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A True Love Story

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It made me laugh and cry, but mostly laugh. I was so glad to finally see a movie that portrays a marriage the way it really is, with good times AND bad. I thought they had great chemistry in the movie, and some of their arguments in the movie were very familiar to me. Overall a great movie for anyone who's married, or ever wants to get married.

Two hours of shouting

I like Willis and Pfeiffer and expected some chemistry and also (with Reiner at the helm) some laughs. Instead we are treated to two hours (whoops, 90 minutes, it only seemed like 2 hours) of shouting, with little substance and no characterization. Two good scenes in the entire movie - the "six people in bed" scene and Pfeiffer trying to figure out where to put the dry cleaning. If only the positive elements in the last montage that runs through Pfeiffer's mind at the end could have been portrayed, instead of merely displayed like a Kodak commercial, I might have felt something for these two people. But ultimately they merely annoyed me without reaching me.

A good film

once apprieciated for what it is, it is a wonderful film. when i first watched it i thought it was pretty boring, but now i watch it all the time as i no longer have high expectations. It is not your average romantic comedy, it is simply about the difficulties you can face in a marriage. therefore in my opinion the audience can relate to it as it is about 'normal' people with 'normal' problems.

Best Save for any relationship

This is an outstanding real life movie. I think anyone who considers divorce should watch this movie first. The life situations are so real that you feel like you are part of their relationship. It has great acting by both. Everyone has relationship problems sometimes, this movie makes you realize why you want to save it and than anything can be saved!!! A+++++++++++++

"What do you see?"

You know, Bruce Willis has made a lot of money playing an action guy and as much fun as the action movies are, he's also an excellent actor when called upon to do something more substantial. He should do more "serious" acting. The Story Of Us is dark but hopeful. Beware, this is not a comedy but a frequently heart wrenching look at a relationship. Although it has several comedic moments, don't see it if you're looking only to laugh; what you see in the teasers is not exactly what you get. Pfeiffer (also excellent, as usual) and Willis are a very good team and work well together; the supporting cast lends most of the lighter tone to the film with some interesting social commentary. Rob Reiner is not to be missed with a scene strangely similar to his Sleepless in Seattle appearance.

Tearjerker

The Story of Us is a beautiful story of a couple, obviously in love, but suffering from marital strife. Although not as touching as I thought it would be, it made me take a step back and look at my relationship. Also, I love Bruce Willis in pretty much anything he does. The acting was fantastic, the idea was brilliant, and overall, the movie was great!

How real is this.

This movie was the closest thing to a real marriage portrayed in a movie that I have ever seen. That is one of it's strongest points - realism. Bruce and Michelle also put out great performances and the movie has a very inspirational ending.

Star Turn

This movie was a sugar coated, jagged little pill that became hyper-saccharine with a bogus, tie-it up-with-a-neat-little-bow ending.

Setup: Drag us through the muck, make us chuckle now and then. Payoff: Hit us with a happy Hollywood ending for our patience.

Actors are great. Dialogue is uneven, but now and again it is dyamite. But then it devolves into a skit. Then dynamite, then skit ... you get the picture. The characters' flip-flops at the end are unnervingly bogus. It's the writer saying: I think you are really this gullible to the audience.

Would have been way more effective if it ended on a low note.

A Couples Must See!!!!

To be honest, I didn't even remember when this movie came out. I was single then so I may have deemed it a chick flick and moved on. When I finally did see it I had been married for a short time but been with my wife for a while. There was very, very little that we could not identify with. I almost felt like I was watching my life so the title is perfect. Bruce and Michelle are amazing in their roles and I challenge anyone to say there was not one part where they were not emotionally moved by their performances. While there were some funny moments(the scenes in Venice are good, and Michelle's rant at the end is classic) this is really a dramatic movie and I really feel the main characters played more to the dramatic aspects of the script. Honestly, I really don't think that it matters how long you've been married, or with someone, you really have to see this movie.

Looking to become depressed? Rent this one!

