Overview
A comedic exploration of love and friendship that challenges traditional boundaries.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- provocative
- warm
- retro movie night
- date night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an engaging, culturally observant New Hollywood comedy-drama whose ensemble performances and frank treatment of sexual mores outweigh its occasional unevenness.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Bob and Carol import the language of group therapy into their friendships, repeatedly demanding emotional openness from Ted and Alice.
The foursome's playful sexual tension and discussions of emotional freedom challenge the boundaries of their marriages.
The film uses candid relationship talk, sexual experimentation, and conversational comedy associated with New Hollywood's challenge to older studio norms.
Carol's reflexive declarations that personal disclosures are beautiful and Bob's insistence on feeling expose sincerity as a kind of social pose.
Films like Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, and why
The Graduate
Shared new hollywood relationship comedy, sexual candor, and anxiety about changing social norms.
A New Leaf
Shared ensemble romantic comedy structure centered on modern intimacy, emotional confusion, and social performance.
The April Fools
Shared 1960s comedy-drama treatment of unconventional relationships, shifting morality, and bourgeois discomfort.
Movie Details
- Director
- Paul Mazursky
- Release Date
- 1969-09-17
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (118)
Cast
- Natalie Wood
- Robert Culp
- Elliott Gould
- Dyan Cannon
- Horst Ebersberg
- Lee Bergere
- Donald F. Muhich
- Noble Lee Holderread Jr.
- K.T. Stevens
- Celeste Yarnall
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice about?
- Two Los Angeles couples test the limits of emotional honesty, sexual freedom, and marital boundaries when therapy-inspired openness enters their friendship.
- What is Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice.
- What did critics think of Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an engaging, culturally observant New Hollywood comedy-drama whose ensemble performances and frank treatment of sexual mores outweigh its occasional unevenness.
- Which films are like Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice?
- Films with a similar feel include The Graduate, A New Leaf, and The April Fools.
- How long is Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice?
- Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice?
- In United States, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
