NANCY MEYERS

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BBBB. 

USA, 2003.  Columbia Pictures Corporation, Warner Bros., Waverly Films.  Screenplay by Nancy Meyers.  Cinematography by Michael Ballhaus.  Produced by Bruce A. Block.  Music by Hans Zimmer.  Production Design by Jon Hutman.  Costume Design by Suzanne McCabe.  Film Editing by Joe Hutshing.  Academy Awards 2003.  Golden Globe Awards 2003.  National Board of Review Awards 2003.  Phoenix Film Critics Awards 2003.   

Jack Nicholson is vacationing with much younger girlfriend Amanda Peet at her Hamptons home when he collapses and has a heart attack. Forced to stay at her getaway until he recovers, he ends up stuck with her Broadway playwright mother (Diane Keaton) and the two fall in love. It then remains to be seen if Jack can handle a woman on his own level or if he needs to go back to the much simpler Peet, while Keaton gets tired of waiting for him to step up to the plate and starts to acknowledge the attentions of a handsome young doctor (Keanu Reeves) who is crazy about her. Nancy Meyers’ comedy follow-up to the idiotic What Women Want is a surprising winner, as overlong as her films tend to be, but full of such rich situations and genuine sentiment that it takes nothing away from the experience. The performances are the real draw here, particularly an awe-inspiring Keaton who gives a full-blooded (and devastatingly sexy) performance as this emotionally complicated woman who may not know exactly what she wants, but is damned if she’s going to be made miserable by it. Beautiful set design and photography add the Hollywood touch to an engaging and intelligent love story that one will never regret.