Divorzio all'americana

The American suburbs are filled with bickering married couples. Richard (Dick Van Dyke) and Barbara Harmon (Debbie Reynolds) are exactly one of those couples. They descend into an acrimonious divorce. Richard is left with $87.30 a week. Nelson Downes (Jason Robards) is a fellow divorced husband who takes a close interest in him with ex-wife Nancy Downes (Jean Simmons). They come up with a scheme to fix everybody.

This is a black comedy with a bitterness that may be too bitter for some viewers. The movie is tainted by a depressing feel which suppresses it comedic side. Nevertheless, there is some dark fun to be had and Norman Lear has sharpened his pencil to deliver a few deadly swipes at the modern marriage and the divorce legal system. I didn't actually laugh much but the subject jabs are still appreciated.

If you've seen the precursor, Divorce Italian Style, you know that these movies are going to be silly. This version, which pokes fun of American marriages, really belongs in the 1960s culture. There's a definite style to the humor, and a very dated feel of the situations, so be prepared if you decide to rent it.

Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds are unhappily married with almost twenty years of bickering under their belts. Before middle age comes around the corner, they decide to call it quits and get a divorce. But what they thought would solve all their problems only complicates matters. The legal red tape drags on, and the settlement is grossly unfair. Dick hilariously quips, "The uranium mine to Barbara, and the shaft to me," during a meeting with their lawyers. Starting over and meeting new people is also more complicated than either of them thought. With well meaning friends setting them up, they discover that strangers are just that: strange.

Basically, some people will love this movie and some people won't. It's an example of "the devil you know" argument set to a marital comedy, and if you don't agree with the screenwriter's point of view, you probably won't like it. I really liked Van Johnson's character, and even though he shows up towards the end when the whole movie turns a bit silly, I was really hoping for him to find a happy ending. Jean Simmons, the "predator" who targets Dick as her latest conquest, is also far more likable than Debbie's character. She doesn't have any actual acting to do, but it would be nice if a movie showed the benefits of starting over instead of the age old theme that dominates Hollywood stories.

It's amazing how preconceptions can affect a movie's popularity. Multiple reviewers seem to feel Divorce American Style should be "funnier," because they've apparently decided it's a comedy. (And one of a particular type, presumably.) Unfortunately, this isn't a film that fits into any such predefined mold. It's a dark satire, dealing with the insane approach to divorce current at the time of its making (especially in California). And it succeeds splendidly on that level.

No, we're not expected to guffaw as we watch Dick Van Dyke being first railroaded into divorce, then reduced to poverty by punitive alimony payments. We're expected to shake our heads and smile wryly at the folly of the times. And to walk out just a little more determined to push for true equality of the sexes, and a truly rational legal framework for their relations.

We're not there yet, but things have moved forward so unimaginably far that today's viewers may not understand the attitudes in this film. To put it in context, compare it to The Dick Van Dyke Show. Divorce was utterly unthinkable in the cozy world of Rob and Laura Petrie. Yet here, just a few years later, we see Van Dyke and Reynolds playing essentially the same Rob and Laura roles, and not only admitting the possibility of divorce, but tackling some of its uglier ramifications. It was a huge leap forward, for Van Dyke, for Hollywood, and for society as a whole.

Of course, on a dramatic level, Divorce American Style still has a lot of that old-time Dick Van Dyke Show sensibility. But it's sharper than many similar films of the time (courtesy of Norman Lear, no doubt), and benefits from some great performances (especially by Dick Van Dyke, Debbie Reynolds and Jason Robards). The conditions it dissects may no longer exist, but that doesn't have to spoil our enjoyment.

I'm 71 years old. I'll start there. That is either a disclaimer or, possibly a source of insight concerning the subject of the movie. I don't know which. Anyway, there are some moderately funny moments in the film. The best of them is probably when some families meet-up to gather and sorting through their many children for parental visitation. Most of the film is a satirical look at marriage, and divorce in suburban America. Of course it is a satirical look at suburban marriage and divorce as it was 50+ years ago, not so much today. That may be why I liked the movie when I saw it 20 years ago more than I did when I saw it yesterday. Although some of that might be just a matter of my taste in comedy has changed through the years.

Dick VanDyke is the husband. He does a surprising good job in the part. Debbie Reynolds is the wife. She too, is good. The film's producers went right to the cream of the crop in terms of secondary casting with Jason Robards Jr., Jean Simmons and Van Johnson all chipping in.

Finally, Divorce, American Style makes me want to throw in my opinion concerning marriage. I will spare anyone who happens to read this review the pain of that. I will say that the urge to give that opinion might actually say something positive about the movie. Or, maybe it says something negative. Once again, I don't know which.

DIVORCE American STYLE was an offbeat and surprisingly adult (for 1967) that starred Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds as Richard and Barbara Harmon, a wealthy California couple who divorce after 17 years of marriage and the adjustments both try to make being single once more. Smartly directed by Bud Yorkin and co-written by future TV icon Norman Lear, this biting satire died at the box office at the time of release, but is really a well-made and quite revealing comedy about the ins and outs of marriage, divorce, and all the little banalities that these subjects bring about. Yorkin directs with a master hand here...I love the scene right after Richard and Barbara's dinner party where they undress for bed in total silence, getting in each other's way but not saying a word to each other, just "Bury you in six feet under" looks. Or when Richard and his best friend (Joe Flynn)and Barbara and her best friend (Emmaline Henry) arrive at the bank at the same time to clean out their bank accounts and safety deposit box...another scene done with no dialogue but so smartly staged, dialogue is not needed. The supporting cast is first rate...Jason Robards is surprisingly funny as Nelson Downs, a divorce victim who tries to set Richard up with his ex (the lovely Jean Simmons) so that he doesn't have to pay alimony anymore. Lee Grant, Tom Bosley, Van Johnson, Eileen Brennan, Shelley Berman, and Dick Gautier also contribute funny bits. A very young Tim Matheson also appears as Richard and Barbara's eldest son. This delicious and slightly twisted comic confection from the mind of Norman Lear is a delight from beginning to end and if you've never seen it, it's worth a look.