Overview
A wealthy man's desperate attempt to marry for money leads to unexpected romance and darkly comedic twists.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- cockeyed
- sardonic
- lazy sunday
- classic comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly celebrate Elaine May's sharply written and performed screwball farce as viciously funny, inventive, and unexpectedly warm.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Henry seeks a bride within six weeks to recover his financial security, making marriage an explicit economic scheme.
Henry's inherited lifestyle, passions, and social expectations shape his response to bankruptcy and marriage.
The murder premise and Henry's manipulative scheme coexist with the film's warm, cockeyed romantic humor.
Henrietta's identity as a clumsy botanist and Henry's changing response to her drive the romantic and ethical shift.
Films like A New Leaf, and why
The Lady Eve
shares screwball romance, eccentric class satire, and a morally dubious protagonist softened by comic warmth
The Heartbreak Kid
shares blackly comic courtship, social performance, and sharp American screwball dialogue
The Philadelphia Story
shares sophisticated romantic comedy, mismatched personalities, and a stylishly cynical view of wealth
Ruthless People
shares dark humor, eccentric characters, and a romance emerging from an initially transactional arrangement
Movie Details
- Director
- Elaine May
- Release Date
- 1971-03-11
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (211)
Cast
- Walter Matthau
- Elaine May
- Jack Weston
- George Rose
- James Coco
- Doris Roberts
- Renée Taylor
- William Redfield
- Graham Jarvis
- Jess Osuna
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, 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 A New Leaf about?
- A bankrupt aesthete races to secure a wealthy bride, only to find his calculated rescue plan disrupted by an eccentric botanist.
- What is A New Leaf like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A New Leaf as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A New Leaf violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in A New Leaf as mild.
- What did critics think of A New Leaf?
- Critics broadly celebrate Elaine May's sharply written and performed screwball farce as viciously funny, inventive, and unexpectedly warm.
- Which films are like A New Leaf?
- Films with a similar feel include The Lady Eve, The Heartbreak Kid, The Philadelphia Story, and Ruthless People.
- How long is A New Leaf?
- A New Leaf runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch A New Leaf?
- In United States, A New Leaf is available to rent or buy from JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
