LIVING OUT LOUD (New Line) Starring: Holly Hunter, Danny DeVito, Queen Latifah, Martin Donovan. Screenplay: Richard LaGravenese. Producers: Michael Shamberg, Danny DeVito and Stacey Sher. Director: Richard LaGravenese. MPAA Rating: R (profanity, adult themes, drug use, brief nudity) Running Time: 93 minutes. Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.
Judith Moore Nelson (Holly Hunter) is a woman sort of on the verge of a nervous breakdown. On the surface she appears to have it all, from a professional career as a nurse to a spacious Manhattan co-op apartment. Underneath, she's still reeling from her husband (Martin Donovan) leaving her for a younger woman. Alone in her apartment, she fantasizes about committing suicide; sitting alone in a restaurant, she fantasizes about being invited into the company of two friendly women. Living single has left Judith frazzled, overwhelmed and unsure what her next step in life is going to be.
No, it's not the plot for an episode of "Ally McBeal," though it sure seems like it at times. Writer and first-time director Richard LaGravenese sets up LIVING OUT LOUD as a wistful comedy about adults reaching a point in their lives where they wonder if it's too late to make up for their bad decisions. In addition to Judith, we meet Pat (Danny DeVito), the elevator operator in Judith's building and a man with problems of his own. Divorced and coping with the recent death of his young daughter, Pat is a big dreamer perpetually just one step ahead of complete financial ruin. When Judith actually strikes up a conversation with him one evening and the two begin spending time together, we get to see the power of simple companionship for people who need a break from the company of their own thoughts.
At least initially, it appears that LIVING OUT LOUD is going to balance the stories of its two main characters, and that's when the film is at its best. DeVito's performance may be his best screen work to date, finding the romanticism at the heart of Pat's irresponsibility. Playing a decent guy is one of an actor's toughest challenges, but DeVito makes Pat a genuinely decent guy who's also an interesting guy. With Queen Latifah added to the mix as a singer with unique relationship issues, there's an earthy counter-point for Hunter's nervous energy.
The importance of that counter-point is only truly evident when it's gone. At 93 minutes, LIVING OUT LOUD feels strangely incomplete, perhaps because Pat vanishes into the background in the final half of the film and Judith takes over completely. Unfortunately, a little of Judith goes a long way. While it's easy to sympathize with her situation, it's much harder to sympathize with her, because -- to put it bluntly -- she grows annoying to spend time with. Holly Hunter is a very talented actress, but here she acts with mannerisms instead of finding the character's emotional center. She plays Judith like an alien investigating the world -- an interesting choice for a character in existential crisis, but one that underlines things rather than letting them unfold. In nearly every scene, you can see Hunter's acting muscles bulging and flexing.
LIVING OUT LOUD still manages to be somewhat satisfying, largely thanks to DeVito and LaGravenese. For a writer making his first venture into directing, LaGravenese shows a solid cinematic sensibility, though he does also let the camera linger on people delivering dialogue. It's wonderful to find a writer actually writing for grown-ups, and some of his tart lines and absurdist fantasy situations are fun in bits and pieces, but ultimately LIVING OUT LOUD is a frustrating experience. It could have been an off-beat love story, or even an off-beat friendship story -- in either case, a story about two people who help each other stop living inside their dreams and start living out loud. Instead, it's primarily about the contributions other people make to one quirky woman finding herself. All that's missing is a computer-generated baby dancing to "Hooked on a Feeling."
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 Holly McBeals: 6.
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