Lives up to its title

Rating: 10/10 (16 February 1999)

I'm a big James L. Brooks fan, so I was anxiously awaiting this movie, and though I preferred the original title (OLD FRIENDS), that proved to be my only complaint. Brooks is one of the masters at combining comedy with drama, and he's also great at writing dialogue (the "noodle salad" speech is a highlight). I should also say though I'm not familiar with Mark Andrus' work, he obviously deserves credit for writing the original script, which Brooks re-wrote.
A lot has been said about Nicholson, but let me just say this; I have friends who work with obsessive-compulsive people, and people who suffer similar disorders, and they said Nicholson captured what being an obsessive-compulsive is to a T. I also liked how gradual he changed, that his progress is slow, and that he still makes mistakes when he's unsure (like when Carol comes on to him and he asks her to sleep with Simon).
There also seems to be a backlash against Hunt, and I for one would like to nip that in the bud. A single mom is the type of role that other actresses might use to call attention to themselves, but Hunt never does. And again, she concentrates on building her character gradually as well, and making her recognizable (the fact that the only way she can thank the doctor(Harold Ramis) who helps her son is to hug him, even though they don't know each other and he's obviously embarrassed). