wjspears

Kim Basinger never got the recognition I think she deserves for her comic performances and Nadine was one of her best roles. Apparently the director, Robert Benton, wrote this film precisely for Basinger to perform in.

Kim plays a pretty working class woman who is at a crossroads in her life when the movie starts. She is set on divorcing her husband, Jeff Bridges, who is dreamy looking, but unfortunately a dreamer in his life as well.

Jeff Bridges is a working class guy who owns a bar that is hemorrhaging money, but is still making big plans for the future.

Everything would probably go as Nadine plans except that she has just learned that she is pregnant with Bridges and her's baby.

The plot revolves around some "artistic pictures" Nadine regrets having sat for. Nadine wants the pictures back, plus negatives. But the sleazy photographer has no intention of giving the photos up. Unfortunately for the photographer, and Nadine as well who happens to be in the office at the time, the photographer ends up being stabbed to death--for totally unrelated photos he took.

Nadine flees the scene with what she believes to be her "artistic photos", but of course they are the other photos.

Mayhem ensues. It is not a particularly original story, but with Basinger on the run, and bringing her hapless ex along, it is an enjoyable romp, The supporting cast is well selected, especially a menacing, bearded Rip Torn.

Roger Ebert, in his review, wrote that he didn't laugh very much. That is a fair, This is not a "knee-slapper movie. But it was a movie that I found myself smiling at, a whole lot the first time I watched it years ago, and just recently upon revisiting it. . Basinger and Bridges are appealing couple, even as they snap and snipe at one another.

And watching Kim Basinger scamper through this whole movie in heels--because, of course, Nadine would not be caught dead wearing flats--is a hoot all by itself.