Grumpy Old Men
December. 25,1993 PG-13For decades, next-door neighbors and former friends John and Max have feuded, trading insults and wicked pranks. When an attractive widow moves in nearby, their bad blood erupts into a high-stakes rivalry full of naughty jokes and adolescent hijinks.
Similar titles
You May Also Like
Reviews
Very Cool!!!
Just what I expected
Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
Well you're never going to convince me that someone who looks like Ann-Margret is going to wind up marrying a character like John Gustafson. I know, I know, it happens in real life sometimes; it's just that you're not going to convince me of it.But if you like to see a couple of old codgers go at it hammer and tong, then you'll get a kick out of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in this flick. Amicable enemies since childhood, they never let an opportunity for a good zinger go by, but underneath it all you know they have a soft spot for each other. It took that hospital scene to bring it out when Max (Matthau) had to break down and call Gustafson 'friend' in order to see him. Good timing there too, as you had to watch him think about it.By the time this picture was made, I guess you could say Ann-Margret was no spring chicken herself, but she can sure carry her age better than most. I like the way she challenged Gus to seek out new things, a bit of a subliminal message in the picture as a takeaway for anyone watching to stay young at heart. Sadly, most of the principals from the film have passed on (Lemmon, Matthau and Burgess Meredith), but with their movies and comedy as a legacy, they'll keep many a generation young at heart for a long time.
Grumpy Old Men is directed by Donald Petrie and written by Mark Steven Johnson. It stars Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Ann-Margret, Kevin Pollack, Burgess Meredith, Ossie Davis, Daryl Hannah and Buck Henry. Music is by Alan Silvestri and cinematography by Johnny E. Jensen.A lifelong feud between two neighbours has been continuing since for ever. Now in the twilight of their lives, things get worse when a new female neighbour moves across the street.A perennially fun viewing experience, one that boasts a wonderfully mature cast having a good time in the process. It would be easy to decry the formula, the trajectory of where it will go, and maybe stand tall and proclaim the writing isn't up to the standard of a Wilder or Simon movie, but that's kind of missing the point. It's a new era of film and the makers of Grumpy Old Men have tailored it to suit impressively the twin talents of Matthau and Lemmon. Both of whom are wonderful, their chemistry set in cement, their timing and reactions to scripting an utter joy. It's not without problems, anyone can see that, especially when the film veers onto the drama path, but the comedy over rides it all to leave a adult friendly holiday movie full of warmth and chuckles. 7/10
This movie was one of the best ever. It had it all - great acting, atmosphere (it felt like winter in Minnesota), a beautiful soundtrack, touching moments and most of all it was very, very funny. The cast was absolutely perfect. I don't know why some of the reviewers complained about watching old men swearing at each other and fighting. I think the title kinda implies that. If you don't like watching grumpy old men then a movie called "Grumpy Old Men" is probably not for you. Some people just take things too seriously. This is the kind of movie you can watch over and over again and it still makes you laugh or at least smile every time.
I read most of the reviews and, boy, am I in the minority. I found the movie semi-amusing and, for the most part, predictable. You know, two old guys duking it out verbally. There were a couple of hours of insults, back and forth, forth and back. Well delivered, of course, by wonderful vets Matthau, Lemon and Meredith.The major difference between this and similar endeavors is that the script herein was not written by Neil Simon. The individual who penned the lines in this flick would need a 10-foot pole to touch Simon's prose.As a little theater actor of many years, I can say that one of my favorite roles was Oscar in "The Odd Couple." (My second fave was Einstein in "Arsenic and Old Lace.")"Grumpy Old Men" was all right, but it was the same old, same old. As for "Grumpier Old Men," I'll pass.