Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Something’s Gotta Give is a somewhat unusual romantic comedy in that the couple involves are rather older than usual. Starring Jack Nickolson and Diane Keaton, this is a movie that shows you don’t lose your ability to fall in love just because you’re over 50 – then again, you don’t lose your ability to make a complete mess of things either…

It all starts when elderly playboy Harry Sanborn comes back to Marin (Amanda Peet)’s house for some canoodling. Marin’s mother (famous playwright Erica Jane Barry – Keaton) is supposed to be out of town, but unexpectedly arrives back and is about to phone the police while holding Harry off at knife-point when her daughter clears the situation up. She is about a third of Harry’s age… Mother naturally disapproves, but also ponders why Harry is viewed as a hero with his cavalier lifestyle while she, a successful career woman, is viewed as a sad and lonely spinster. Rapidly though the situation becomes more complicated for everyone when during a session of canoodling, Harry has a heart attack and is rushed to hospital – after which he is not fit to travel and is imposed on Erica’s hospitality. Meanwhile, the young doctor who saw Harry is extremely taken with Erica and she is forced to confront whether she finds the idea of a much younger man dating her as objectionable as her daughter dating a much older man. Harry meanwhile is forced to admit that for once he may possibly be attracted to a woman more than half his age…

I know that sounds like a lot of plot, but trust me, it’s just the beginning. This film covers quite a lot of ground although it still feels a little over-long at just over 2 hours. It’s an intriguing film in many ways, with Keaton and Nickolson’s sparring fun to watch (though much less so once they actually start being attracted to each other!). Keanu Reeves was good as the younger guy interested in Erica while Amanda Preet was fine as her daughter. Frances McDormand was very good as Zoe, Erica’s modern-thinking (and maybe over-analytical) sister. There were in fact few other characters that really made any impression on me. Nickolson didn’t always convince me totally in his role (apologies to those who think that everything he does is completely and utterly wonderful!) – to me he was basically playing his character from As Good As It Gets plus sex appeal minus OCD. I’m not saying that this was necessarily a bad thing, I just didn’t quite buy into his persona here. Diane Keaton was very good overall in her role.

I’m not really quite sure what I made of Something’s Gotta Give. I did enjoy it, and I enjoyed its quirkiness very much. On the other hand it seemed rather too long and apart from the young doctor (Keanu Reeves), the characters weren’t all that easy to have any empathy for – and I don’t think this was necessarily because of their age. The ending too seemed a little wrong to me – admittedly the other obvious option for the needing would also not seem quite right, so it appears that maybe Meyers wrote herself into a corner and couldn’t find her way out of it. I just wasn’t very happy with the way things panned out – but that’s life, I guess!

Overall there were a lot of things that I did enjoy about this film and it dared to be different to the majority of romantic comedies. To me it would have been even better if it had stuck more to the offbeat humour of the early parts of the film, but it became decidedly mainstream towards the middle and end sections of the film. It does try to get a point across about relationships between older people, which I think it does, and also tries to make a point about the difference between the perception of men and women, which was too exaggerated to be realistic (though it was quite amusing nonetheless). I think I would watch this film again but no for a while. Nickolson fans will probably love every minute of it though!!

Other Information

Directed and Written by: Nancy Meyers
Year of release: 2003
Runtime: 128 minutes
Rating: 12A (UK) / PG-13 (USA) for sexual content, brief nudity and strong language.

Quotes

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

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Julian Mercer: You really are a very sexy woman.
Erica Barry: No, really, swear to God, I'm NOT.

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Harry: I've never seen a woman that age naked before.

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Erica Barry: I'm like the dumb girl that doesn't get it. I've never been the dumb girl before. It ain't so great.

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Julian Mercer: How great is it for you that im not intimidated by your brilliance?

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Marin: Harry was once engaged to Diane Sawyer.
Zoe: Diane Sawyer? No way, I love her!
Erica Barry: That's wonderful!
Harry: Women your age love that about me.
Erica Barry: Ah.
Harry: No, that's a good thing.
Erica Barry: I'm sure you meant it as a compliment.



Links

Nancy Meyers also directed What Women Want and wrote I Love Trouble.

See also:

Top Ten Movies of 2003 (Something’s Gotta Give may well end up on this list, but I’ll have to think about it…)
Top Ten Romantic Comedies


Recommended: Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older