▁character ▁ins ights ▁of ▁popular ▁songs ." ▁Gene ▁S isk el ▁of ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Trib une ▁also ▁awarded ▁one ▁star ▁out ▁of ▁four ▁and ▁wrote , ▁" The ▁script ▁by ▁Neil ▁Simon ▁is ▁as ▁ph ony ▁as ▁can ▁be , ▁with ▁only ▁Mc N ich ol ▁giving ▁any ▁cred ibility ▁to ▁her ▁character . ▁The ▁film ▁would ▁like ▁to ▁be ▁fun ny ▁and ▁po ign ant , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁neither ." ▁Vincent ▁Can by ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁was ▁positive , ▁writing ▁that ▁" Mr . ▁Simon ' s ▁screen play ▁is ▁also ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁best , ▁and ▁it ' s ▁been ▁treated ▁with ▁care ▁by ▁Gl enn ▁Jordan , ▁a ▁television ▁director ▁whose ▁first ▁the atr ical ▁film ▁this ▁is ." ▁Can by ▁found ▁the ▁performances ▁" ex cell ent " ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁Mc N ich ol , ▁whom ▁he ▁fault ed ▁for ▁playing ▁her ▁role ▁" in ▁that ▁trip ly ▁un real ▁manner ▁of ▁an ▁adult ▁actress ▁im it ating ▁an ▁old - time ▁Hollywood ▁child ▁actress ▁im it ating ▁an ▁adult ▁actress ." ▁Vari ety ▁pra ised ▁a ▁" bra v ura ▁performance " ▁from ▁Mc N ich ol ▁and ▁added , ▁" G l enn ▁Jordan ' s ▁economic ▁direction ▁is ▁sens it ively ▁tun ed ▁to ▁the ▁border - t reading ▁emot ions ▁that ▁populate ▁the ▁film , ▁and ▁man ages ▁to ▁almost ▁completely ▁sk irt ▁the ▁danger ▁of ▁hack ney ed ▁treatment ▁this ▁hardly ▁vir gin ▁territory ▁might ▁easily ▁have ▁prov oked