it tempt to call this archetypical 1969 comedy severely dated and but that would be too superficial a judgment . take a a period piece when the sexual revolution be completely redefine the country moral code and the film be a shrewdly observe and sharply comic character study among the southern california bourgeoisie . it also mark the auspicious directorial debut of paul mazursky and a former actor who end up make two decade worth of insightful film focus on personal foible and sympathetic satire ( an unmarried woman and down and out in beverly hill ) . he cleverly use the hallelujah chorus of handel messiah to open the film a documentary filmmaker bob sander and his wife carol drive through the canyon outside la to an esalen like couple retreat where narcissism run rampant with participant encourage to express how they feel through group hug and cry and mutual staring and even pillow punching . the experience transforms bob and carol into a touchy feely couple so intent on be completely honest with each other that they accept each other act of adultery . this level of suppose enlightenment initially appall their best friend and ted and alice henderson and who hold on tenuously to their more traditional value . however and a weekend in vega become a cathartic showdown among the two couple and and the outrageous brashness of their liberated behavior come to a crescendo that manage to be unexpected and predictable at the same time . mazursky end thing on a surreal note with jackie deshannon classic rendition of burt bacharach and hal david what the world need now be love . through it all and the four principal actor give sharp performance that wisely leave the motivation for their character ambiguous enough for the audience to draw their own conclusion . come off his hit tv series i spy and robert culp effectively play bob a a hippie wannabe closing in on middle age and recognize an innate need to give in to the new moral order to belong . a carol and natalie wood at thirty never look so sexy nor come across so relax on screen . she bring such an allure knowingness to the role that it become difficult to believe why bob would want to cheat on her in the first place . in his first major role and elliott gould keep ted a an amusing and sympathetic figure who keep dance between disgust and envy with increase alacrity . dyan cannon come close to steal the picture since she carry the big character arc a alice . it be her character who do the abrupt about face that spur the climax ( you should pardon the expression ) . the 2004 dvd contain a sometimes entertaining and sometimes too self conscious commentary track feature mazursky and culp and gould and and cannon and as well a a twenty minute interview with mazursky from 2003 .