MovieChat Forums > Something's Gotta Give (2003) Discussion > What a horrific ridiculous disaster....

What a horrific ridiculous disaster....

posted 16 years ago by ciaramc5
38 replies | jump to latest

..for a number of reasons including:

1. Diane Keaton's far too old and irritating to attract someone like Keanu Reeves

2. We're supposed to believe Keanu Reeves as a doctor; love Bill and Ted, Parenthood and the Matrix, but let's admit the man has his limits

3. Jack Nicholson with Amanda Peet; I'll make allowances cos he's Jack Nicholson

4. Said allowances are rendered irrelevent by the fact that nobody gives their blessing to share any man with their own mother

5. Nicholson/Keaton sex scene provokes nausea...

6. And finale results in actual vomiting. Its too sentimental; suspending disbelief long enough to assume Keaton character could have a meaningful connection with Keanu Reeves, she sure as sh*t wouldn't give that up. And try as I might to suspend said disbelief, i can't think of a more unlikely couple with less chemistry.

Cheers :)

[–] rs-128 16 years ago

so don't watch it!

[–] s-oconnell 16 years ago

Agreed, this was one of the worst movies I've ever seen - which is a shame as I had high hopes for it.

[–] arizonakris 12 years ago

apparently you've never seen Showgirls or anything with Sharon Stone. This movie hardly qualifies as a disaster. The movie is about an old womanizer falling for his girlfriend's mother!! There was alot of realism in this and Nancy Meyers has not made a bad movie yet. Shes no Quenton Tarantino or Woody Allen but her movies are generally endearing and involve a love story. And I think most of her movies are geared towards a female audience.

[–] Jalea 16 years ago

You are entitled to your opinion, however:

1. Younger men are attracted to older women. Not everyone is turned off by wrinkles.
2. Reeves is quite believable as a doctor; there are many young doctors the speak and act like that.
3. Younger women are attracted to older men...
4. She did not sleep with him, so he was not her man.
5. Hmmmm. Two mature people sleeping together is a turnoff? Interesting.
6. Actually it was Reeve's character that broke off the relationship because he could tell the Keaton's character was still in love with Nicholson's character.

[–] mn1953 16 years ago

Well said. This movie no doubt wouldn't appeal to the teens and twenty-somethings. They need to live little longer to get it. It's a great movie! You have to be middle-aged to understand the characters. Sometimes they act more like kids than kids do!

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] denise1234 13 years ago

ciaramc5^

"Maybe its cos we all think Diane Keaton is a whingy whiny *beep* in every film she 'works' on."

Lately, and sadly, that seems the case. For example, 'The Family Stone' (cringe).

I don't think it's all about 'aging', but 'aging well'. Sadly, Annie Hall hasn't aged well in her performances, IMO. The cute quirkiness seems to have morphed into a whiny brittleness and, because it is showing up in different movies and characters (at least since after 'The Good Mother'), I wonder how much the *true* Keaton may be popping out.

Love Nicholson, but he IS too old for his character. He pulled off the debauched, over-the-hill playboy with panache and credibility in 'Terms of Endearment' and that was way back in 1983! It is one thing to play the playboy 'old as my father' boyfriend, but when it starts being as 'old as my grandfather' and on up, it becomes a bit creepy.

I liked portions of this movie (however, I would have loved to see more Frances McDormand in it) -- other parts I found a suspension of disbelief was needed to get through them (Keanu R. as a doctor was a little hard for me to picture at first, but I got used to it), the movie went on too long, and the end was predictable and contrived.

JMHO!

"I can't stand a naked light bulb, any more than..a rude remark or a vulgar action" Blanche DuBois

[–] iheartloubnen 15 years ago

hmmm well i loved the movie and am 21, and it didnt matter to me that the age avrg of the movie was a "bit" high...maybe bcoz it's a rom-com but i really loved the story, the characters, the decor...in sum everything!!! though AT FIRST i did find it hard to believe that keanu is a Doc but he grew on me after a while...

le fait inak 3am tikra2 hal jomlé n actually 3am tif8ama est parfaitement normal

[–] scyza 15 years ago

26 here, I actually liked the movie. Not the best I've seen but it was good.

