Thursday’s Game (1974) | Region-Free (DVD)

**DISC ONLY**

Source:   VHS

Title: Thursday’s Game (1974)

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Plot Synopsis:
Harry Evers and Marvin Ellison have been playing poker every Thursday night for years. When a disagreement causes their regular poker game to break up, they decide to keep meeting up anyway—finding new ways to spend their time together. However, their wives remain under the impression that the poker games are still ongoing. When the truth comes out, tensions rise as everyone begins to question what these men have really been doing on their Thursday nights.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Robert Moore
• Writer: James L. Brooks
• Cast:
  • Gene Wilder as Harry Evers
  • Bob Newhart as Marvin Ellison
  • Ellen Burstyn as Lynn Evers
  • Cloris Leachman as Lois Ellison
  • Nancy Walker as Mrs. Bender

IMDb Link:
Thursday’s Game (1974) 

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. KayKutcher – ★★½
   “Or: The Translator Lost His House to a Bad Hand – The Odder Couple. Best thing about this forgotten-for-a-reason TV movie is that you can make a real fun game out of it: How many ‘Mary Tyler Moore Show’ alumni are on screen?“

2. TempusFugit – ★★★
   “A very early James L. Brooks joint. It has all the pros and cons of his later work: a great cast (Wilder, Newhart, Burstyn, Leachman, Nancy Walker) with great performances, but it rambles, which can get annoying. Still, it was a good choice for Bob Newhart’s deathday.”

3. Michael – ★★★
   “Midlife Crisis: The TV Movie. It’s a comedy-drama that leans more into drama, but neither genre lands with full impact. The discussions and problems are relatable, and more couples need to be open about expressing themselves.”

4. Fly Kid Sid – ★★★
   “See, this is what happens when you don’t play poker!”

5. Wes Edwards – ★★★
   “You have to do a little work to get on this movie’s wavelength. It is slow and bittersweet. Gene Wilder and Bob Newhart moon around New York in midlife crisis mode, doing a lot of talking about their unhappy states in work and marriage. Some of it is funny, some of it is insightful, but the tempo never picks up, even as both characters go through major changes.”

Meta Description:
A lost gem of the 1970s, Thursday’s Game (1974) is a comedy-drama starring Gene Wilder and Bob Newhart as two men whose weekly poker games end, forcing them to navigate midlife crises in unexpected ways. Written by James L. Brooks and directed by Robert Moore, this lighthearted yet poignant film explores friendship, marriage, and the struggles of growing older.