Ah, I really should know better than to trust movie trailers. After being subjected to this one several times while sitting in a theater I actually looked forward to catching it on video. I was lead to believe it would be an emotional yet fun love story. Boy, was I ever mislead.

Michelle Pfeiffer and Bruce Willis do a fantastic job of bringing to life two totally insufferable people. They are supposedly madly in love yet spend 98% of the movie hurting each other. This does not make for a pleasant viewing experience let me tell you. I felt drained and frustrated after 20 minutes of this and, sadly, it got far worse before it got better. These two needed to sit down and have one decent conversation but instead they spent the movie picking each other apart. Yes, I realize this is *reality* for most people but, really, who wants to spend their free time watching a couple (albeit a pretty couple) hash it out for an hour and half? Not I. My advice? Steer clear of this one unless you're desperate to become depressed.

What was this ending?

Ok Spoiler warning, I'm going to give away the ending if you don't want to know stop reading now.Ok, sorry I think this IS a "chick flick". That's alright, I can get in touch with my femmine side, I don't mind that it's about relationships and fidelity and love. What bugs me is that after an hour and a half of these peoples marital problems dragged out and them trying and failing to work it out Michelle Pfeiffer says "I love you, lets not get divorced", well you could have done THAT an Hour ago. This story show too nice people trying hard and failing to live together, it happens all the time in real life. And if they do what Michelle did in the last scene, 2 months later they STILL get divorced. Seems like a bad editing job, or could it be somebody wrote it that badly?

Did the writers see Stanley Donen's"Two For The Road"?

If so, this is a weak remake. Some of the scenes were funny, but for sheer brilliance in same story, see Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney in "Two For The Road". Then you'll see the difference between a great film maker and Rob Reiner, who'd be great directing sitcoms. "Two For The Road" packed so much more wallop, with infinitely fewer words. Great movies happen when images replace words. "The Story Of Us" was verbal diarrohea. Is Michelle Pfieffer becoming a little strident?

Everyone's marriage nightmare come true

This is a disturbing, bittersweet romantic comedy about two people who's 15 year marriage is unraveling. Actually, it is more of a romantic tragedy than a comedy. Ben and Katie Jordan (Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer) are two mismatched people in the marriage that never should have been. He is spontaneous, romantic and impulsive, with low frustration tolerance and an explosive hair trigger temper. She is pragmatic, a compulsive perfectionist with unrealistic expectations, and a high need for control. She takes everything personally and never forgives or forgets a slight.
They both blame each other for their disappointments. The pattern is clear.
He doesn't meet her standards so she snipes, he explodes and then she accuses him of not listening. She then throws up every mistake he's ever made and every fault he's ever had. This goes on ad nauseam as their romantic obsession with one another continues to get the best of any sense they might have to call it quits. Like moths to a flame, they keep returning for another scorching. This film is thought provoking in that it portrays marital difficulties that are all too familiar in our society. The problem is that it tries to give every problem known to man (with the exception of wife beating) to this couple and relies on the single strand of a long forgotten romance to be the only chance of keeping them together.In watching the behind the scenes featurette on this film, Rob Reiner and writers Alan Zweibel and Jessie Nelson discuss how the story evolved. As it turns out, it was a montage of all their own marital problems. So the film was, in essence cathartic dumping ground for the writers and director.As filmmaking, it was terrific. Rob Reiner weaves the story together expertly, creating a stark contrast between the joy of the romance and the reality of the relationship. The film was punctuated by numerous funny and sweet moments that make the viewer smile and glow with delight.Michelle Pfeiffer gives a splendid performance of a very emotionally complex and neurotic character. It took a lot of courage for her to take this part because she was playing the least likeable character in the film, something of a departure for her. Bruce Willis was as good as one could have expected considering the fact that nobody was blowing anything up. Actually, he was quite good as the impulsive, childlike romantic, but when it came to the arguments and the serious displays of resentment, he played the scenes too harshly, almost commando style.Reiner does good camera work and puts together some good rapid fire scenes that have impact and give great insight into the relationship. He also took the film on location in Venice to add a little romantic interlude, and somehow got Eric Clapton to write a great theme song.The problem is the story. Reiner stated in the featurette that he intended this to be a realistic bittersweet look at the real problems relationships face. But he tried to do too much and made this film a grossly exaggerated caricature of a relationship in crisis. It is really "The War of The Roses" lite only it takes itself too seriously. No one I know who saw this could believe that this couple could possibly have stayed married for 15 weeks, no less 15 years. The result is a noxious marathon of petty arguments that get under the viewers' skin after a while. It is about as entertaining as watching your best friends have a niggling argument in a public restaurant. The whole thing leaves you very uncomfortable and you don't go home feeling like you've had a nice evening.So, while it succeeds as filmmaking, it fails as a film. I gave this film a 6/10. There were so many good elements to it that I can't see trashing it.
But the story is one that requires a level of emotional endurance that few viewers will be willing or able to invest to get any enjoyment out of it.

