Larry Lapinsky (Lenny Baker) leaves his Brooklyn home behind in 1953, heading to Greenwich Village, which (according to our protagonist) harbours “fame and fortune”, with his perceived destiny to become an actor. Over the course of a few months, the young man finds himself hopelessly out of his depth, but nonetheless resilient and resourceful, doing everything in his capacity to survive and make it another day. He faces good times and bad times, triumphs and failures, beautiful romances and painful breakups. Along the way, he makes friends and sees a different side of life that his sheltered upbringing prevented him from experiencing. Larry isn’t necessarily sure if he likes his new life or not, but he is persistent in his belief that this is the life he needs to be living, and he will go to any length to assure that he achieves all of his ambitions, and whatever hardships come his way will be worth it, because at least if all else fails, he will have great material one day when he inevitably enters into the profession that he is so sure is for him, and will go to any lengths to prove his worth in an area in which so many like him have failed so dismally.

Paul Mazursky was a director who rarely received the praise or acclaim his varied career deserved, even though he made some of the most audacious, interesting films of the 1970s. Next Stop, Greenwich Village is one of his most fascinating films, mainly because it is so personal – an autobiographical tale of Mazursky trying to make his way from his home amongst conservative Jewish people in Brooklyn across the city to Greenwich Village, where the dazzling lives of the carefree bohemians really enthralled him and fed his desire to enter into showbusiness. Its quite bewildering that this film isn’t more widely beloved – it has all the makings of a truly compelling coming-of-age story, as well as being one of the most poignant rags-to-riches stories recorded on film, and a deeply personal comic drama that has quite a bit going for it in terms of its story and the way its realized. This is a melancholy, poetic ode to youthful abandon, and an endearing story about embracing the challenges that come your way and considering failure not as a sign of weakness or a signal to give up, but rather as an opportunity to grow. Next Stop, Greenwich Village is a truly special film, and it is almost unfathomable that it remains so underseen, because this is the magnum opus from a director whose career was almost entirely defined by warm, fascinating stories that told of ordinary people living regular lives, with the impact coming in how they’re repurposed to be utterly fascinating character portraits of people not too unlike you or me.

Next Stop, Greenwich Village is anchored by a dynamic leading performance from Lenny Baker, who takes on the central role of Larry Lapinsky, the young man venturing off into the wilderness to try and become a Hollywood star, by any means necessary. It certainly is a difficult role, mainly because it requires an actor who is likeable without being too genial, and interesting without being unrealistic. Baker, who clearly had immense talents and would’ve been a much bigger star had he not tragically lost his life only a few years after this film was made, takes on the role with gusto, finding his way through a difficult film, in a tricky role that saw him extending himself far beyond the confines of an ordinary young man seeking fame, into something far more complex. He is present from the first frame to the last, with this film unequivocally belonging to him. As we have seen on countless occasions when a director brings their own experiences to life on screen, whether being overtly autobiographical pieces or thinly-veiled allusions to their past, the actor has the intense burden of interpreting this individual’s life and realizing the truth out of what to them is pretty much a fictional story. It also doesn’t help that Mazursky’s life at this point, while certainly interesting, was far from being peppered with traditional hardships or challenges that would otherwise make for conventionally thrilling cinema. Here it works on an otherwise metaphysical level, gently pandering to all of us who have ambitions of stardom. Baker, despite some of the clear challenges with a film like this, rises to the occasion and delivers an impressive performance that is as natural as it is heartbreakingly funny.

Yet, Baker’s performance, while exceptional, is not the sole reason why Next Stop, Greenwich Village is so captivating, with a large portion of this film’s success being indebted to the supporting cast, who take on the equally-challenging responsibility to bringing Mazursky’s story to life through their magnificent performances. Ellen Greene is wonderful as the conflicted girlfriend who is looking to break out of the cycle of just being a trophy next to her ambitious boyfriend, someone who would much rather be recognized for her own merits as opposed to just being a supportive partner without any personality of her own. Greene’s performance, as well as that of Dori Brenner (as the feisty Connie) reflects a shifting change in the role women played in society – they weren’t merely there to be secondary citizens, but fully-realized individuals in their own right. This film is set in 1953, so it is on the doorstep of second-wave feminism, which is only about a decade away, but the impending gender revolution is clearly imminent here. Lois Smith and Antonio Fargas play friends to the protagonist, not having too much to do, but leaving an indelible imprint with their memorable moments and performances that may lack screentime, but not conviction. The two most impressive supporting performances come on behalf of Christopher Walken (credited here as “Chris”, indicative of this film occurring well before his ascent to fame) and Shelley Winters. Walken is exceptional as the sleazy but charming playwright who befriends the main character and later would go on to betray him by stealing his girlfriend, even openly admitting that he doesn’t even love her that much, but rather sees her as another part of his ambitious statistic to bed as many women as possible. Walken possesses such a dynamic screen presence, and he is so good here, demonstrating the best of his talents even before the world actually knew he had them. Winters, on the other hand, was already a seasoned veteran by this point, a Hollywood icon playing the exact kind of role that she thrived on, one that saw her harnessing both her penchant for comedy and drama, compressing them into a wildly funny, but deeply tragic, performance as a mother who just can’t let her son go until she realizes, after much difficulty, that he isn’t a child anymore. Winters starts out playing a ham-fisted, excessive caricature of an archetypal Jewish mother, but by the end, she has brought a compelling, heartwrenching performance as someone holding onto the past a little too closely, and giving one of the most captivating portrayals of her career.

