Something's Gotta Give

I generally dislike Jack Nicholson, although I certainly think he is a very talented and gifted actor... so I watched this movie somewhat reluctantly on the recommendation of a friend. To my surprise, I liked it. I too am a woman "of a certain age" and I found myself responding to this movie very much in the context of a woman Diane Keaton's age. I laughed to tears over her creativity surge-- she very accurately portrayed that kind of grief over a relationship lost... amazing! I must say however, that if I were in a position to choose between Keannu Reeves and Jack Nicholson.. well there's no decision to make--the young stud muffin would win in a heartbeat!...(although Jack really was quite charming once he got over being such a putz).. Anyway.. a fun movie that is well done...

It's an enjoyable story with interesting characters who were all spoiled by over-acting. And then there's the times where it's got more cheese than Switzerland.

Romance among the AARP set in a movie is never an easy proposition, pardon the pun. The participants have to be sexy enough that the younger people in the audience don't get all grossed out ("Gramma and Granpa are KISSING!!! With tongue!!!!"), but not too sexy. The audience wants to be swept off its feet, but it doesn't want anything that's overly salacious.

For the most part, writer-director Nancy Meyers succeeds here. Diane Keaton plays Erica Barry, a neurotic, highly successful playwright. Jack Nicholson plays himself. Okay, technically he plays 63-year-old Harry Sanborn, owner of a hip-hop record label and chronic womanizer.

One of the funniest scenes in the movie comes right near the beginning. Harry's with his new squeeze Marin (Amanda Peet), at Marin's mom's house. There's Harry, in his boxers and a t-shirt, putting wine in the 'fridge, when Marin's mom - you guessed it, Erica - unexpectedly comes home. Naturally, she thinks he's an intruder and calls 911. I mean, wouldn't you? It takes some explaining, but soon the misunderstanding is cleared up and our combatants (oops, participants) can get on with the romancin'.

The thrust of the story (oops, another pun) is that while fooling around with Marin upstairs, Harry suffers a heart attack. At the hospital, Dr. Mercer (an interestingly cast Keanu Reeves) admonishes the unrepentant Harry for overexerting himself and tells him not to travel for a little while. Yup, you guessed it, that means he has to bunk with Erica. And our romance is thus set up.

The good news is that pairing Keaton and Nicholson (who appeared together in 1982's Reds) was a great, great idea. Keaton basically plays a grown-up Annie Hall, and she manages to look sexy and daffy at the same time. Nicholson, for all his bluster and creakiness, still has the panache that has served him so well for the past forty years or so.

The trouble is that after their relationship is consummated, the two leads behave like seventh graders. Now, no offense to you seventh graders out there, but you do have a tendency to get melodramatic. Admit it. In this movie, Erica spends - no exaggeration here - a good ten minutes sobbing. And sobbing. And sobbing. Everywhere and anywhere. Yikes and double yikes. For his part, Harry broods like no one's ever brooded before, like he's up for an Olympic medal in the event of Feeling Bummed Out. After a while, you wish these two crazy kids would just get over it. Call her! Call him! Do something!

To make matters worse for the relationship, Erica writes a play based on her experiences with Harry, complete with him dancing drunkenly in a hospital gown. Does this lady play hardball, or what?

Granted, the storyline is predictable, but the two leads are wonderful, and very well cast. Meyers wrote the script with Keaton and Nicholson in mind specifically, the decision was a wise one.

Something's Gotta Give has a funny beginning and a sweet ending, but the middle suffers from an unfortunate lag.

The teaming of Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton in Warren Beatty's "Reds" back in 1981 was only given a minute glimpse. The glimpse though turned out to be some of the best parts of a very excellent movie. A film with these two living legends was destined for greatness and that prediction comes to reality in writer/director Nancy Meyers' "Something's Gotta Give". Nicholson is a brash and sometimes quietly obnoxious success from New York who has made a life out of chasing 20- and 30-something year-old girls. He and his newest girlfriend (Amanda Peet) get along really well. They decide to go out to Peet's mother's (Keaton) beach-house outside of the city to consummate their relationship. Of course just as everything looks perfect, Keaton (a noted playwright) and younger sister Frances McDormand (in another wonderful turn) barge in and spoil the fun. All seem a little uncomfortable and you can cut the tension between Nicholson and Keaton with a knife. Before you know it, Nicholson suffers a heart attack and all hell breaks loose. He is rushed to the doctor in the nick of time, but now Keaton has to nurse him back to health at her home. Nicholson's doctor (a good performance by Keanu Reeves, getting away from his stupid "Matrix" films) soon falls in love with Keaton who is totally oblivious to his feelings. And before you know it Keaton's warmth, smile, personality, heart and intelligence eventually wins Nicholson over as well. But you all know about Nicholson's relationships with women (in real life and the movies). Is he ready to fall in love for the first time in his life and make a true commitment? Or will his antics end up making matters worse for all involved (Keaton in particular, who becomes someone you don't want to see get hurt)? "Something's Gotta Give" is a film I really liked a lot. The old-time Hollywood style of the 1940s is very prevalent here in a 2000s package. Nicholson and Keaton, what can you say? They are arguably the two finest performers living today and they do end up feeding off each other's astronomical talents throughout. Sometimes something eventually gives in Hollywood these days, but I am happy to say that it never happens with this product. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

This movie took me by surprise, I wasn't sure if I could handle watching old actors getting it on but this movie turned out to be a great romantic comedy. Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton always give their 100% best in their performances, they did a great job in their roles. It would have been nice to see more input from Frances McDormand and Keanu Reeves, but otherwise I really enjoyed the movie.