That's Life! (1986)

Jack Lemmon Film Fest Movie #3

Synopsis: Blake Edwards does his darnedest to show us that even rich, shallow, self-absorbed and whiny turds with beachfront property have problems, too. (Ah, but don't worry - they all get resolved by the third act). 

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “JACK LEMMON and JULIE ANDREWS, two screen legends with eleven Academy Award nominations between them, grace the screen in Blake Edwards’ human comedy THAT’S LIFE! Filmed at husband and wife Blake and Julie’s own Malibu home, THAT’S LIFE is a true ‘family affair’ – co-starring Lemmon’s wife Felicia Farr and son Chris, Andrews’ daughter Emma Walton, Edwards’ daughter Jennifer and a  collection of neighbours and friends, including Sally Kellerman and Oscar nominee Robert Loggia. The warmth and combined talent of this loving group makes THAT’S LIFE unforgettable.”

What Did I Learn?: Guys, it’s a bad idea to bang the local fortune teller. You really don’t know where she’s been. 

You Might Like This Movie If: You know it's far from the worst film to be set in a California beach house.

 

Really?: 1) So, let’s see… the chances of Harvey running into his old Notre Dame roommate in the local confessional booth at just the right moment are what…. six trillion to one? 2) Gillian (Andrews) receives a clean bill of health and the film loses any remaining dramatic tension. Nice work, Blake. 

Rating: As I mentioned in my review of the Burt Reynolds flop The Man Who Loved Women, there was a period in the 1980s when Blake Edwards made a number of pretentious, narcissistic and not terribly funny comedies, and That’s Life if a prime example. That’s Life isn’t quite a bad movie – Andrews has a nice scene with her real-life daughter, and I liked her chemistry with Lemmon, but it’s tough to sympathize with these people, and it’s otherwise pretty “meh.” 5.5/10 stars. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092079/?ref_=rvi_tt

For Richer For Poorer (1992)

Jack Lemmon Film Fest Movie #2

Synopsis: Remember that old adage about cutting off your nose to spite your face? Well, here’s the 90-minute version of it.

Blurb From the DVD Jacket: “Jack Lemmon stars as a successful businessman who loves to work, and makes millions doing it, while his son Michael (Jonathan Silverman) is happy just sitting back and having it made. So dad decides to teach him a lesson by giving away every dollar of his hard earned fortune, but comedy ensues when the lesson backfires.” 

What Did I Learn?: Jack Lemmon dressed up in wacky disguises does not equal comedic gold. 

You Might Like This Movie If: You enjoy watching people lose all their money.

 

Really?: 1) See: “Blurb From the DVD Jacket.” 2) Um… isn’t Lemmon a little old to be playing a 55-year old grocery tycoon? 3) Gee… if Aram is so desperate to get back on his feet financially, couldn’t he approach his old chain of stores and ask them to hire him in some capacity? Maybe as a spokesman?

Rating: For Richer For Poorer is a deservedly long-forgotten HBO film from the early 1990s, and possibly the nadir of Jack Lemmon’s long film career. The entire premise of the film is ridiculously implausible, the comedy falls flat, Lemmon himself is badly miscast as Aram (he and Talia Shire have zero chemistry, by the way), and the character isn’t all that likeable anyway – he keeps a mistress on the side, and never informs his wife of his plans. I cannot recommend this movie. 3/10 stars. 

Would it Work For a Bad Movie Night?: No, but take a drink every time Lemmon says that it’s really, really important for a man to work, or some variation on that theme. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104288/?ref_=fn_al_tt_6

The Out-of-Towners (1970)

Jack Lemmon Film Fest Movie #1. Please click the links to read my reviews of: Mister Roberts, Airport ’77, JFK and my favourites: Short Cuts, Glengarry Glen Ross, and Save the Tiger. Oh – and don’t forget the Lemmon-and-Matthau films! 

Synopsis: Ever wanted to see Jack Lemmon race around Boston and New York, yelling and screaming like a hyperactive lunatic for 98 minutes? If so, this is your lucky day! 

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “Written for the screen by Neil Simon, The Out-of-Towners is a witty, uproarious movie that keeps oving at Simon’s usual frenetic pace. Incredible mishaps occur when a middle-aged Ohio couple fly to New York City for the husband’s job interview.” 

What Did I Learn?:  New York City is a dangerous, dirty, and completely dysfunctional hell-hole that’s best avoided by civilized people. 

You Might Like This Movie If: Just like Jack Lemmon, Sandy Dennis, and um...Grandmaster Flash, you know that New York is a big city of dreams, but everything in New York ain't always what it seems. Oh, and you might get fooled if you come from out of town.