The Lesson for Real Life

One man. One woman. They meet. They get to know better about each other. They fall in love. They marry. However....., that's when problems begin. Marriage is not just about love. All kinds of things in life add up ever since the two tie the knot. Will Snow White and Prince Charming live happily ever after? Well, it depends on them. Some marriages remain happy after decades; some break up after just a short period of time. Everyone manages their marriages differently. However, it's not easy to keep a marriage merry and happy. So when the preacher asks the most important question in life to the couple in front of him which is also time for them to make the most important decision in life, maybe the romantic and expected "I do" should become "I'll try"!When two people get married, they start facing all kinds of things in the life they share together. The Story of Us is just the story of many couples. In this film, we can see Katie and Ben facing the same problems that all couples have to face and deal with. Conflicts happen when they have different point of view on things and can't agree with each other or selfishly think each other is wrong. This film gives pretty sharp but real description of marriage, and also gives married people something to think about. A happy marriage doesn't come from out of the blue. It costs mutual respect, trust, and love. In movies, unhappy marriages can be fixed by romantic storyline, but in real life, it depends on couples themselves. I strongly suggest all married couples to see this meaningful and realistic film, which is a good lesson for them!

Boring, stupid, obvious, cringe-worthy dialogue

Boy! This was worse than what I expected! I expected a light film with good acting and a happy ending (Rob Reiner NEVER has a depressing ending). What did I get? Well it was light...TOO LIGHT!! So light that I didn't give a damn about the characters or their situations! These people do not talk or act like real people at all (Pfieffer's speech at the end is particularly horrible--give her credit for saying it without gagging!), the kids are WAY too goody-goody, their friends are annoying, and not one person in the theatre laughed for the entire movie (there were a few smirks when Willis broke down--it isn't supposed to be funny). The acting was as good as can be expected with such a lousy script and you know a film is in deep trouble when there are THREE occasions where we have voice overs of something we had just heard 10 minutes ago! It wasn't good the first time around...it's unbearable the second. As for the climax...well, without giving anything away, it comes out of NOWHERE and (as I've said before) Pfeiffer gives a speech that will have you bolting for the exits. Avoid at all costs!!!!!!

