exactly what film we should watch and review this month. Probably most well known for his directing, particularly the Academy Award winning film, The Last Picture Show (1971), our selection this month is one of Bogdanovich’s comedy films, which immediately sprang to mind as the perfect film to help fight off a case of the winter doldrums. What’s Up, Doc? (1972) is a throwback and homage to early screwball comedies, and has just the right amount of zany comedy, with a touch of action, to make just about anyone laugh. This film was originally released on March 10, 1972, and will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of its release this year! What better way to pay homage to Bogdanovich than with a rewatch and celebration of What’s Up, Doc???
If you haven’t heard of this film before, we feel that it is high time that you give it a watch. We don’t want to give away too many spoilers for this one, as it best to just dive right in and enjoy the film. However, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention that the film features the acting talents of Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal, and that What’s Up, Doc? is about as madcap as they come, given its rather hilarious plot featuring four strangers staying at the same hotel, each carrying identical plaid suitcases… What could possibly go wrong?
What do you think of our January Film Club Pick? Which celebrity deaths have you been most shocked by? Any recommendations of films that always put you in a better mood? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to check back soon for more posts and our reviews at the end of the month (we know, such a long way off…) of What’s Up, Doc?!
Copyright © 2022 Sarah Crane
