Something's Gotta Give vs Living Out Loud

Somewhere in Hollywood, there is a group of studio executives, right now, changing a unique title into something bland. They cringe at odd titles like Being John Malkovich and The Royal Tenenbaums, and give thumbs up to remedial, easy-to-remember titles like Bringing Down The House, or It Could Happen to You. Once in a while, one of these generic titles will contain a smart movie (As Good as it Gets, You Can Count on Me), but more often than not, the title suits the movie.

Something’s Gotta Give, as you can tell, is a movie with a terrible title. Seriously, was there a movie released during the past year for which this title wouldn’t have applied? Couldn’t Return of the King have been titled Something’s Gotta Give? It could also have been used for Mystic River, Thirteen, Lost in Translation, House of Sand and Fog, Matchstick Men, Phone Booth and The Core. I don’t get it.

Something’s Gotta Give was written and directed by Nancy Meyers, who also wrote and directed the not much better-titled What Women Want, which could just as easily have been the title of this movie. Luckily, Meyers is a little more skilled at writing dialogue than she is at picking titles. A little.

Diane Keaton stars as Erica Barry, a successful New York playwright with an obscenely nice beach house in the Hamptons. Her daughter, Marin, (played by Amanda Peet, and yes, her name is Marin Barry) is using the house for the weekend as a mini-vacation with her new boyfriend, Harry, a music mogul played by Jack Nicholson. Of course, part of the point is that Marin is the latest in a long string of younger girlfriends for Harry. Is Jack Nicholson believable as someone who regularly dates women half his age? Of course. Is he believable as someone who produces rap records? That I’m not so sure of. I guess Meyers wanted to pick the most youthful environment possible for Harry to meet all those young hotties, but then she wrote Marin as a fine-art auctioneer, so why Harry isn’t say, a museum curator, or an artist or whatever is beyond me. At least he never gets in one of those humiliating white-guy rap get-ups like Steve Martin in Bringing Down the House or Robin Williams in Father’s Day.

Marin and Harry haven’t had sex yet (which is good, ‘cause you already know who he ends up with.), but have determined that this is the weekend. Harry’s in his underwear, digging in the refrigerator, when Erica enters with her sister Zoe (played by Frances McDormand). Hijinks.

The four, being hip New Yorkers, decide they can handle this situation maturely, and let everyone enjoy their weekend. Over dinner that evening, Zoe gives Harry the third degree. Just how old is he, and isn’t he a notorious womanizer, and who was it he dated—Carly Simon? Joan Collins? This scene, and the one following (Zoe and Erica do the dishes as “Let’s Get It On” wafts in from Harry and Marin’s bedroom) are two of my favorites in the movie. Frances McDormand is sharp and no-nonsense, and seems to know that she’s only got a couple scenes. She’s sly and funny and makes just enough noise about Harry’s dating habits that we recall her scenes later when she’s not there.

And then, in the next room, Marin screams. Erica and Zoe run in to find Harry heart-attacking it up on the carpet. Erica performs CPR, even though he’s never fully unconscious, and they rush him to the emergency room. Here, we get the first of three Viagra jokes, as well as some butt shots from Harry. I’m not sure who these are meant for, because we get the other characters’ reactions each time. The Viagra jokes and butts? Not funny. Keaton and McDormand’s reactions to the Viagra and butt? Pretty funny. This is also when we meet Dr…Something (Ben? Jeffrey? Shit, I just saw it a few nights ago…oh well, he’s played by Keanu. Let’s just call him Keanu.) Keanu fixes Harry up, and makes time for some fairly serious flirting with Erica. Soon, they’ve scheduled a date, and wouldn’t you know it, Harry has been sent to Erica’s to recover. Oh, and Marin is heading back to the city. So, it’s just Erica and Harry in that big house, all alone.

