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*Just Me and You*
Just Me and You
Genre	Comedy
Written by	Louise Lasser
Directed by	John Erman
Starring	Louise Lasser; Charles Grodin
Music by	Fred Karlin
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producer	Roger Gimbel
Producer	William S. Gilmore
Cinematography	Gayne Rescher
Editor	Tina Hirsch
Running time	100 minutes
Production companies	EMI Television; Roger Gimbel Productions
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	May 22, 1978

Just Me and You is a 1978 American made-for-television comedy film written by Louise Lasser and directed by John Erman.

Plot

The film is a gentle comedy about two strangers with personal family issues who drive across wintery America after Michael Lindsay (Charles Grodin) offers a lift to Jane Alofsin (Lasser) and how they gradually get to know each other. Jane is a little neurotic and very indecisive while Charles is more focused.

Cast

Louise Lasser as Jane Alofsin
Charles Grodin as Michael Lindsay
Michael Alldredge as Max
Miriam Byrd-Nethery as Connie
Noble Willingham as Gas Station Owner
Julie Bovasso as Waitress
Paul Fix as The Old Man
Dave Thomas

Production

Lasser wrote the script in the period between shooting the Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman pilot and filming the series. "My biggest fear was that I would write like Woody but I came out sounding like me," she said.^[1]

Lasser said she "wasn't a writer" but wrote 300 pages of "dialogue scenes" between a boy and a girl. These were read by Deanne Barkley who was developing script for the Robert Stigwood Organization. She suggested Lasser write up her pages as a script and gave her the basic plot line. Lasser rewrote the script accordingly.^[2]

Mary Hartman became a big success. Lasser wanted to move into writing and directing.^[3] She quit the show and took five months to recover. She then signed a three-picture deal with NBC, to write and star in one film, star in another and direct in a third. The first film was Just Me and You.^[2]^[4]^[5]

Deanne Barkley had moved to NBC by this time. She got Lasser to rewrite the project under the guidance of Roger Gimbel of EMI TV. She worked on the male part to get the interest of Charles Grodin. "It was the part I wanted to play," she said later. "I love that part. The woman - I don't understand her."^[2]

The film was shot entirely in California, with various locations such as Joshua Tree doubling for the rest of the US.^[2]

Reception

The Los Angeles Times said the film contained "the funniest outpouring of dialogue this side of Woody Allen."^[6]

References

^ Louise Lasser, Louise Lasser: Louise Lasser, Louise Lasser By Jeannette Smyth. The Washington Post 17 Jan 1976: B1.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d New Episode in Lasser's TV Life: Incomplete Source Smith, Cecil. Los Angeles Times 9 May 1978: h1.
^ Mary Hartman's Price Goes Up: SECOND SEASON Mary Hartman Price Doubles Margulies, Lee. Los Angeles Times 8 Oct 1976: e1.
^ Dragging a critique out of a critic: Louise Lasser turns tables and interviews interviewer about 'Just Me and You' By Arthur Unger. The Christian Science Monitor 19 May 1978: 19.
^ Louise Lasser Stars in TV Film by Louise Lasser: Success a Surprise Only Exhaustion Used Goods Cherished By ALJEAN HARMETZ Special to The New York Times. 21 May 1978: 53.
^ Our TV Cup Runneth Over Los Angeles Times 22 May 1978: g14.