 

Really?: Wow…. George keeps making bad, spur-of-the-moment decisions, doesn’t he? Most people would spend the night in the Boston hotel (generously supplied by the airline) and then take the 7AM flight to New York the next day. 

Rating: On paper, The Out-of-Towners has everything it needs to be a great film: Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis starring in a story written by Neil Simon. Unfortunately, The Out-of-Towners is anything but a great film; while I liked the chemistry between Lemmon and Dennis, the premise - George and Gwen encounter one disaster after another, gets old and tiresome fast. Moreover, George is so obnoxious that’s it’s tough to sympathize with him. Watch for Billy Dee Williams in a small role. I cannot recommend this movie. 4/10 stars. 

Would It Work For a Bad Movie Night?: Probably not – but take a drink every time George threatens to sue somebody. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066193/?ref_=nv_sr_1

In the Heat of the Night (1967)

Synopsis: This is it…the Patient Zero that led to Miami Vice, Lethal Weapon, Running Scared, 48 Hours, Beverly Hills Cop, Training Day, and every other salt-and-pepper buddy cop movie. 

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “While traveling in the deep south, Virgil Tibbs, a black Philadelphia homicide detective, becomes unwittingly embroiled in a murder case when he is first accused of the crime – and then asked to solve it!” 

What Did I Learn?: Southerners are loud, hot-headed, backward, and dim-witted, and they require a patient Northerner (black or white, it doesn’t matter) to solve all of their problems. 

You Might Like This Movie If: you realize that Tibbs might help out Sparta's local constabulary on a one-shot-deal basis, but his home is in Philadelphia, he and the Sheriff really don't like each other, there aren't that many serious crimes in Sparta, and there's no way he would ever set down roots there. Well.....

 

Really?: 1) I had a great deal of trouble believing Tibbs’ police captain in Philadelphia would offer Tibbs’ services to the Sparta (Mississippi) cops. Isn’t Tibbs' salary funded by the taxpayers of Philadelphia, and wouldn’t his captain need him to come home to bust, oh…I don’t know… local criminals? Obviously, it’s a plot device to keep Tibbs in Sparta, but it isn’t terribly convincing. 2) Um… I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but that dude committed the murder? Talk about a lacklustre ending!

Rating: I wanted to like In the Heat of the Night more than I did. The movie won five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Rod Steiger) and Best Writing, and while I agree that it’s still both a compelling murder-mystery and powerful social commentary, it’s also incredibly preachy and dated by today’s standards. (In that sense, it strangely reminded me of The Longest Day – another film that was popular and highly acclaimed when it was released in the 1960s, but hasn’t aged well).  Still, check it out if you get the opportunity. 7.5/10 stars. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061811/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

Outside Providence (1999)

Synopsis: Rough-around-the-edges proletarian teenager learns discipline and responsibility when he attends a private school in Connecticut. Oh, and he falls in love with a cute chick…and his best friend dies… and he has unresolved issues with his Dad about his mother’s suicide…and his little brother is in a wheelchair… and the headmaster hates his guts…and George Wendt’s character turns out to be gay… and…holy crap, how many sub-plots does this movie have?!?

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “FROM THE HIT-MAKING FARRELLY BROTHERS – the guys who brought you There’s Something About Mary – OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE stars Alec Baldwin (The Edge, Mercury Rising) in an outrageously funny story about a kid who’s grown up with nothing but a broken home, a three-legged dog and a full-blown attraction to trouble! Everything changes for Timothy Dunphy (Shawn Hatosi – Anywhere But Here, The Faculty), however, when he crashes into a parked police car… prompting his loudmouthed old man (Baldwin) to ship him from their blue-collar town to a snobbish prep school!” 

What Did I Learn?: 1) “Making sex is like a Chinese dinner: It ain't over 'til you both get your cookies.” 2) There's only one Brown University.

You Might Like This Movie If: You're in the mood for some foul-mouthed conflict and comedy in the heart of Providence, Rhode Island.

 

Really?: 1) See: “Synopsis” – seriously, what was the point of Joey (George Wendt) revealing himself to be gay? He’s a minor character at best, and it does nothing to advance the storyline. Come to think of it, was it necessary for “Drugs” Delaney to die off near the end? 2) I guess there’s a slim possibility of Old Man Dunphy nicknaming his son “Dildo”, but I had a hard time believing he would use that nickname in public.

Rating: I have to give Outside Providence something of a mixed review, because some of it works and some of it doesn’t. The film is warm, quite funny in places, and you really want to like these flawed-but-all-too-human characters. Outside Providence isn’t a bad movie by any stretch, but Baldwin is miscast as Tim’s blue collar dad, and it eventually gets bogged down with far too many undeveloped sub-plots and superfluous characters. 6.5/10 stars. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125971/?ref_=nv_sr_1