Movies-TV

On and on it goes where it stops is boring.

Nobody buys that Jack Nicholson is some sexy god beyond aging ok? He definately is a cool guy,but come on sexy?!? Gimmme a break. Keaton comes off as some self righteous kook, and this movie is about 45 minutes to long. Not to mention that her plays seemed trite and trivial,a playwrite genius? I thought that overall there were a few funny moments, but this film is just to pretentious to be valid.

Trite Star Vehicle

This trite, formula-governed movie should be an embarassment to Keaton and Nicholson, or their agents, who generally find better scripts. Obvious, predictable, its saving grace is Keanu Reeves' performance as the perfect American male. Anyone who enjoys membership in the latter category should watch this movie to see how it's done. Looking for a good film? Look elsewhere.

uneven

this is a film that could use about 20 min of cuts. the first hour where nicholson and keaton are dancing around each other is charming and witty. but the second hour after they've slept together is slow and ponderous. how many times do we need to see keaton sniffling? also, the resolution is too quick and facile. yeah, it's a romantic comedy, but...

all this aside, the performances are pretty good, especially by the two leads, which should come as no surprise since both are really just playing themselves.

Something's Gotta Give

The DVD was received in excellent condition. I played it and everything was fine. I would purchase another product the same way I purchased this one.

Well, I liked it!

"Something's Gotta Give" was a movie I know I will watch over and over again -- okay, that's just the way I am when a movie appeals to me. I thought it was a wonderful satire of contemporary society, which consistently values youth over age. I have to admire Jack Nicholson for taking on a role that reminds the viewer of the actor's own very public relationships with much younger women. And Nicholson did an excellent turn as a man reluctant, at age 60+, to grow up and assume the adult role. Diane Keaton as 'Erica' was outstanding -- she did not indulge in most of her trademark mannerisms & because of that her character seemed very real and vivid, much more so than that of her daughter (played by the competent Amanda Peet). As to the May-September romance between 'Erica' and the much younger doctor (played by Keanu Reeves), which bothered many viewers: I did not feel comfortable with it either...it seemed perhaps to be too much of a wish-fullfillment..as a light flirtation or a fling I could see it, but I think it was unrealistic that 'Erica' would even consider marriage to the much younger doctor, let alone become engaged to him.

For me, the highlight of the movie was the speech that Frances McDormand made early in the movie, relating how women in their 50s were "the most %$#@%^ generation of America women ever." Since I didn't see it in the theatre, I can only imagine the cheers that went up when she was finished! And speaking of Ms McDormand, I would loved to have seen more of her character -- she just disappeared from the movie without any reason given, which was IMO a waste of her talent.

As to the DVD, I wish there were more bonus materials -- I rarely listen to audio commentary, and,other than that, there isn't much more than a deleted scene and a tour of the house where much of the movie took place. Ho hum!

diane keaton is bitchin in this movie

The first time I watched this movie was on HBO and I really didn't know who Diane Keaton was. And now she is my favorite actress. This movie was perfect because it had Jack(Nicholson) and Diane(Keaton).Erica(Keaton) falls in love with her daughters boyfriend(Nicholson). After having a heart attack she has to nurse him and she despizes him so she really doesn't want to do it. They end up finding that they do have feelings for each other. They end up having hitting it off and then he leaves her. A sexy young doctor tries to take Erica off her feet but he can't because she is still in love with Harry(Nicholson). Its a sexy witty comedy about falling in love when your older.

Kids! Love nicely!

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.

It's all about the divine Miss Keaton!

Diane Keaton walks away with this movie....."pants down" (literaly). I counted 69 actors and actresses and other than Jack (who is always memorable) you will never forget Diane Keaton in this role.....she owns it! Talk about taking a risk as an actress. I mean she goes almost completely nude at an age when Hollywood (of all people) forbids such behaviour as being "uncommercial". But besides her beautiful body (even in her late fifties) Diane finaly puts to rest all those walk through performances of her past. You know the ones; Reds, Mrs. Soffel, The Lemon Sisters, Sleeper, Father of the Bride's, etc. In this movie it's all about Diane and she absolutely shines and proves why she has survived after all these years as a talent. She is simply spectacular and must be seen. Imagine me.....in my late fifties.....enfactuated with a woman in her late fifties (Diane). I have to ask.....Is there something wrong with me? Can this be normal? Shouldn't I be consumed with a Lindsay, Brittany, or Jessica or whatever their young names are? Hugh? NO WAY! I wouldn't trade my new found fantasy for Diane for all the bulimic and anorexic twenty year old actresses in all of Hollywood. Diane.....you had me from hello!

