Something's Gotta Give

From the very first, this film is just great. It’s a very funny and sweetly charming story about not seeing the forest for the trees and about love in our pre-autumn years.

Harry (Jack Nicholson) is a serial dater of younger women. In his 63rd year, he has always dated women younger than 30, had some fun then brushed them off. And they’re (mostly) all cool with that. When he dates Marin, they head off to the Hamptons house of her mother to consummate their relationship. However, Marin’s mother Erica (Diane Keaton) and her Aunt Zoe (Frances McDormand) turn up and pretty soon the four of them are at odds.

It’s only after Harry suffers a heart attack that he is forced to stay at Erica’s place and alone with her as she’s writing a play. As the days go by the two discover things in themselves they never realised; Harry finds a woman over 30 can be incredibly sexy, while Erica finds herself fantasising about this charming man with a fixation for the younger ladies. However, Harry’s doctor is smitten by Erica and now she has two men after her affections after years of ‘being on the shelf’.

"Oh… I do like sex!"

The characters here are swiftly well developed, so we are immediately interested in what they have to say and do. The brilliant Frances McDormand is pretty much wasted here though, getting maybe ten lines in the whole film (though what she does say is gold). The whole theme here is funny and the sex scene is one of the funniest and most endearing I’ve yet witnessed. What The Tall Guy did for youthful, vibrant sex, Something’s Gotta Give does for the older generation. Here we understand that older people enjoy sex just as much as the young (shocking, I know!) and that it isn’t something to be shied from, but rather reveled in. You ain’t dead, you’re just older (and more experienced).

Jack and Diane give brilliant and funny performances in this upbeat romantic comedy, though there is a very minor dark streak running beneath. The misogynist Jack, running from something he doesn’t understand and retiring Diane, sheltering herself away from what she has been hurt by before. The chemistry between these two is what makes the film though, as they both portray the frailty and vulnerability of their characters perfectly. The subtlety of nuance in their acting might also be put down to experience; the less gifted of actors might well have hammed this one up way too much creating a farce rather than the sweetly romantic comedy it is. Watching Jack and Diane is curiously comforting; it shows that getting older is nothing to be afraid of, but should in fact be celebrated. It’s as natural a part of life as being born, as breathing, as eating.

This is a wholly impressive film that could easily have slipped into obscurity had two such gifted and incredible actors not lent it life. What’s more, it’s all done very tastefully (even the nude scenes). It’s a classy film that is entirely entertaining, regardless of your age, and one you could even enjoy with your parents.

Being released in Australian cinemas late last year (2003), the picture quality is exacting and practically faultless. No artefacts, no grain, good shadow detail, true blacks and colours (though there are abject amounts of white in both the sets and clothing at the beach house) and a pretty much faultless transfer. But, and there’s usually a but, the layer change is right in the middle of a scene at 66:18 and appears as a pause in a shot of Diane. What’s weird, though, is there’s a black pause between scenes just one minute later they could have dropped the layer change into. What a shame. Still, this bit has to get a ten, even for this minor discrepancy.

Again, a practically perfect delivery. Although delivered in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, there is little work for the surrounds. The subwoofer gets an occasional look in with the music, but this is mainly a talkie/visual film, so there’s no need of anything extraordinary in that department. Dialogue is nice and clear and as eloquently delivered as we would expect while the sound effects didn’t have any real issues here either.

Hans Zimmer has scored the film in perfect romantic comedy style, utilising subtlety or bigger bands as required. Overall, it’s a great sound package, even if it doesn’t have to work that hard to keep up.

There are enough extras here to garner another couple of laughs, though there is some dross. First cab off the rank is Something Romantic About the Story, a 3:13 featurette in the usual TV filler promotional style.

Two audio commentaries follow, the first of which features director Nancy Meyers and producer Bruce Black with Diane Keaton. However, including Diane is more a sell piece, as she doesn’t speak much at all. The second with Nancy and Jack is much funnier with Jack having a great time giving Nancy a lot of shit, but she doesn’t take much of it. This is the better of the two commentaries without doubt and far less serious.

The Hampton House Tour is basically a very short bit with Amanda Peet hosting a walk through of a couple of the room sets for 2:50. Nothing to see here, folks. Move along.

One single deleted scene is included, but this one is probably the best deleted scene I’ve yet seen on DVD. Jack sings a French song to Diane in a karaoke lounge and this runs for 2:55. This would have worked just as easily in the film as out, so its exclusion is a mystery. However, thankfully we can see it here, although it is unenhanced and not fully rendered.

And then there’s the trailer which is in stereo and unenhanced 1.85:1.

Well worth it for the deleted scene alone, though Jack’s commentary is worth a listen.

I really loved this movie from beginning to end. Jack has a lot of fun parodying himself here, as does Diane Keaton. There is a sequence in which Diane cries non-stop for days and this is done in so many different ways it is both hilarious and brilliantly diverse and made me marvel at her range of nuance. Together they have a dynamic chemistry and they truly make this a memorable romantic comedy.

It’s absolutely hilarious at times and although it stretches the ending perhaps a little longer than needs be, it’s still very funny and well worth checking out. Thoroughly recommended.