The bulk of Something’s Gotta Give focuses on Harry’s recovery period with Erica. At first, she’s mortified to have Harry in her home. He’s rude and shallow and lecherous. Plus, she’s finding it near impossible to get any writing done with the constant influx of calls for Harry. It doesn’t help matters any that he sees her naked in the middle of the night, causing Erica to erupt into a fit of screams, gasps and private parts-covering flinches that reminds us that Diane Keaton pretty much invented this type of character. Of course we know that Jack and Diane will find things to like about each other, and that there will be misunderstandings and false endings.  It’s basically a two-hour sitcom, which might seem unattractive, but it’s a pretty good sitcom. It’s not like a two-hour Just Shoot Me. It’s more like a two-hour…um…maybe Newsradio. Luckily, in the meantime, we have Diane Keaton in nearly every scene. No matter who she’s on screen with, Keaton brings a sense of realism to each moment, benefiting everyone in her presence. She’s a believable sister to Frances McDormand, mother to Amanda Peet, sparring partner for Jack, and object of lust for Keanu. Keaton is especially good for Keanu, who’s never had to be the guy before, and is just fine. Throughout Something’s Gotta Give, Keanu blinks, exhales, and has a wide, natural smile and easy laugh. I saw Keanu in three movies this year, and Something’s Gotta Give is the only one that gave him opinions. It’s a wonder how differently an actor comes across when his character is allowed to say, “Hey guys, here’s what I think.”

Something’s Gotta Give wants to make statements on men and women and sex and love and aging, and in small doses, it does. There’s a nice moment when Erica is in a grocery store, and notices, perhaps for the first time, the differences between who the older men have paired off with, versus the older women. Also, Nicholson and Keaton have a scene that is just the right mix of sexy and funny, when she surprisingly asks him to free her from her sweater, and—once the shock wears off—he obliges. At the end of that scene, both characters find themselves crying at the same time, though not for the same reasons.

Like Something’s Gotta Give, Living Out Loud is a movie with a terrible title. Seriously, these movies could swap titles and no one would notice. Living Out Loud, though, is an original and uncompromising movie that doesn’t settle for easy laughs or resolutions.

Holly Hunter stars as Judith, a woman in the midst of a divorce. Her husband is cheating on her, which wouldn’t be quite so devastating if Judith hadn’t been living the life of rich wife and society figure for so long. She’s basically left helpless. Home alone, we hear her thoughts, which fall somewhere between apocalyptic and self-deprecating. After the requisite time hiding in her apartment, Judith starts going out at night, mainly to a piano bar. She drinks too much, and heckles singers. In her imagination, she’s personable and outgoing, but in her reality, she’s fairly pathetic. Two things happen in the bar that change her life: one, she meets Liz, a singer in the club, and she makes out with a stranger in a closet. Liz becomes her friend and confidant, and the man in the closet, well, he thought she was someone else, but Judith is high from the danger and spontaneity of the experience, and becomes both braver and more reckless in her life. This probably sounds like a chick flick, doesn’t it?

Simultaneously, she’s becoming friends with Pat, played by Mr. Danny DeVito. Pat is Judith’s elevator operator, and has recently been kicked out of the house by his wife because of his gambling problem. Also, Pat’s daughter is sick, and he finds a surprising companion in Judith. They drink and talk in long scenes of originality and warmth. He wants to ask her out, and he also needs money, but mainly he just wants the company.  Throughout these moments, we keep thinking Living Out Loud is a love story, but it’s one of friendship. More Lost in Translation that You’ve Got Mail. Judith and Pat have real lives and real attitudes. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that they’re played by two great actors.

Holly Hunter has made a career of playing breathing characters like Judith (watch The Firm and see how much the movie changes when Hunter is onscreen. Okay, don’t watch The Firm, but trust me, she improves things greatly.) and she has several great scenes in Living Out Loud. There’s the ecstasy-fueled dance break at a lesbian bar (which ends back in the elevator with Pat), her meeting with her ex-husband’s new girlfriend (to whom she says, “Wow, you sound great. Can I fuck you?”), and of course, every scene that pairs her with Danny DeVito.  Likewise, Danny DeVito is just about perfect as Pat. He’s saddened by the potential loss of his daughter, and humiliated by his recent financial problems. Danny DeVito is associated primarily with comedies and blustery characters, but here he’s heartbreaking.

Living Out Loud was written and directed by Richard LeGravenese. Despite the flights of Judith’s imagination, the movie plays out much as situations like this would in real life. People get their feelings hurt, and say things out of anger or embarrassment that they wish they could take back. Relationships end, friendships start, and people drift away from one another, as is often the case. Something’s Gotta Give is a fun movie, but after watching Living Out Loud, you’ll realize, it’s not much else.

Something’s Gotta Give: B
Living Out Loud: A-