Scott LeBrun
Wendell Burton ("The Sterile Cuckoo", "Fortune and Men's Eyes"), a likable chap with a fair resemblance to Michael Moriarty, stars in this B picture as Robbie, a young man who can't get over his ex-girlfriend Jackie (Lana Wood, "Diamonds Are Forever"). His rather aggressive friend and housemate Paul (Gregory Sierra, 'Sanford and Son') urges him to get on with his life, and indeed Robbie does hit it off with a new female acquaintance named Donna (Christopher Norris, 'Trapper John M.D.'). But he's not averse to letting Jackie back into his life, either.Engaging characters do go a long way towards making "Goodnight Jackie" pleasant to watch for 94 minutes. There are no earth-shattering insights or comedic fireworks here, but this story still has appeal. As a yarn about the travails of then-modern relationships and romance, it works well enough. The screenplay by Lloyd J. Schwartz touches upon themes of deciding when to make changes in life and when to take risks. Paul is a pretty strident character at times, but he's not unlikable. If anybody in the audience is bored, they may perk up at select points where the ladies take off their tops.Burton does alright in the lead, and Sierra delivers a lively performance as his buddy. The gals are very sexy and also adorable, especially Norris. You will notice that some cast and crew are TV veterans, including Sierra, Norris, director Jerry London, screenwriter Schwartz, and co- stars Jim Backus and Barry Williams. Backus is endearing as Robbies' boss.Also known as "Games Guys Play", this is mild overall but may be worth a look for fans of the cast & crew.Seven out of 10.
