The Apartment (1960)
About This Movie
A lonely insurance clerk climbs the corporate ladder by lending his apartment to executives for their extramarital affairs, then discovers the woman he loves is one of the mistresses. Billy Wilder directed what begins as a cynical office comedy and gradually becomes something achingly tender. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine give two of the most charming performances in Hollywood history.
Why It's a Classic
Wilder and co-writer I.A.L. Diamond crafted a screenplay that balances satire and sincerity with extraordinary precision, skewering corporate culture and male entitlement while genuinely caring about its protagonists' loneliness. Lemmon's C.C. Baxter is funny and pathetic in equal measure, a man so desperate to be liked that he lets himself be used, and his slow journey toward self-respect gives the film its backbone. MacLaine's Fran Kubelik is no victim either; she knows exactly what she is doing and hates herself for it, and the film treats her choices with empathy rather than judgment. The final scene, with its famous last line 'Shut up and deal,' is one of cinema's most satisfying endings precisely because it refuses to be sentimental. The film won five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director.
Fun Fact
Wilder got the idea for the film after watching David Lean's Brief Encounter and wondering about the man who lent his apartment to the lovers in that film. Shirley MacLaine was not the first choice for Fran; Wilder initially wanted to cast a less glamorous actress. The apartment set was built with a forced perspective ceiling that made it appear smaller and more oppressive. Jack Lemmon used his own spaghetti straining technique (using a tennis racket) in the cooking scene, a personal habit Wilder found so funny he insisted on keeping it.
Parent Note
The film deals frankly with adultery, workplace exploitation, and a suicide attempt that is treated with real emotional seriousness. There is no graphic content, but the themes are entirely adult. The sexual politics are of their era, and the casual way executives treat women as perks can be uncomfortable to watch. The film works best for viewers mature enough to appreciate Wilder's layered moral perspective.
Quick Facts
- Year
- 1960
- Type
- 🎬 Movie
- Category
- Comedy
- Age Group
- Adults (Ages 18+)