Greetings again from the darkness. Despite my finding Paul Reiser ("Mad About You") somewhat annoying, I had pretty high hopes for this one. Reiser wrote and stars in this semi-autobiographical tale about the relationships in a family.
Peter Falk ("Columbo") is at his peak as the spunky dad who is irritated by the whole notion that possibly he wasn't a caring enough husband or father. The bulk of the movie is spent with Reiser attempting to get his dad (Falk) to understand the mom/wife's disappointment with her life in the marriage. Reiser does this by offering examples of his own disappointment and realizes that he himself may be overcompensating in his marriage so that he avoids the pitfalls he watched his parents take. If this sounds like a lot of Blah, Blah, Blah ... you are right. The only saving grace is the terrific performance by Falk and the fact that it is a father and son blabbering and not another mother/daughter crisis.
Very good casting keeps this one from flying too far off course. Olympia Dukakis adds a touch of class and even Elizabeth Perkins is almost likable as Reiser's wife. If you are like me and find Reiser's staccato-style yammerings to be nothing but a cheap imitation of Woody Allen, take heart that Falk's performance and the beautiful countryside of upstate New York will keep you from wasting two hours.
Peter Falk ("Columbo") is at his peak as the spunky dad who is irritated by the whole notion that possibly he wasn't a caring enough husband or father. The bulk of the movie is spent with Reiser attempting to get his dad (Falk) to understand the mom/wife's disappointment with her life in the marriage. Reiser does this by offering examples of his own disappointment and realizes that he himself may be overcompensating in his marriage so that he avoids the pitfalls he watched his parents take. If this sounds like a lot of Blah, Blah, Blah ... you are right. The only saving grace is the terrific performance by Falk and the fact that it is a father and son blabbering and not another mother/daughter crisis.
Very good casting keeps this one from flying too far off course. Olympia Dukakis adds a touch of class and even Elizabeth Perkins is almost likable as Reiser's wife. If you are like me and find Reiser's staccato-style yammerings to be nothing but a cheap imitation of Woody Allen, take heart that Falk's performance and the beautiful countryside of upstate New York will keep you from wasting two hours.