'An Unmarried Woman' is more real than most modern romances

It's easy to see a movie like An Unmarried Woman now and fixate on its dated elements. Although this acclaimed 1978 film was considered a groundbreaking work and a marker of the feminist movement when it came out nearly 40 years ago, the very fact that it is written and directed by a man will give modern viewers pause. It also takes place in a fairly affluent, largely white world -- although Jill Clayburgh's warm, emotional Oscar-nominated performance is still very relatable.

Still, there is much about its appeal that hasn't diluted in all these years. And like director Paul Mazursky's best work it can serve as both a snapshot of time and as a vehicle for universal truths that persist across generations.

An Unmarried Woman is as much about how men use women and take them for granted, as it is about how liberating it can be for women to extricate themselves from toxic relationships, whether it's by choice or not.

In a towering, moving turn, Clayburgh beautifully evokes the plight of a woman whose marriage suddenly falls apart and who is trying to tenuously put her personal life back together.

In one incredible scene, Clayburgh's character confides in a man with whom she intends to have a one night stand that she has only been with one man for the last 17 years. Later, during one of several scenes along her girlfriends (which feel so natural they could have been improvised) confesses to being manic depressive.

In moments like these, An Unmarried Woman is transcendent. It's so earnest and honest and not afraid to put its characters and audience in an uncomfortable place.

I saw the movie with an small hipster audience that snickered at times at the movie's rawness. There are some very believable therapy scenes that take place during the midsection of the film that would be over-edited and packed with one liners were it to come out today, but Mazursky let's the scene play out almost in real time with sensitivity and humanity.

An unlike many modern films dealing with romance and relationships, this film doesn't fall for some cheap, simplistic ending.  Instead it ends on just the right note, and it actually feels more accessible than a lot of recent movies I've seen.

And Clayburgh is a real treasure. For some reason, she didn't have the lengthy, successful career that some of her contemporaries like Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton did, but she was just as great, with some great roles in movies like Starting Over and Silver Streak. But An Unmarried Woman was her best part -- and she should have won the Oscar for it.

Unfortunately, her signature work is hard to find -- it's not on Amazon to rent or steaming, even it's DVD is out of print -- but if you can find it, watch it. You will not be disappointed.