I Ought to Be in Pictures

Based on Neil Simon's Broadway play of the same name, the film captures a head strong 19-year old, desperately trying to reconnect with her father after 16 years of estrangement. Libby Tucker (Dinah Manoff) travels unannounced from New York to Los Angeles in order to solicit the help of her screenwriting father Herb (Walter Matthau), so she can make it as an actress. Herb has been less than forthcoming about his past with his make-up artist girlfriend Steffy (Ann-Margret), who has grown tired of Herb's underachieving and noncommittal ways. Perhaps no other actor brought to life Neil Simon's witty banter more than Matthau, and fans of his curmudgeonly persona will not be disappointed, although Libby's yearning to fill in the missing years without a father, eventually softens Matthau around the edges.