I didn't quite buy Keanu Reeves as a doctor either though to be honest. He looked hot though ;)

[–] justine-la 15 years ago

I'm a teen, and I loved this movie. It was very fun and entertaining, good script. One of the only few romcoms (this and When Harry Met Sally) that I can watch over and over again.

[–] skydiveroffreefalls 15 years ago

Well, I am 25 and I love it:)
But then again, I do know that attraction is about the mind and heart and it has noting to do with age. In fact, you can get along better with people who are notably older or younger than you, depending on your common interests.
For instance my music taste enables me to have more fun talking to people about music if they are either over 35 or just have great interest in stuff from 90s,80s,70s and beyond:)

Also there is the fact that I love Keanu Reeves, Jack Nicholson is always great, Diane Keaton, Frances and Amanda are lovely and I am a writer. Not to mention, Nancy Meyers does have a good sense of humor.

http://pinartarhan.com/blog/

[–] Pedalpants 14 years ago

I had high hopes for this film too. Usually Nancy Meyers does so well. I found Diane Keaton's character ridiculous, cloying and cringed as she turned into acting like a 14 year old. Jack was Jack. He is the same character in every film he is in. Ugh. By the way, I'm their age...but I never liked them as characters.

[–] flash_drive 14 years ago

I loved this movie. Jack and Diane, indeed. They have been long time friends and seeing them together on screen you can tell. Their chemistry together is what made this movie so watchable. I actually thought Diane's crying scenes were hilarious (and she did it so well). I mean, truthfully, I can totally relate to what she was going through. Haven't you ever been dumped or hurt before in love? C'mon people.

I've always liked Keanu Reeves and I thought he was quite believable as a young doctor. I too would have liked to see Frances McDormand get more screen time. She is just fabulous. All in all Something's Gotta Give has found a space on my DVD shelf as one of my favorite romantic comedies.

-- "Mulder, toads just fell from the sky!"

[–] spookyrat1 12 years ago

I agree with you dw, this is hardly a disaster and there are some fine performances in the film including Keanu Reeves.

But I did think it was way too long (20 - 30 minutes) with the second half dragging a bit...with the on again off again segments.

And why was Frances (Fargo) McDormand so underused? She's fantastic, but virtually disappears after the first act.

I have never lied to you. I have always told you some version of the truth.

[–] swordfish_man 14 years ago

@mn1953
I was 15 when I saw this movie and I loved it and still do. So to say teens and twenty-somethings need to live more to get it sounds a bit trite

[–] AnGelTeArs295 13 years ago

Actually, I'm a tweenty something gal mn1953 and saw the movie when I was in my teenage years... not only I loved it but I could feel the emotions flowing out of every character.I think every single cast member did wonderful. So I don't think that all tweenty somethings fall in that description

[–] richimorton 13 years ago

@ Jalea : one phrase springs to mind : " bitchees be crazy ! " . Do you seriously believe in a million years that younger men are attracted to older women ???? Only a horny teenager seduced by a moneyed cougar could possibly fill that category . Men like YOUNGER women - deal with it .

That which does not Kill me makes me Stranger

[–] jejozi 12 years ago

As deep as a puddle, aintchya.

This will be the high point of my day; it's all downhill from here.

[–] setokaiba238 12 years ago

1. Haha no they are not
2. I don't know what people are talking about here. Why is he not believable as a doctor?
3. True
4. I'll never get Hollywood's bizarre cut off lines with this stuff. He was her man, they did everything but screw each other. They fantasized about it, so it's weird. I don't get where Hollywood came up with this idea that it's okay to screw your daughters boyfriend as long as they haven't *beep* yet. In fact most movie relationships or emotions aren't defined until the characters have sex. What's up with that?
5. Yea it is. I'm guessing you're using "mature" as a synonym for "old". Neither Nicholson nor Keaton are mature in any other way.

[–] sfrsez 10 years ago

great summation. watch this film every time its on

[–] dudespell 15 years ago

1. It's not a matter of age, Diane Keaton looks like a granny, Frances McDormand is a good example of a woman that doesn't.

2. Reeves as a doctor? I can live with that. But as a 36 year old guy who fall in love with an old writer? He doesn't look intellectual enough to do that, and the character is too old to like old women.

3. Nicholson HAS to offer money, power, career or social opportunities, to a younger woman to have sex with her. Harrison Ford would be believable.

