Cactus Flower

Cactus Flower (1969) is a Columbia Pictures romantic comedy directed by Gene Saks — watch it online on iFILM. Based on Abe Burrows' hit Broadway play, it follows dentist Julian Winston (Walter Matthau), who has spent years telling his free-spirited young girlfriend Toni that he's married and has three kids — purely to avoid the pressure of commitment.

When Toni calls his bluff and insists on meeting the wife, Julian talks his no-nonsense nurse Stephanie into playing the role. Ingrid Bergman takes the part and promptly discovers she enjoys herself. The fake marriage scheme spirals fast, feelings get reshuffled, and Toni — played in her screen debut by Goldie Hawn — turns out to be sharper than anyone expected. Hawn took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the role.

Watching Bergman and Hawn share scenes is the real draw: two different comic instincts that somehow click perfectly. Stream Cactus Flower online on iFILM.