Les grincheux

John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) are neighbors living in snowy Minnesota who have been fighting with each other for several years.Then a lovely widow called Ariel Truax (Ann-Margret) moves to the street.That means competition between John and Max.Grumpy Old Men from 1993 is great fun for seniors and juniors.I'm only 18 but I'm getting older all the time.Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau were great together.Unfortunately Walter died to a heart attack last July at the age of 79.There are also some other great actors in the movie, including Ossie Davis, Daryl Hannah and Kevin Pollak.Burgess Meredith (1909-1997) is brilliant playing Lemmon's father in the movie.Grumpy Old Men is a heart warming comedy with lots of terrific scenes with Lemmon and Matthau.Don't miss the bloopers during credits.And don't miss this movie.

I enjoyed "Grumpy Old Men" but was surprised as it seemed less funny than I expected and was more a poignant slice of life film...especially at the end. This is not a complaint...just an observation.

The story is about two neighbors, John and Max (Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau) who seem to hate each other but who also have a long history and a complicated relationship. They act as if they hate each other but over time it's not so clear. During much of the movie, the pair argue over a younger woman (Ann-Margret) who moves onto their block...they each want her and it only stokes their rivalry. See the film to see where all this goes.

The best thing about the movie was the acting. Late in the film in particular, the actors (particularly Matthau) show amazing range without even saying something. A real touching story...not to be missed.

I write this in 2001. Sadly, at this time, all three of the "Grumpy Old Men" (Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Burgess Meredith) have now passed on. But this film will show that some of your best work can come in your golden years.

I first saw "Grumpy Old Men" against protest. Though I'd heard of its legacy at being "SO funny!"-- I rebelled against the idea of seeing two foul old guys yelling at each other. One night, my parents rented it-- and I happened to be staying at their house that night-- so I popped it in the VCR and watched it.

I went to bed in pain that night because my abdomen was sore from laughing so hard. It took over 3 hours for me to watch the whole movie because I kept rewinding and watching the funniest parts over and over again.

Though the movie stars all VERY-seasoned and excellent actors & actresses-- one tends to forget that... and only sees "John and Max" going at it again. It's a fifty-year fight between these two mischievous old bags of hot-air. The movie becomes more exciting as it progresses-- because you get to wonder who's going to strike next and humiliate the other... Gustafson or Goldman?

Aside from a wonderful story line and script, there are some very memorable one-liners and quotes from both this and "Grumpier Old Men" (the sequel). The soundtrack is sprinkled with wonderful old songs, along with festive polka songs to set the atmosphere for the town of Wabasha, Minnesota-- a small Swedish-settlement in the North.

If you've not seen this movie, and you have a great sense of humor-- do yourself the favor of renting "Grumpy Old Men". It's a heart-warming, happy film that leaves you feeling good after seeing it. God rest all the souls of the stars of this film that are now no longer with us-- but enjoy one of their last gifts to us before they left.

After a hiatus of over a decade Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau came gloriously back in parts to suit their senior citizen status in Grumpy Old Men. They may move a little slower, but their comic timing hasn't slowed up one bit.

The setting is a small town in Minnesota where these two old neighbors and widowers have this rivalry going back for years. Next to the ice fishing which they and apparently everyone else enjoys during the winter, their favorite pastime is cracking wise and playing jokes to one up the other. One thing that has slowed up is their libidos.

But that's about to change when Ann-Margret moves across the street. The sight of a pretty woman right on the block is all these two old geezers need to get into action.

As for Ann-Margret she's a free spirit of sorts who's flattered with the attention. Matthau has another friend in high places, his son Kevin Pollak is elected mayor of their town. Lemmon has a daughter played by Darryl Hannah and a grandson and she's married to Christopher McDonald, but they're estranged. The kids like each other and both of their fathers.

Lemmon also has tax problems, he owes some big bucks to the IRS and the villain in Grumpy Old Men is tax man, a most officious Buck Henry. The IRS is an agency everyone hates because it's the only place where you really are guilty until proved innocent in the USA. What happens to Lemmon is all too true. I myself could tell you stories of the IRS problems I've had through no fault of my own. I never owed as much as Lemmon did however and all due to an accounting error while Lemmon was filing jointly with his wife when she was still alive over a decade earlier. Some eager beaver auditor at IRS caught it and the interest and penalties compounded have him ready to lose his house.

I also have to note the presence of another pair of old geezers in the cast, Ossie Davis and Burgess Meredith. Davis owns a convenience store and in the opinion of Lemmon charges outrageously for bait during the ice fishing season. And Meredith is Lemmon's nonagenarian father who is past the age of caring what anyone thinks of him or his opinions.

Grumpy Old Men is a wonderful film for the elderly. Now that I'm at the age of Lemmon's and Matthau's character, I can enjoy this now more than ever. For Geezers of all ages.

The opening credits in this film roll to the tune of "Heat Wave", and it was during a recent heat wave that I dusted off my well-worn copy of "Grumpy Old Men" and settled in to once again watch the first of four movies that made up the "second coming" of the Jack Lemmon/Walter Matthau team. To those who have not yet seen the movie, (yes, there may be a few) it was set (and filmed) in snowy Minnesota, which give the film an authentic small town feel that the talented set designers of Hollywood would be hard pressed to duplicate. From the stars' first lines in the film ("'Morning ****head", "Hello moron") we know what to expect, and the movie doesn't disappoint us. The verbal sparring between Max and John continues non-stop through 100+ laugh filled minutes. Both the plot and the ending are not quite believable, but who really cares? For those who want reality, there are many depressing films out there, not to mention the news- papers and CNN. I have never read if all the cast members were the first choices for the parts, but every one of the cast fits their roles perfectly. Ann-Margret has evolved from her dancing, grinding "sexpot" image in the 60's to a wonderful, natural actress. Burgess Meredith....what can I say? He's perfect as John's father, a crusty, lovable old man. The interplay between Jack and Burgess is so easy, and why not? Who better to play a 94 year old than the 80+ year old Meredith. While Burgess is lovable, Daryl Hannah is lovely. As John's daughter Melanie, I have never seen her look more beautiful and heart-melting as she does in this picture. Ozzie Davis, Kevin Pollak, and Buck Henry round out the cast, and bring their many talents to the picture. While much has been written about the comedy, very little is said about the realistic side of "Grumpy Old Men". There are a few fleeting scenes that reveal the heartache and loneliness of growing old. And John's dealings with the I.R.S. in the movie, while hilarious, points out what can happen when the machine-like IRS process starts to roll over an individual not caring about the human-real life side of the situation. The only "downer" for me in again watching this movie is the knowlege that the string is over. Walter and Jack and Burgess are gone. I can't watch this movie without feeling just a tinge of sorrow. When most actors their age pass on, we feel sorrow, and then watch their classics from decades ago. With Walter and Jack the best was yet to come. I have read elsewhere that scripts were in the works for "Grumpy Old Men 3" and "Odd Couple 3". Who knows how many more successful films this brilliant team could have made together. I doubt if the formula for their success would have grown stale, because both Walter and Jack no longer acted....their roles where just an extension of themselves.

Whether it be Grumpy or Grumpier Old Men, "Odd Couple II", or "Out to Sea" we were as much visiting with old friends as we were watching a movie. Old friends get more endearing with age, and we would have never tired of new visits from them, no matter what the role. Burgess, Jack, and Walter.....wherever you are...thanks for the laughs you've given us over the years. You made us feel good, which is the best epitaph anyone could wish for.