California Suite (film)

For the Broadway play, see California Suite.

California Suite is a 1978 American anthology comedy film directed by Herbert Ross and written by Neil Simon, based on his 1976 stage play of the same name. Similar in format to Simon's earlier work Plaza Suite, the film follows four separate stories involving guests staying in a luxury hotel suite in Beverly Hills.

California Suite
Theatrical release poster by Drew Struzan
Directed by	Herbert Ross
Written by	Neil Simon
Based on	California Suite by Neil Simon
Produced by	Ray Stark
Starring	Alan Alda Michael Caine Bill Cosby Jane Fonda Walter Matthau Elaine May Richard Pryor Maggie Smith
Cinematography	David M. Walsh
Edited by	Michael A. Stevenson
Music by	Claude Bolling
Production company	Rastar
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	December 22, 1978 (1978-12-22)
Running time	103 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$42 million[1]

California Suite received three Academy Award nominations, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Simon, with Maggie Smith winning Best Supporting Actress.^[2] Smith also received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and the film was nominated for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.^[3]

Plot

The film follows four separate stories set in a suite at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

In Visitors from London, British actress Diana Barrie and her antiques dealer husband Sidney Cochran are in Los Angeles for the Academy Awards. Diana has been nominated for Best Actress for a comedic film and is nervous about attending the ceremony. As the evening approaches, tensions rise between the couple. Their interactions reveal the strain in their marriage, particularly due to Sidney's homosexuality, which is acknowledged but rarely discussed between them.

In Visitors from New York, Hannah Warren, a New York-based editor, arrives in Los Angeles to meet with her ex-husband, Bill Warren, a screenwriter. Their teenage daughter Jenny has left New York to live with Bill in California. Hannah and Bill argue over where Jenny should live, revealing their long-standing differences in lifestyle, parenting, and values. Despite their arguments, both want what is best for their daughter and must find a compromise.

In Visitors from Philadelphia, Marvin Michaels, a businessman from Philadelphia, arrives in Los Angeles ahead of his wife, Millie, to attend a family bar mitzvah. The night before Millie's arrival, Marvin's brother Harry sends a prostitute named Bunny to his room as a surprise. Marvin wakes up to find Bunny unconscious in his bed. As Millie is on her way to the suite, Marvin frantically tries to hide Bunny and any evidence of the incident before his wife arrives.

In Visitors from Chicago, two couples—Dr. Chauncey Gump and his wife Lola, and Dr. Willis Panama and his wife Bettina—are vacationing together in California. A hotel reservation mix-up forces them into a smaller space. Tensions between the men escalate throughout the trip, culminating in a heated and overly competitive tennis match. Their conflict causes increasing discomfort among the group and disrupts the vacation.

Cast

• Alan Alda as Bill Warren
• Michael Caine as Sidney Cochran
• Bill Cosby as Dr. Willis Panama
• Jane Fonda as Hannah Warren
• Walter Matthau as Marvin Michaels
• Elaine May as Millie Michaels
• Richard Pryor as Dr. Chauncey Gump
• Maggie Smith as Diana Barrie
• Herb Edelman as Harry Michaels
• Sheila Frazier as Bettina Panama
• Gloria Gifford as Lola Gump
• Denise Galik as Bunny
• Christopher Pennock as policeman
• Dana Plato as Jenny Warren
• Kelly Harmon as stewardess
• James Coburn as airplane pilot in Diana Barrie's film (uncredited)
• Richard Burton as himself (uncredited)

Production

California Suite was filmed on location at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Los Angeles Music Center, and along Rodeo Drive.^[4]

The scene depicting Diana and Sidney’s arrival at the Academy Awards was filmed during the actual arrivals at the 50th Academy Awards in April 1978. The subdued reaction from the real-life crowd has been attributed to their unfamiliarity with the fictional characters, Diana Barrie and Sidney Cochran.

The paintings featured in the film’s opening credits were created by pop artist David Hockney.

While the original stage play featured two male and two female actors portraying multiple roles across different segments, the film adaptation cast different actors for each role.^[5]

Reception

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, California Suite holds an approval rating of 50% based on 28 reviews, and an average rating of 5.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "Maggie Smith's acidic turn is the standout in this stacked ensemble, but broad characterizations and an unsure tone make for a disappointingly uneven adaptation of Neil Simon's episodic play."^[6]

Vincent Canby of The New York Times called California Suite "the most agreeably realised Simon film in years" and praised the direction by Herbert Ross and the ensemble cast, stating, "It all works in California Suite, not only because the material is superior Simon, but also because the writer and the director have assembled a dream cast."^[7] The film was later included on The New York Times list of the Best 1000 Movies Ever Made.^[8]

Variety noted that the film diverged from the original stage play's format, describing the adaptation as "less than successful" due to its shift from distinct playlets to a more integrated narrative structure. The review stated that the film "veers from poignant emotionalism to broad slapstick in sudden shifts."^[9]

Time Out New York described the film as a "quick and varied comedy, highly suited to Simon's machine-gun gag-writing," highlighting performances by Jane Fonda, Walter Matthau, and Elaine May. However, the review also noted that some segments were less successful, referring to them as "a bit glum."^[10]

Channel 4 called the film "an expertly crafted slick movie" but felt that it ultimately lacked emotional depth, concluding that it was "emotional sushi rather than satisfying catharsis."^[11]

Film critic Leonard Maltin awarded the film 3 out of 4 stars in his annual movie guide, describing it as a "pleasant time-filler" with a "nice jazz score by Claude Bolling." He singled out Smith and Michael Caine for their performances, while describing the segment featuring Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby as the least effective.^[12]

Awards and nominations

Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
Academy Awards	Best Supporting Actress	Maggie Smith	Won	[2]
	Best Adapted Screenplay	Neil Simon	Nominated
	Best Production Design	Albert Brenner and Marvin March	Nominated
British Academy Film Awards	Best Actress in a Leading Role	Maggie Smith	Nominated	[13]
Evening Standard British Film Awards	Best Actress		Won	[14]
Golden Globe Awards	Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy		Nominated	[3]
	Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy	Maggie Smith	Won[a]
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards	Best Supporting Actress		Won	[15]
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards	Best Actress	Jane Fonda[b]	Won	[16]
National Society of Film Critics Awards	Best Actor	Michael Caine	4th Place	[17]
	Best Actress	Jane Fonda	2nd Place
		Maggie Smith	4th Place
	Best Supporting Actress		3rd Place
New York Film Critics Circle Awards	Best Supporting Actress		Runner-up	[17]
Writers Guild of America Awards	Best Comedy – Adapted from Another Medium	Neil Simon	Nominated	[17]

Home media

California Suite was released in the United States on VHS by Columbia Pictures in 1983,^[18] and on DVD in both fullscreen and widescreen formats on January 2, 2002.^[19]

See also

• Plaza Suite
• London Suite

Notes

1. Tied with Ellen Burstyn for Same Time, Next Year.
2. Also for Comes a Horseman and Coming Home