Predictable and in the end annoying

If the movie starts greatly, it sure ends really badly. The last 40 minutes are just a waste and repeat the exact same jokes than in the beginning.

The story is not the exact same one than in "as Good as it gets" but you can feel that it is a copycat, and unfortunately, a really poor one. Watch it once if you can't help it, but please, even if you have watched it ten times, "As good as it gets" is way over this one. We can't even compare them because "Something's gotta give" just seems lame next to it.

The only thing that made me give a 2-stars is because the actors are great, but the story is so poor.

Cringe-worthy

Jack's Jack (again), Keanu Reeves is still the worst actor in the history of cinema, and Diane Keaton's over-the-top performance is an embarassing study in ham-handed vanity.
Frances McDormand's brilliant, but underused. Oh yeah, and this silly little ode to ego is, like, five hours long. Enjoy.

Not Bad.

My wife and I found this film amusing in places, and it certainly wasn't unbearable to sit through, by any means. However, it had some pretty major flaws, in my opinion. For one thing, there are millions of people who wouldn't find the depictions of heart attacks and panic attacks (masquerading as heart attacks)all that amusing. Of course, the younger people in the theater found all that hilarious. It obviously depends on your perspective.My wife thought the actors (particularly Nicholson and Keaton) were mugging into the camera from time to time. Personally, I think Nicholson should go back and study his performance in "About Schmidt" to see the proper way to play a part.We both thought Keaton looked way too old to play a 56-year old, and I was amazed to then learn that that's her age! Boy, has she aged badly.The pacing was quite uneven, with most of the humor coming in the first half of the movie. After that, the movie became very predictable. I found myself wishing we had seen "Bad Santa" instead.

A Classic Comedy

Rarely do you see a film nowadays that is so perfectly cast, well scripted and beautifully directed. Something's Gotta Give is a romantic comedy that deserves to stand among such classics as When Harry Met Sally, Annie Hall, The Philadelphia Story, and It Happened One Night. It stands out like a diamond in the rough among so many of the flimsy plots that litter most of the comedy films that have graced the silver screen these past few years. Diane Keaton delivers what is possibly the best performance of her career as uptight playwright, Erica Barry, who has given up all hope on love, when an unexpected turn of events turns her world upside down. With the most subtle of expressions and gestures, Keaton is able to make us laugh as we've never laughed before; she says what she means, she expresses how she feels and she does it all with that grace and talent that has captivated audiences for years. Nicholson, in a role which seems to have been written for him, delivers a performance that tops his brilliant portrayal of the obsessive compulsive Melvin Udall in the 1997 film, As Good as It Gets. As the eccentric, yet undeniably loveable character of Harry Sandborne, Nicholson plays a debonair older man who has a reputation for dating younger women. The combination of his character and Keaton's provides for a seemingly endless supply of witty banter and comical yet touching, and at times deeply moving, scenes that will have you rolling in the aisles with laughter. This film captures the warmth and enchantingly elusive quality that characterizes the best films of all time. With a supporting cast that includes delightful and perfectly cast performances from Frances McDormand, Keanu Reeves and Amanda Peet, this film seems to be too good to be true. One of those rare films that gets better with each viewing, Something's Gotta Give deserves to garner, at the very least, Oscar nominations for Keaton's and Nicholson's brilliant performances, Nancy Meyers refreshingly clever and hilarious script, and the beautiful art direction. Something's Gotta Give served as a much needed breath of fresh air, proving to audiences that the art of filmmaking and the acting profession still have what it takes to charm, seduce and captivate audiences. A true classic film.

what's with the writing

I figured this movie would be pretty weak even when I got it. And hey I was correct. One part that stuck in my mind is that Jack is supposed to be this 60 year old white owner of a hip hop label. Which is then reduced to being rap and commented on by Diane Keaton's character. Now I'm white and 25 and I found that conversation offensive. I mean seriously we could have done with out the stereotyping. Nancy (the author) your a 54 year old white female who wrote "The Parent Trap", just stick with the comedy quips and the romantic bits that filled the rest of the movie. I'd say that this movie is very predictable and that crying is WAY OVER DONE. But if your looking for a romantic comedy that's recent.. this is better than some of the other stuff that's out. Which means it's a step above garbage.

