SOMETHING’S GOTTA GIVE

by Jane Louise Boursaw

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, brief nudity, and strong language. 128 minutes.

Who says they’re not making great parts for older actors?! Something’s Gotta Give puts that notion to rest, as Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton pair up in this light romantic comedy reminiscent of classic Hepburn-Tracy films.

Nicholson stars as Harry Sanborn, a music mogul who only dates women under 30. He and his latest girlfriend, Marin (Amanda Peet) drop in at the Hamptons, N.Y., house owned by her divorced playwright mother, Erica Barry (Keaton). While fooling around with Marin, Harry suffers a heart attack and is forced to recuperate at the house, under the care of Erica. They’re surprised to learn they actually enjoy each other’s company, but Erica has another suitor: the handsome young doctor (Keanu Reeves) who helped save Harry’s life.

This little ditty is all about the dynamic between Jack and Diane, penned smartly by writer-director Nancy Meyers (Private Benjamin, What Women Want). With plenty of funny, feel-good moments, it’s a swell love story for an age group often overlooked by Hollywood. The two veteran actors light up the screen with their screwball antics and awkward bedroom scenes. 

Keaton is one of the few actors who can hold her own with Nicholson, and I can’t help but think this is what Annie Hall would have been like in her later years. I can just see these two chasing lobsters around the kitchen. Maybe they’re saving that for Something’s Gotta Give II. We can only hope.

SCORE: 3 out of 4 Reels.

DVD EXTRAS: Audio commentary from Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, writer/director Nancy Meyers, and producer Bruce Block; deleted scene, Hamptons House Set Tour with Amanda Peet.

TRIVIA: Nancy Meyers wrote the parts of Erica and Harry specifically for Keaton and Nicholson. Twentieth Century Fox declined making the film, citing that the leads were too old. It was eventually picked up by Warner Bros. and Columbia Pictures.

JANE'S REEL RATING SYSTEM:

One Reel – Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it.

Two Reels – Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.

Three Reels – Pleasant. Something to talk about.

Four Reels – Wow!  The stuff dreams are made of.

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