Irreconcilable Differences

Someone above said she's not real in this. I thought she was very real. Her closing comments to the court are priceless and truthful. Also funny and dramatic is star Shelley Long, who is sunk with bad hairstyles and colors throughout the film. Did she tee off the film's stylist? Ryan's excellent and looks hot. Sharon Stone's the funniest I've ever seen her. My favorite line: "Dammit, Dottie this Tab is warm! Really mother, for $600 a week I expect you to know the difference between hot and cold!" This film's comments on the Hollywood scene are great because Charles Shyer & Nancy Meyers have lived it. Underrated. DVD, please. p.s. Closing song is dated and maudlin, badly performed by Sinatra. Written by Peter Allen & Carole Bayer Sager. "You & Me (We Wanted It All)".

Say what you will about the Shyer-Meyers team ("Private Benjamin", "Father Of The Bride", "Baby Boom"), they know how to craft a movie, often exploiting every ounce of sentiment from their scripts. "Irreconcilable Differences" is somewhat of a departure for them however, a depiction of neurotic movie people, denizens of Hollywood, who have hardly any good points. As soon as the young couple finds success, it's a rich road downhill. The plot set-up has youngster Drew Barrymore trying to emancipate herself away from her famous mom and dad, and the H-Wood high-life is shown as both cause and effect. A terrific sequence involving Sharon Stone in a quasi-musical version of "Gone With The Wind" is satiric comic genius, yet the movie is so hard on its players, so brittle and tough, it's difficult to shake off the bad vibes even as the third act winds down to a sunny conclusion. Perceptively, the screenplay includes many awful (and awfully funny) truths about marriage, money and careers, but the cynical undermining of the picture may put fluff-oriented viewers off. ***1/2 from ****

Ryan O'Neal and Shelley Long are perfectly matched in this movie about a couple in a marriage that falls apart due to family vs. career. An eight year old Drew Barrymore is very impressive as a child who attempts to divorce her parents because they neglect her. Thrown in for good measure is an intrepid look at the movie business and an early vixen like performance from Sharon Stone as the home wrecker.

This film is very balanced in its look at all the subjects involved. A very under rated movie that contains some acute observations about life's priorities (or lack of them).

"Irreconcilable Differences" is a very good seriocomedy about a Hollywood couple who are sued for divorce by their 9 year-old daughter. Ryan O'Neal, Shelley Long, and Drew Barrymore are well cast as the family torn apart by career, jealousy, and a little girl caught in the middle who just can't take it anymore with her parents' constant fighting. So as a result, she takes them to court, and the three members of the family tell their story (shown in flashback). Directed by Charles Shyer from a screenplay by Shyer and Nancy Meyers, "Irreconcilable Differences" shows us what its like to be in the Hollywood film industry which is fascinatingly detailed here. One hilarious scene is the part when acclaimed film director O'Neal is shooting a movie which appears to be a musical remake of "Gone With The Wind". A very young Sharon Stone stars as the actress playing the character modeled after Scarlett O'Hara. I was cracking up during that scene because it's naturally funny. But there are touching moments too, especially the early scenes when the O'Neal and Long characters first meet. Plus the scenes after they have their daughter are sweet and tender. "Irreconcilable Differences" is an underrated movie that deserved more attention than it received when released in 1984. It's a well-acted, well-written film.

*** (out of four)

Drew Barrymore is probably one of the youngest actresses to receive a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in this film. This role came after her ET fame, remember her as little Gertie. Pity the other stars in that Spielberg film never became the household name that surprisingly that Drew has accomplished. She has got quite a pedigree with the Barrymore legacy. Despite her personal problems, Drew really is a solid actress with a lifetime behind her. Anyway, I never saw this film until Sunday. I remember it being out but I have to say when I was 11 years old, I wanted to be Drew Barrymore (that was before I knew what happened to her). So I guess, I didn't watch it out of envy. I like the casting of Shelley Long who is probably one of the greatest female comediennes of our time who never gets enough work in my opinion to let her talents shine. She can do both drama and comedy equally well. She combines them both in this role as a desperate housewife turned writer. I like the way the film is set up with blame on both father and mother. Sharon Stone debuts in this film too. Ryan O'Neal is worth mentioning because I don't think he was acting in this film. It just hit too close to home. SO you want a good comedy from the eighties, this is pretty good. It's probably a classic compared to contemporary comedy that has become both vulgar and profane.