Tina Balser (Carrie Snodgress) is a tired NYC housewife married to the demeaning pompous Jonathan (Richard Benjamin). He criticizes her on everything even in front of their two young impressionable daughters. At a party she got dragged to by her husband, she meets the arrogant chauvinistic writer George Prager (Frank Langella). She has an affair but George isn't much better than Jonathan. Essentially, I like Tina enough to watch this movie despite the annoying Jonathan and the callous George. This movie is a bit of a torture but it's a fascinating one. It's also a movie of its times. It was probably more compelling back in the day.

With the feminist movement on the rise, they obviously had to make a movie about a woman in an abusive relationship, and "Diary of a Mad Housewife" does a good job with it. Tina Balser's (Carrie Snodgress, RIP) husband Jonathan (Richard Benjamin) is the biggest jerk in the world. Any bad qualities that a person could have, you can bet money that Jonathan has them. So, Tina starts having an affair with George Prager (Frank Langella),only to find out his secret.

As it is, I've actually known a man who is almost exactly like Jonathan. To avoid any lawsuits, I won't say his name, but he is one creepy person. This movie could almost be based on him (but obviously it's not). A really good movie, even if it is a little dated.

Frank & Eleanor Perry's masterpiece of middle class angst stars Carrie Snodgress as a well-healed housewife dealing with the trials and tribulations of a horrendous life. Married to an idiotic, social climbing culture vulture and saddled with two impossibly bratty children, Snodgress seeks solace in an empty affair with a insanely callous writer. The acting is absolutely brilliant, not only by Snodgress but by Frank Langella as the writer and by Richard Benjamin as the nitwit husband. Benjamin does his best work here -- perfect in every way blaming his wife for all of his many flaws. Snodgress, who was Oscar nominated and became a star with this role, gives what has become a legendary performance. The unforgiving script is by Eleanor Perry & it's never made clear if what we're seeing (and hearing) is in Snodgress's mind, which may very well be warping things considering just how brutally she's treated by these two men. The tightly wound direction is by Frank Perry. Gerald Hirschfeld did the cinematography and the astounding production design is by Peter Dohanos. With Peter Boyle (briefly),Katherine Meskill and Lorraine Cullen as Sylvie, one of Snodgress's very bitchy daughters. One of the best and least appreciated films of the 1970s.