Agenda Filled Film Loses Laughs in Second Half

Nancy Meyers' Something's Gotta Give resurrects the classic story of two hardened hearts softening, coagulating again and finally melting. Nicholson, back to hamming it up, plays a 63 year old bachelor hip hop label owner who meets up with Diane Keaton's frigid playwright via her daughter, played to unconvincing effect by the girl with greatest eyes since Liz Taylor, Amanda Peet.Meyers' script starts strong and somewhat sassy but the plot machinations grow tiresome and the budding romance between the two older leads goes from amusing and involving to downright pathetic. Are we to really buy into two people with ages approaching 120 combined haven't ever experience the pain of heartbreak? The suspension of disbelief only works if you curtail the story and keep it under 2 hours. By the time the film's over we're not only sure how it will end, we're bothered by how long it took to arrive at the foregone conclusion. The humor disappears halfway through the film with only a smattering of amusing lines to keep you awake until the inevitable Parisian conclusion.In lesser roles Frances McDormand's criminally wasted and Keanu's in half the film for no apparent reason. McDormand, easily the most accomplished actor in the film, gets short shifted with a character that only appears in two major segments. Drop her into the Keaton role and the film would be better right off given her ability to command the screen. Reeves, on the other hand, often gets shown up by everything on the screen - be it a couch, endtable or stethoscope. Everything but the actor has the ability to hold the audience's attention. Peet's role shifts drastically from party girl to lonely, cold hearted, unloving wench for no other reason than for Meyers to force Keaton into revealing empty nuggets of wisdom.By the credits we only know one thing: everybody in Nancy Meyers world wants to be with older women because they're so much more interesting than nubile 30 somethings. If you missed that thematic, you were knocked unconscious by some guffawing 50 year old rolling in laughter behind you.

A moderate twist on an old standard.

Older man, younger woman; younger man, older woman; older man falls for older woman. This is a romantic comedy but there was less comedy than I expected. Not that the attempts weren't there but I just didn't find a lot of the story that funny.

However, Diane Keaton shines and is worth the price of admission. Jack Nicholson does a fairly good job portraying himself but I never really believed his "transformation". Keanu Reeves plays his character well - it's not his fault that the character is not very deep.

The best parts of the film are with Keaton, either with someone else or by herself. She is definitely the power character in the film. The rest of the movie lacks much punch and even most the scenes with Nicholson don't seem to reach their potential.

I'm giving it 4 stars because of Diane Keaton. The rest of the film gets 3 stars.

equal parts comedy/romance/drama

for once,we have a comedy/romance/drama that actually contains all three elements in pretty equal measure.the main cast are all very good in this one,as are the supporting players.i found the movie heartwarming and touching,without being maudlin.the comedy bits are handled well as are the dramatic and romantic moments.the movie is dramatic without being melodramatic.the romantic moments are tender,but not overdone.the comics moments are funny without being silly.the laugh are honest in this movie.i felt the dialogue was sharp and witty,and the story overall is written well.this is what might be considered a "chick flick",but i'm a guy and i liked it.for me Something's Gotta Give is an 8/10

I LOVED it!!!!

This was the greatest romantic comedy since that film with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan several years ago. Jack Nicholson had me laughing throughout the entire film -I mean I was aching.And I wasn't the only on laughing in the theater. Maybe I was looking for something to cheer me up -YEAH! Jack was hilarious! Diane was great! Keanu show us he knows how to act. What more could you ask for? Go see it and have fun.

Fresh baked and guaranteed to tickle all your senses.

Get dramatically landlocked. I was happily trapped for the duration, glued to this tale and literally slapped with a light laugh a minute. Full speed "maximum-strength" Nicholson, he gets to run through all the gears. Cast as the character most love him as, ladies man extraordinaire. All the characters gel beautifully. Well written and acted, spawning thoroughly enjoyable entertainment. Characters who reveal themselves to the viewer in such a measured way we truly seem to understand a part of them. Then they are shaken up and mixed several different ways, so that their bold and unpredictable reactions, are both expected and unexpected. The special attribute this movie has above others like it, is it's ability to skirt complication. Equipped with the ability to lay on a very meaty dramatic interlude with light ingredients. Two thumbs up.

Its time that our elders fall in love

Diane Keaton gives an astonding performence in this motion picture along with her love Jack Nicholson. This part is perfect for her because she is a middle-aged woman trying to find love. She finds it where you least expect it with makes it brilliant. She falls in love with her daughters boyfriend and they start to have romantic feelings for each other. They weren't just cooking pancakes in the kitchen but there was something cooking in the bedroom too. While being in love with (Nicholson) a young, hot, sexy doctor (Reeves)falls in love with her too. Trying to forget about her past love she turns to her younger lover. After reuniting with her ex after 6 months on her birthday. She falls right back in love with him and they end up hitting it off again at the end of the movie.

Laugh out loud feel good movie

This movie had me and the rest of the theatre laughing hysterically. It took the pain and suffering of relationships and showed the funny side. The last 1/4 of the movie got more serious which would have normally been fine and interesting but with the powerful introduction I found the rest a bit weak. I still think everyone should see it though, it was well worth it!