MOVIE REVIEW

Something's Gotta Give  (2003)

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Keanu Reeves
Director: Nancy Meyers

Rating: PG-13

Studio: Columbia

Release Date: 12.12.03

Review Posted: 12.12.03

Spoilers: None

By Sara M. Fetters

"Something" Gives a Good Vibe

Jack Nicholson as an aging philandering playboy? Diane Keaton as an elitist upper-crust intellectual unlucky in love? You’d think someone was asleep at the wheel with casting like that. I mean, it isn’t exactly a stretch to think of the former “Annie Hall” or the storied “Witches of Eastwick” devil in either of these roles. Yet, here they are in Nancy Meyers’ “Something’s Gotta Give” playing just these kinds of characters. But despite the obviousness of the casting, this bubble-gum layered romantic comedy for adults is a surprisingly pleasant affair.

Not that Meyers’ movie is perfect. Far from it. The immensely successful writer/director of hits like “Baby Boom” and the two somewhat execrable “Father of the Bride” remakes isn’t exactly the most subtle of artisans. She likes the familiar, and her script here takes very few risks along its way to its routine idyllic conclusion. But she’s gifted two have two fearless actors as her central figures, both willing to take chances above and beyond their typecasting.

Nicholson plays renowned bachelor Harry Sanborn. He only dates women under the age of thirty, choosing to believe women of certain types are the only ones worth getting excited about. His latest infatuation, successful Christy’s auctioneer Marin (Amanda Peet, who, as good as she is, needs to stop playing the sexy – almost bimboish – engenue) has invited him to her mother’s beach house in the Hamptons for some frisky bedroom shenanigans. He’s been waiting patiently to bed the young woman, and now amidst the waves of the fabled New England surf it looks like Harry’s finally going to get his chance.

Unexpectedly, Marin’s mother, the famous playwright Erica Berry (Keaton), and her sister Zoe (Frances McDormand) also decide to spend some quality time at the house. She’s there to start fleshing out her newest play, and isn’t exactly enthused to see her child about to bed the rich and famous philandering playboy. An uneasy truce develops between the foursome, Erica deciding it best to stay out of her young daughter’s affairs. But, before the Harry and Marin can get down to some Marvin Gay inspired basics, Sanborn suffers a mild heart attack and is rushed to a local emergency room.

At the urging of doctor Julian Mercer (Keanu Reeves), Harry is forced to stay at Erica’s home until he regains his strength. The divorced, flippantly witty writer reluctantly agrees to take in the aging tycoon and help nurse him back to health, even though all her best instincts scream to find some other way to deal with man. Sure enough, as soon as they are alone together they just can’t stop bickering, both sure that the other just might be the most unpleasant person they’ve ever had the misfortune to come across. Mix-ups, mayhem and drug-inspired lunacy ensue, both doing their best to try and step on the other’s nerves as little as possible.

But that ice can’t help but melt the longer the duo are forced to remain together. In fact, Harry finds himself subtly drawn in by Erica’s wit and intelligence, discovering that there is more to female beauty than just a young nubile body. On the flip side, Erica observes that Harry is much more than the gluttonous cretin she first suspected. He’s mentally acute and a surprisingly good-spirited gentleman, and despite some acicular misgivings the 60-year-old divorcee finds herself falling in love.

There are complications, of course. For one, while Harry is more than welcome to admit he might be wrong about women his own age – and more than disposed to confess an attraction to Erica – he still doesn’t see a need to give up buxom 20-somethings any time soon. As for the playwright, she finds herself being pursued by the amorous Dr. Mercer, the 36-year-old physician completely captivated by her sublime charms.

Meyers is not one for surprising her audience. Like past films “What Women Want” and Disney’s “The Parent Trap” remake, “Something’s Gotta Give” moves in traditional (almost cliché) fashion. The final act of the movie almost drowns in obviousness, the roads Erica and Harry take to their mutual Parisian togetherness unbelievably over-familiar. Yet, I can’t bring myself to come down to hard on the picture. Its heart is very much in the right place, and it is incredibly rare to see a movie approach latter-day love with such panache and acumen.

In fact, the first half of “Something’s Gotta Give” is really special. Both Keaton and Nicholson dive into their roles with fearless abandon. I got the feeling, each working with the other for the first time since Warren Beatty’s “Reds,” these two screen icons were intent on bringing out the best in one another. Keaton, in particular, is a revelation. Her Erica is one of the most fully fleshed out modern-day career women to have graced the screen in ages. Going from cynical to hopeful to sarcastic to distraught in a momentary heartbeat, Keaton makes an indelible impression like few other actors this year. In all honesty, it is her – and her alone – that makes me feel such amazing good will towards Meyers’ film, the actress’ brilliance more than enough to make up for all of the writer/director’s shortcomings.

All in all, this is an astoundingly old-fashioned romantic comedy rooted in the most featherweight Katherine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy tradition. The dialogue is witty and full of spark, and the colorful supporting cast easily morph right into their stolid character roles. Granted, I wish that Meyers had given McDormand more to do than express one brilliantly delivered dinnertime monologue, the beauties Oscar-winner disappearing for much of the rest of the picture. And, while this is by far the most effervescent and charming (not to mention deeply sexy) Reeves has ever been on screen, he’s still not the greatest actor in the world and he’s unavoidably dwarfed every time he’s forced to share the screen with either Nicholson or Keaton.

Still, it's not like I didn’t have a good time. Every time I thought the movie was going to wear out its welcome by drooping into routine aphorism, the two stars do something magical to make me forget how perturbed I was about to get. In this case, the only thing that I ended up giving up with “Something’s Gotta Give” was my negative attitudes, Keaton and company sending me out of the theater with a well-earned smile.

Rating: êêê  (out of 4)

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