Good concept, poorly executed.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

OK, that's a strange title for a review. But it's true - there is a low resolution copy of The Neon Ceiling on youtube. Search for it! The video claims to be 480x360 resolution but it looks like a VHS rip. However, the tremendous quality of the movie trumps the poor quality of the video.To think this was done as an ABC movie of the week. I guess the writer kept polishing the script until it sparkled. The cast is excellent, with Gig Young and Lee Grant in the lead but Denise Nickerson stealing the show.It's a small movie with a very small cast and limited sets. It looks a lot like a G rated Indie art movie about relationships, marriage and growing up, if you can imagine that. It's so simple it doesn't even look very dated. I do not want to spoil it by giving any clues as to what happens but if that mix sounds interesting try it.

I too have been looking for a copy of this movie but I am not sure whether it was ever released onto sell-able media. I saw this movie when I was a kid and have never forgotten it. It lingers in my memory like something I wish I could remember more about. Anyone with knowledge of how to obtain a copy - thank you in advance for your help. I remember how odd it was that the girl could drive.I also remember that Lee Grant was taken with this odd character who owned the diner with the neon ceiling but that he was some what of an leery character, but I don't seem to remember much more beyond that, except that the Denise Nicholsen also played the gum-chewing Violet in the movie "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory".

I agree that this movie and other 70s TV movies (ABC Movies of the Week like Tribes, Duel, That Certain Summer, etc.) have been unjustly neglected both in reruns and movie guidebooks. However, I think perhaps the person who wrote the other comment is thinking of another movie. The movie I remember was certainly NOT a thriller. It was a very human story about the developing relationship among the three main characters. I admit that I was only thirteen years old at the time and could be wrong about this, but I was particularly fond of this movie since I had read the script before the movie was aired and remember looking forward to seeing how the final film would come out. I hope some of these great films will make a comeback. Thank you IMDb for remembering them!

This movie has many darkly lit scenes despite the title. Herb Edelman truly proves he can act in this tour-de-force drama of a bored housewife seeking adventure. Lee Grant is excellent also, but the stand-out is Denise Nickerson, who showed quite an acting range.