The Lonely Guy

Larry, a mild mannered writer for a greeting card company, makes a living turning feelings into neat lines. Behind the beige routine, his personal life feels hollow. Then he comes home to Iris, his girlfriend, in bed with another man. The jolt shatters the illusion of perfect romance and sends him into a string of awkward dates and misreads as he tries to find real connection beyond clever sentiments. He tests what companionship should look like when the safety of familiarity no longer satisfies. Through small setbacks and quiet breakthroughs, he begins to see loneliness not as a defeat but as a push to seek something truly authentic. Along the way he leans on a circle of friends including a playful confidant and a sardonic buddy who offer offbeat advice as he recalibrates his take on love.

Arthur Hiller directed this 1984 romantic comedy with a screenplay by Neil Simon, Bruce Jay Friedman, and Ed Weinberger, based on their original collaboration. The project pairs Steve Martin's anxious charm with a witty, character driven setup.

Critics treated The Lonely Guy as an 80s romantic comedy, pairing brisk gags with a look at loneliness. Martin carries Larry with jittery energy that occasionally yields sincere moments, a tone that resonates with viewers wary about dating in the city. The audience score sits at 6.2/10 from 152 votes.

While not a defining hit, The Lonely Guy sits in Steve Martin's 80s arc about romantic misfires. It echoes Neil Simon's sharp dialogue and Hiller's timing, offering a snapshot of urban dating anxieties and the ache behind light comedy.

Box office data for The Lonely Guy are not provided in the supplied materials, so there is no verified worldwide gross to report. It sits alongside other 1980s Martin comedies as a modest earner rather than a blockbuster.