Divorce American Style
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Movie Reviews of Divorce American Style
Movie Review: THE GOOD OLD DAYS OF INTELLIGENT COMEDY
Summary: 5 Stars
I also agree that they should have the wide screen. Dick is excellent, and Debbie is OK. Being a comedy writer, I appreciate the outstanding script by Norman Lear. Very clever indeed! I like the part with all the divorced kids at one of the houses, with the poor little girl, with the SECURITY BLANKET, being left behind. Also very interesting, is the couple preparing for bed: how well they work together, even after a nasty fight. And don't forget the orchestra leader standing on top of the hill, waving his baton at all the fighting couples behow. A great movie!Movie Review: Divorce American Style
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the funniest movies ever. It's a shame most people have not seen it. It's hilarious, and Jason Robards is a total crack up. I would recommend this movie to anyone. I bought it and watch it every couple of months. It's a classic 60s comedy.Movie Review: "So, since when do men grow up? They just grow old. You know what I call this apartment sometimes? Boys' Town"
Summary: 4 Stars
Screenwriter Norman Lear well and truly blew the lid off the previously taboo subject of divorce, in the brilliant social satire DIVORCE AMERICAN STYLE in 1967. Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds play against type as a bitter married couple whose nightly fights end up landing them in divorce court.
Married for 17 years, Richard and Barbara Harmon (Van Dyke and Reynolds) have finally hit a stalemate in their relationship. Constantly fighting and squabbling over every single little thing, the obvious cure is divorce. The alimony and child support payments send Richard to the brink of the poverty line, where he meets fellow divorcee Nelson Downes (Jason Robards). Nelson operates as a matchmaker of sorts for his lonely ex-wife Nancy (Jean Simmons) and pretty soon, Richard is in love all over again; but he'll never be able to marry her and maintain Barbara's alimony at the same time. So Nelson and Nancy arrange for Barbara to "meet" rich car salesman Al Yearling (Van Johnson) in the hopes of an express trip down the wedding aisle...
DIVORCE AMERICAN STYLE ushered in a new wave of sophisticated romantic comedy with it's sharp script and canny performances. Dick Van Dyke must have relished playing against the "Rob Petrie" image and has great fun with his role. Jean Simmons is lovely; also keep your eyes out for an all-too-brief appearance from Eileen Brennan, playing Nelson's pregnant girlfriend (plus Emmaline Henry, aka Mrs Bellows from "I Dream of Jeannie"). Pat Collins (the "hip hypnotist"), has a self-indulgent cameo towards the end of the picture, but does little to provide a genuine look at what hypnotism can really do...her scene looks hideously staged and Collins sadly comes off as a real pretender, much the same as her cameo in an episode of "The Lucy Show".
Debbie Reynolds, also playing against type for the first time in her career, will amaze you with her ferocious performance as Barbara. In a recent interview, Ms Reynolds was quoted as saying: "'That was a really hard part to get. The producer (Norman Lear) didn't want me. He didn't think I could play a married, ordinary woman. I think he thought I had to be all "diva'd up" and in a musical. And yet I really wanted to do it, and I knew I could do it. I kept auditioning for it and finally they let me do it. And I thought I was good in that. We all had a good time doing it. And I think Norman Lear liked me in it, after it was all done."
DIVORCE AMERICAN STYLE is still light-years away from most of the rom-com dross on the shelf today. Pick it up where you can; I guarantee you'll be in for a rare treat.
Movie Review: Gorgeous mid-20th century design spoiled by full frame release
Summary: 3 Stars
This movie, besides being extremely well acted by all its stars (including the magnificent Jean Simmons in her mature prime) is also a beautifully designed and shot time capsule. What a shame that it was disrespected by a worthless "full frame" release.Movie Review: Another modern classic chopped up in stupid standard screen!
Summary: 1 Stars
Thank goodness Dick Van Dyke's brilliant Never A Dull Moment recently got the classy widescreen treatment it so richly deserved, but Divorce American Style? Nope! They threw it into the crummy standard screen bin, like it was a piece of trash!
I mean it only starred Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds, was directed by Bud Yorkin, with Conrad Hall as the Director of Photography. So I guess the studio (Columbia/Tristar) just didn't think these people were GOOD enough to deserve a widescreen release!
I will gladly buy this DVD, because the theatrical version was GREAT, but only IF it ever comes out in its original widescreen aspect ratio. Continue to boycott all standard screen butcher jobs, everyone!
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