Divorce à l'américaine

The strains of an almost 20 year marriage are starting to show in the marriage between Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds. So they've decided to get a divorce and just call it quits. And do it Divorce American Style.

With a script by among others Norman Lear Divorce American Style is a look at the institution of marriage and the troubles of going through a divorce. They certainly can leave a man and even now, let alone 1967 broken right down to the burlap. A wiser head Jason Robards, Jr. has his own agenda as far as the Van Dyke/Reynolds divorce is concerned.

Robards divorce from Jean Simmons is costing him plenty to. Simmons if she got married again would be someone else's financial burden. So get her to go out with Van Dyke. As for Reynolds, Robards and Simmons have an old friend in mind in used car king Van Johnson.

What was fascinating here is that in 1967 the idea of the working woman had not taken hold yet. Neither Reynolds or Simmons or various others of the female gender is working. In fact the only working woman I see is a hypnotist who has a lounge act where the climax of the film occurs.

There's a wonderful scene where divorce lawyers Dick Gauthier and Shelley Berman are making plans for golf outing in between Van Dyke and Reynolds. Lawyers too have lives away from their profession. There's also a nice scene with Lee Grant as an upscale prostitute.

We were just free of the code, but having leads like Van Dyke and Reynolds guarantees this film will be slightly naughty, but no more lest they offend the family audiences these cultivated in their careers.

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.

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.

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.

This dramedy follows a couple whose marriage has devolved into a daily battle. After sixteen years, they know what buttons to push, and they are skilled at belittling and berating each other. Richard and Barbara Harmon are played by Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds, talented comedians, but this film elicits few laughs. The script by Robert Kaufman and Norman Lear accentuates and satirizes the indignities of marriage and divorce, but finds little real humor.

The weekly shuffle of dual-custody children between households yields some kinetic chaos that could be ripe for comedy, but its basis in reality only reminds the viewer of the real costs to all concerned.

The economics of divorce are a harsh truth detailed in the film. One divorced couple strategizes about matchmaking between divorced men and women to alleviate the economic tolls of divorce settlements, but that portion of the story becomes less funny when real emotions muddle the plan. Watch for exes played by Jason Robards and Jean Simmons, who become objects of empathy.

How does it end? With love or enmity, depending upon how you look at it.