GRUMPY OLD MEN
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 7.6
Date Released: 12/25/93 Running Length: 1:43 Rated: PG-13 (Language, mature themes)
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Ann-Margaret,
Burgess Meredith, Ossie Davis, Kevin Pollack,
Daryl Hannah
Director: Donald Petrie
Producers: John Davis and Richard C. Berman
Screenplay: Mark Steven Johnson
Music: Alan Silvestri
Released by Warner Brothers
Sometimes the films I enjoy the most aren't the ones I give a 9 to. For example, while FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE (to which I gave a 9.5) is an example of superior, powerful film making, this isn't a movie to be enjoyed for the pure magic of the entertainment that it brings. GRUMPY OLD MEN, on the other hand, is such a film, and while it won't come close to my top 10 best list for 1993, it will be right up there among the pictures that I had the most fun watching.
John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) have been neighbors since they were kids, and the feud between them has lasted almost as long. A state of uneasy coexistence is in place, with namecalling and practical jokes being common activities. Their rivalry turns more serious, however, when both of them become interested in the new neighbor across the street. Ariel (Ann-Margaret) is vivacious, beautiful, and alluring, and both John and Max find themselves smitten.
While not without its problems (some of which are readily apparent), GRUMPY OLD MEN works more often than it doesn't. It's an example of a frothy, good-natured holiday picture that adults can relax and enjoy. As a comedy, the movie is an unqualified success, with enough fresh humor to keep the laughs coming. Dramatically, however, things aren't as impressive. The attempts of GRUMPY OLD MEN to tackle a few serious themes come across as inoffensive but trite. There are formulas at work here, and anyone admitting to be surprised by the "plot twists" should hang his or her head in shame.
Fortunately, drama always plays second fiddle to comedy, and this is a very funny motion picture--surely one of the most consistently amusing of the year. There's everything from slapstick to puns, with a lot of clever audio and visual gags. Witness Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau's "performances" to the song "I'm too Sexy", Lemmon's send-up of Macaulay Culkin's aftershave scream from HOME ALONE, and the little dance number Lemmon does in his underwear.
The most amusing part of the film arrives at the least expected moment: during the end credits, which appear over a series of outtakes. These are real gems, especially the final one (which features Walter Matthau in a bathtub and occurs at the very end of the credits). This is one time when it's worth staying for the entire film.
Lemmon and Matthau are perfect for their roles as lifelong sparring partners, and while the development of John and Max as individuals is lacking, their relationship is brought into sharp focus. Of course, the pair are no strangers to this sort of interplay, having done it several times before, most memorably in THE ODD COUPLE. This is an example of perfect casting, as is the choice of Burgess Meredith as the tough- talking, dirty-minded patriarch of the Gustafson family.
Ann-Margaret is adequate as the catalyst of the newest phase in the Gustafson/Goldman feud, giving an energetic but not particularly memorable performance. Likewise, Kevin Pollack and Daryl Hannah are kept in the background and saddled with poorly-written characters whose functions are minimal (to her credit, Ms. Hannah does a pretty decent job with her material, and her unexpected competence caught me off guard). Ossie Davis, consummate professional that he is, takes a minor role and turns it into something special.
Most of those that attend a showing of GRUMPY OLD MEN will leave the theater with a smile on their face, which is basically what the movie is going for. The relatively unsuccessful dramatic elements, which are overly-sentimental and hamstrung by a too-pat resolution, are a small price to pay for everything else. This film joins recent productions such as THE CEMETERY CLUB and USED PEOPLE in delivering a more "mature" romantic comedy (i.e., one featuring older actors). However, where both of those films came across as rather hollow efforts, GRUMPY OLD MEN has enough vitality to see it through the thin spots.
I can't think of many better ways to spend the holiday season than with John Gustafson and Max Goldman. They may be irascible and stubborn, but they're a lot of fun--as long as you don't have to eat dinner with them.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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