Riches et célèbres

In 1959, roommates Liz Hamilton (Jacqueline Bisset) and Merry Noel (Candice Bergen) are best friends in Smith College. Merry runs off to marry Doug Blake. Liz goes on to become a serious writer. Merry has a daughter, a large beach house in Malibu, and writes a trashy novel about her neighbors. Liz brings it to her publisher and Merry becomes an overwhelming success.

Hey! It's Meg Ryan in her debut. This wants to be a serious movie about a female friendship but at times, it falls down into trashy romance novels. Candice Bergen is too flighty and she doesn't fit the role. As for Bisset, she's solid until the movie gives her a boy toy. It's not so much a meet-cute but rather a creepy stalking. For every step forward, this movie takes a step back. The potential for a great movie about female friendship is here. It has two solid actresses. It needs more scenes with them together. They could show the changes in their relationship with those scenes. It also needs to cut out some of the more pulpy elements and clunky dialogue.

If you're old enough to remember when television networks aired movies of the week--usually part 1 on Sunday nights and part 2 on Tuesday nights--you'll probably understand how this film fits into that, at least in my view. Remakes, reboots, and reworkings have been a part of storytelling since it began, but the question I'm left with is...why? Why did someone decide that Old Acquaintance, with Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins, would work as an updated, R-rated film, especially with a television-like feel to it?

I disagree with reviewers who say this is wonderfully cast. Yes, there is chemistry between Bisset and Bergen, but that doesn't mean it works for the film as a whole. I do, however, agree that Bergen's southern accent is more than just distracting. She slips in and out of it so often, I wanted to stop watching.

The movie did, in my opinion, pick up around the 1 hr 30 min mark; and that's the only reason I watched it in its entirety. It was fun and slightly nostalgic to see Meg Ryan in her debut. And I also agree with other reviewers who comment on Ms. Bergen's cool wardrobe. I also reluctantly concede that Deleure's music score is too sappy for this production.

In all, it's average and nothing more. If you're big fans of either of the lead actresses, it's worth your time. Otherwise, it's kind of a snooze fest.

Gosh, I am learning pretty fast that sometimes when you see a film as a youngster and then again 20 years later you gain a different view -- primarily because in 20 years you learn more. For example, I had no idea who George Cukor was - how great of a director he was and how much of that made this film fly. All I can say is..I really liked this film for it touched on an area that paralleled my life: lifelong friendship between two women. Can that EVER exist? Well, in certain doses, yes...and this film let out in a bit on ... "how".

Being a youngster with not a lot of life experience at the first time I saw this so I focused more on the "rich" and "famous" part between the two. At the time, I had no idea there was a difference and what would happen to two women who discovered there was...and how that would effect their friendship. Through their men, their career, the decades that defined them. And coming to realize one thing remained stronger than anything else...their friendship and knowing each other more than anyone else could have.

Then I got older, studied film a bit... and watched this film again with my best friend from High School. We do understand the 'rich' and 'famous' angle ... and we are still the best of friends...but this film is not a cinematic masterpiece...it can be seen as a bit campy at times...a little over the top at points (kinda on a 'Dynasty' and 'Dallas' level to me..) and honestly I can identify with the "teddy bear" scene for we do share a bear that means a lot more than a stuffed fun toy through our trials and tribulations with men/careers, et al..so its not as over the top as it seems....! As many already said, seeing Meg Ryan and Matt Latanzzi and Dack Rambo and David Selby are great in this 1981 piece. this is a nice "chick" flick!

Screenwriter Gerald Ayres' crazy dialogue throughout "Rich and Famous", a remake of the Bette Davis chestnut "Old Acquaintance", continually sounds like failed poetry (or, perhaps, an amateur poet's idea of what movie dialogue should sound like). When college chums-turned-literary rivals Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen are arguing, Bisset refers to herself metaphorically as a dedicated dog. "One come into the yard, we'd kick it out!" Bergen hisses to her. Bisset: "They're refreshingly loyal!" Bergen: "They'd **** a snake if it stood still!" It gets worse. While cuddling with her boy-toy (a writer from Rolling Stone!), Bisset asks if men weep. Her fella says, "We have little hairs that stand up on the backs of our necks." Bisset: "Are your little hairs standing up?" This is a flaky, camp-melodrama, ostensibly aimed at just the sort of women depicted on-screen. Though the two ladies look beautiful, they're acting styles clash: Bisset, trying for depth, comes off as cold and dour; Bergen is hyped-up for a battle, yet her southern accent is shaky (to be charitable) and her approach to this part seems out of place--she's a puff pastry on a dinner table full of oysters. At the end of the film, New Year's Eve, Bisset is feeling lonely and reaches out to her lifelong friend/enemy/whatever. "I need the press of human flesh!" she whispers dramatically to Bergen. "And you are the only flesh around...kiss me!" Somebody send this writer back to movie-school. ** from ****

Not-bad-at-all swan song for the great George Cukor, a "women's picture" remake of 1944's "Old Acquaintance" that actually improves on it somewhat. That's thanks mostly to screenwriter Gerald Ayres, who has updated it in credible and interesting ways and cut down on some of the excesses of the genre. As old friends who become romantic and professional rivals, Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen appear to be having a marvelous time, and David Selby's quite all right in the Gig Young-ish role of the dreamboat who married the wrong Smith graduate. Cukor's venture into R-rated filmmaking is a little self- conscious, and he dwells perhaps too long on the various beautiful young men who make the acquaintance of these two, but it's professional, attractive filmmaking. Notable also for the fascinating party guests who turn up as extras--Nina Foch, Christopher Isherwood, etc.