BBBB
(out of 5)
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.
Columbia Pictures Corporation, Warner Bros., Waverly Films
USA, 2003
Directed by Nancy Meyers
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 Award Nomination
Best Actress in a Leading Role (Diane Keaton as “Erica Barry”)
Golden Globe Award
Best Performance By An Actress in a Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical (Diane Keaton)
Nomination
Best Performance By An Actor in a Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical (Jack Nicholson)
National Board Of Review Award
Best Actress (Diane Keaton)
Screen Actors Guild Award Nomination
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Diane Keaton)