Like most of the director’s films, Next Stop, Greenwich Village relies very heavily on the cast, with the ensemble always being imperative to the progress of the story. Yet, he goes further in developing more complex themes, such as that of artistic growth. The film takes the form of a cinematic bildungsroman, with a character developing over the course of a few months, going from innocence to experience by way of facing life’s challenges directly. There is a moment where Christopher Walken quizzes our protagonist on how well-read he is – and one of the authors he mentions is James Joyce, who wrote one novel in particular that bears resemblance to this story, even if only superficially. Next Stop, Greenwich Village seems to take the form of a mid-century, New York-based retelling of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, including the existential dread that comes as a result of the misguided pursuit of a distant dream. Larry, much like Stephen in Joyce’s novel, is a fiendishly intelligent idealist who believes himself more capable than he actually might be, and how he needs to escape his traditional upbringing (with his Jewish faith replacing the Irish Catholicism Stephen had to abandon), and by sheer luck and a lot of hard work, he gets there – and much like the novel, Next Stop, Greenwich Village doesn’t explore his years as a successful artist nearly as much as it did the years leading up to it. There is something so thrilling about seeing a film about an artist succeeding, despite all the inevitable hardships. It reaffirms the notion that its important to always follow one’s dreams, even if the odds seem to be against achieving them. Mazursky isn’t reckless in how he portrays the story – he doesn’t conceal the difficulties someone in this position would encounter, and there is never any sure sign that he is going to eventually succeed. What makes this film so gripping isn’t the hope that there is a happy ending, but rather a deeply mesmerizing journey through these various trials and tribulations, which are so fascinating, the final destination (which ends up being a positive one) is inconsequential.

If the audience doesn’t get anything out of the director’s compassionate, honest account of his own artistic journey and voyage towards adulthood, at least they’ll come away from Next Stop, Greenwich Village having experienced one of the great New York-set films of the 1970s. Mazursky captures the Big Apple which such exuberance and vigour, it rivals that of other filmmakers developing stories in the city at the time, such as Martin Scorsese, Sidney Lumet and Woody Allen. What’s so compelling about what he does here is that Next Stop, Greenwich Village sees Mazursky painting a certain image of a familiar city that isn’t informed by the stylized ideas of the media and the version of the city moulded by pop culture, but rather through his own nostalgic recollection of the city at that point in time. Unlike most films set here, Next Stop, Greenwich Village isn’t defined as a film that shows the grandiosity of the city, never viewing it as the most famous metropolis in the world, but merely as the hometown of our main character. It is gorgeous work achieved through the director paying attention to detail – he uses his own upbringing in the city to imbue it with certain qualities that make it a lot warmer and far more unique. There are elements of this film that are exclusively the result of the director’s own experiences, which not only makes this a wonderful piece of filmmaking but a great addition to the canon of terrific films set in the city. To the viewer, New York is a vast, intimidating labyrinth of a city, consisting of a million stories. To Mazursky, its simply his home, which is a little fact rendered with such exceptional poignancy here.

Next Stop, Greenwich Village is funny, tragic and overall an astounding film about the journey of a young man or rather several journeys. Larry leaves his small Brooklyn home for the bohemian paradise of Greenwich Village, where he undergoes substantial mental and emotional growth, both as a person and as an artist, maturing into someone with character and grounding that would serve him well, regardless of whichever field he chooses to go into. The film is expertly crafted by Mazursky, who gives his actors the space to interpret these individuals with finesse and dignity, elevating them from mere archetypes into wonderfully three-dimensional figures that are as funny as they are realistic. Next Stop, Greenwich Village is a powerful film – it has a lot to say in addition to its central theme of someone taking a leap of faith and searching for the chance to realize his dreams. Its a warm, charming film that boasts a terrific screenplay and a certain visual style that may not present its iconic city in the same way more famous films tend to, but lending it a gritty realism that allows us to momentarily peer into the city at a particular point in time, from a specific perspective. This is a film that warrants a much wider viewership because it really is a very special film, undoubtedly some of the director’s best work, and ultimately a meaningful, funny and heartfelt manifesto on artistry and the challenges one comes across when pursuing their dreams, and the celestial triumph when eventually achieving them. This is a film with themes that resonate loudly and clearly, and if that doesn’t indicate that Next Stop, Greenwich Village is a special film, absolutely nothing else will.