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| October 2004 | SITE MAP SEARCH |
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Something's Gotta Give cast: Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Keanu Reeves, Amanda Peet, and Francis McDormand writer, producer, director: Nancy Meyers 128 minutes (PG-13) 2003 widescreen ratio 1.85:1 Warner NTSC DVD Region 1 retail RATING: 8/10 reviewed by Shiraz Rahim |
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Movies like this seem to show that sentimental and comical love stories can still survive
and prove entertaining in a world that is more devoted to action and violence. Although
I have never really been interested in romance movies, I found Something's Gotta Give
to be a refreshing, unique piece of work that I am genuinely glad I tried. The movie begins with Harry, played wonderfully by Jack Nicholson, as he drives out to a house on a beach to spend a weekend with his girlfriend Marin (Amanda Peet). The two, although extremely divided in terms of age (Harry being 63, Marin being near 30), seem to be very close and enjoy themselves... that is, until the appearance of Marin's mother and aunt. Erica, the mother (played by Diane Keaton), is worried about Marin's choice of a boyfriend and becomes even more disgruntled as she attempts to finish writing her next play with her daughter and Harry still in the house. After some time, Harry, being as old as he is, experiences a heart attack. This is where the real drama of the story begins, as Erica becomes acquainted with the local doctor Julian Mercer (Keanu Reeves) and begins to develop a small crush on the young man. At the same time, Harry is forced to stay at Erica's house since his condition prevents him from travelling back home with Marin. The two develop a small friendship that eventually ensues into an all-out affair in which the two finally begin to experience love for the first time. After a while, Harry is fit to leave his new lover, and the two depart on happy terms and continue living a happy existence. The happiness ends with Erica seeing Harry at a dinner with another woman, at which point she falls into a bout of sadness. She ends up channelling all her feelings into her play and writing a story based around her relationship with Harry. Harry, after seeing Erica once again, also experiences emotions of extreme sadness that eventually causes him to chase Erica and win her back. The rest of the story follows Erica's life as she tries to choose between her feelings for Harry and her developing relation with Julian. The reason I particularly enjoyed this film was that Nancy Meyers, the director, found a way to combine comedy, romance, and drama into a story that worked surprisingly well, at least compared other such films I've seen. I found myself laughing and feeling sad and happy, emotions that I haven't felt from watching a movie for a long time. This excellent plot mixed with the equally great actors mentioned above (as well as a small role played by Francis McDormand) make Something's Gotta Give a movie I would definitely recommend. Among the extras on the DVD are commentaries by Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson that, as expected, are very humorous and informative. Aside from this comes a small deleted scene that I won't ruin but I think that the viewer will be glad to see on the DVD. Apart from this, there really isn't much to comment on in terms of extras: the few that are here are definitely entertaining, but if you're solely looking for extras, this choice isn't a great DVD choice. So aside from the lack of extras, which in my opinion were just enough to top off the movie, the film is absolutely wonderful. You'll find yourself laughing and crying throughout the witty antics of Nicholson and the heart-wrenching scene when Nicholson tries to win back the love of his life. Even if romance movies aren't exactly the way you spend your time, you've gotta give Something's Gotta Give a try.
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