‘What’s So Bad about Feeling Good?’ is eerily current

Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's

The 1968 film What’s So Bad about Feeling Good? stars George Peppard and Mary Tyler Moore in a story that is eerily close to the current state of the world. The show is about a virus that is infecting New York City and spreading rapidly.

Pete and Liz (Peppard and Moore) live a bohemian lifestyle. They sleep during the day and hang out with their friends at night. They all hate the state of the world and think it is going down the toilet. Just look at the newspapers or walk down the street. People are cruel and all the happiness and civility of life has disappeared. Then a Toucan from Cuba brings a strange virus that changes everything.

This is a good virus. It makes people happy and friendly. Once someone is infected, he/she is full of love and generosity. As the virus spreads the city is like a wonderland. People are enjoying life. But the powers that be do not want this virus to spread.

Masks are mandated (sound familiar?) and people are weary of each other. But those who have the virus want everyone to get it, especially Pete, Liz, and their friends. It brings sunshine into their lives and opens up a world and future of hope and kindness.

Besides the masks, there are several other references that are strangely related to what the current world is going through with COVID 19. They speculate the virus was brought in by communists, either Russia, Cuba, or China. After all, there had previously been a China Virus so that is not a far fetched idea.

As the city changes from gruff to glad, the government is quickly working on an antidote. But how will they deliver this to the population? Via vaccinations? Well, that is not the solution they arrive at. But they do find a way to stop the happiness, aka virus, and revert the city to the mean, selfish, cruel population it had prior to this little Toucan arriving on our shore. Bye, bye euphoria. Hello pessimism.

The title song is fun and catchy.

Dom DeLuise, Susan Saint James, and John McMartin costar in this 1968 comedy about life, happiness, and governmental interference.