A delightful true-life love story

From the director of "A few good men" comes a beautiful story about a married couple looking back on their 15 years of marriage, only to realize that they might no longer love each other."The story of us" is a great film in every way it wants to be. The script is simply brilliant. It's a delightful, realistic, touching and insightful story (of us). It represents so many typical things of life we're all familiar with that it becomes an enjoyable -yet true to life- love story.Director Rob Reiner did a great job in making this film. The most surprising thing about his directing is the way in which he manages to do something which is actually against the rules of film making. At certain moments, he allows his main characters to watch STRAIGHT into the camera as they look back upon their lives and 15 years of marriage. This technique creates a different, almost interactive impression which is normally only used on television shows, interviews and commercials. In doing so, the director creates a virtual connection between the actors on screen and the people watching the film.Talking about characters: who would Rob Reiner want for the married couple? This is another great thing about "The Story of us". The actors are very well chosen. Bruce Willis does a great job and hereby proves that he's really grown as an actor throughout the years. I don't think he could have done the same great performance 10 years ago when he was still dodging bullets in "Die hard". But even better is the acting of Michelle Pfeiffer. Now, I know it's hard to stay objective about her acting once you've seen her, but I think (apart from that everlasting beauty) this performance of hers is quite outstanding. And if you disagree with me on that, take a look at her famous monologue at the end of the film. This should prove of what a great actress Michelle Pfeiffer truly is!Of course, practice makes perfect! And to make sure that both actors would appear natural on screen, Bruce Willis started flirting with Michelle Pfeiffer everytime he saw her on the film set. After all, their characters were married to each other for 15 years and their job was to give that exact same impression. Although the flirting with Hollywood's most beautiful actress must have been a true joy for Bruce Willis; it also improved the acting of both actors.Last but not least: there's Erik Clapton with his many wonderful songs which you can hear throughout the entire film.All things considered "The story of us" is one of the best romantic comedies I've ever seen

Should be called "The Story of Ass"

I was forced to watch this film on a plane to London. I did not want to see it in the first place, and sitting through it was more painful than swallowing razorblades. I have not heard the word "ass" used so many times in one film. Get a Thesaurus Rob.

Great movie!

I really enjoyed watching this movie. As a woman who has been married for 11 years (and dated my husband for 6 years prior to marriage), I could really enjoy and appreciate the movie for what it is. It is a story about THEM and THIER relationship. I can definately relate to a lot of the different situations in the movie, and you can bet that the writers and director of this movie could as well. If you are a person who enjoys watching different types of movies, you will enjoy this one. I don't only watch one type of movie, and I find that documentaries, action, romance, sci-fi, thrillers, adventures, comedies, stand-up, even the slap stick humorous movies can be entertaining if written well. This movie was well written, acted, and directed and I absolutely loved it.

A Cute Film

Everyone has their favorite films that are cheesy or lack in quality. For me, this was one of them. I enjoyed this film, even though the critics deemed it as awful. Michelle Pfieffer and Bruce Willis seem to have good chemistry. They way they feed off each other makes the movie enjoyable. I know its not a great film by any means, but it has a warm message that some people will like.The film centers around Ben (Bruce Willis) and Katie (Michelle Pfeiffer). They are a married a couple, and after 15 years of marriage, they seemed to have run out of love. They do now ant to be married any more.The film uses 'When Harry Met Sally' techniques which include interview-style narratives and flashbacks. It feels similar to Reiner's other film, and this was not a coincidence.

Heartbreaking, insightful and brilliant

(Seen at a private press/critics screening last week in L.A.) In a word : WOW. This film follows the 15 year marriage of Ben and Katie Jordan, portrayed expertly by Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer. Rita Wilson and Rob Reiner (who also directs) turn out witty performances as Ben and Katie's long time best friends who are long on advice. . .and laughs! I give this bittersweet movie the highest recommendation. This story, regardless of your marital status will touch you deeply and beautifully. This is not a 'chick flick' either. Both women *and* men will see themselves in this all too truthful chronicle about a marriage coming apart at the seams. Not to worry -- for you die hard romantics, there are those inevitable flashbacks woven throughout - And they will tear your heart out. Bring tissue! The man in front of me (a *very* famous film critic who will remain nameless) was sobbing violently by the end of the film, as was most of the theater. And, (surprise!), many of the tear stained cheeks belonged to men - it's obvious that this movie touches a nerve and will hit very close to home for many. But oh, it's so worth it. I really cared about these characters; I winced with each argument and felt as though I too, was right there fighting, crying and hoping. We all wish for a happy ending, but this is real life. Will they live happily ever after? Or will years of built up resentment and apathy bring this union to a bitter end? "The Story of Us" opens October 15th -- don't wait until the 16th to see it. It's THAT good.