4. Women are rivals, but anomalies exist in the universe.

5. Nicholson/Keaton sex scene provokes nausea... specially when Nicholson cries.

6. It's not too sentimental, it is for old women's consumption. It is like a porn, a fantasy, a day dream stimulator.

[–] Klash2U 15 years ago

To reply to the above comment:

1. Um, Francis McDormand has looked like a "granny" (and very shmanly) for a loooong time. Diane Keaton looks stunning for her age.

2. I thought it was very well cast, I can't picture a better love interest than Jack Nicholson. They needed a prick, and he's a lovable prick. Harrison Ford wouldn't have been believable, cause he doesn't have that rep. He's too vanilla. It wouldn't have worked. Jack's a player, and he's an attractive older man.

3. I will say that in 2003, when the movie came out, I was sort of turned off by the premise and didn't want to see it. When I saw it 6 years later, I was in my late 20s at that point and I started to "get it" more.

4. Keanu plays a sweet puppy dog type who may very well be attracted to an older woman who has been there and has her own thing going on. May I remind you of Ashton and Demi? (by the way, in my opinion, that real life romance is far less believable to me than the romance in the movie)

5. Of all of the so called "non believable" story lines in the film, what I want to know is how the daughter met someone, married him and was already 3 months pregnant in the span of 6 months or so. Now that to me is unbelievable, especially in New York. Not saying it's impossible, but it's very unlikely.

[–] soupster1 15 years ago

If I was shallow, immature and gittish... I might agree with you. However, since I was looking for some actual information about this film, rather than a tirade of childish tantrums, I will have to look for the views of a grown-up.

[–] hujill 15 years ago

I agree it was definitely quite a horrific movie.

On your first point, I found it quite bizzare that Diane Keaton actually looked far older in this movie than she did in The Family Stone which was made years later. She looked fantastic in that movie...but I actually thought she looked older in this one.

Meh, wasn't too bothered about Keanu, he didn't really have that big a part so I guess i didn't notice him.

Yeah, I don't care how much money he has, no way could he get that many young beautiful women - even one seemingly intelligent, successful one (Amanda)

Yes, sharing him with mom was quite disturbing. I just kind of passed it off in that it was more of a friendship than a mother/daughter relationship if you get me

5 & 6 - yes, nearly lost my dinner. ...

Some other cringe worthy moments include - The crying after sex, oh god, the crying! Them sleeping for 8 hours. the wailing scene with Diane that went on forever! the end scene with the big happy family. Just...everything! it was a terrible movie. I don't how/why i actually watched it all the way through.

"Like I really . . . I don't remember. I'm not like that smart," - Paris Hilton

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] rizdek 15 years ago

"1. Diane Keaton's far too old and irritating to attract someone like Keanu Reeves"

So what, maybe some people feel attracted to people older than themselves.

"2. We're supposed to believe Keanu Reeves as a doctor; love Bill and Ted, Parenthood and the Matrix, but let's admit the man has his limits"

No, I think he's completely believable as a young doctor...so what if he played other roles, look at his portrayal of the doctor on its own. Nothing at all wrong with it.

"3. Jack Nicholson with Amanda Peet; I'll make allowances cos he's Jack Nicholson"

see #1. Doesn't make the movie "terrible"

"4. Said allowances are rendered irrelevent by the fact that nobody gives their blessing to share any man with their own mother"

Maybe the thoughts you had initially about how much older Jack is then her finally sunk in and she realized she didn't like him in that way, so there was no point in not "blessing" the relationship between him and her mother. They hadn't been intimate. Completely feasible in my mind.

"5. Nicholson/Keaton sex scene provokes nausea... "

What are you, 15 years old? Wait till your 60 then you'll see it wasn't bad at all.

"6. And finale results in actual vomiting. Its too sentimental; suspending disbelief long enough to assume Keaton character could have a meaningful connection with Keanu Reeves, she sure as sh*t wouldn't give that up. And try as I might to suspend said disbelief, i can't think of a more unlikely couple with less chemistry."

Of course she could, if she realized she liked Jack more. Why shouldn't they hit it off? They were both successful, similar aged, and had qualities the other appreciated. The things you found dissonant with the relationships at the beginning are solved by Jack and Diane getting together. What's hard to accept about that?

OK, you didn't like it, but it's not horrible.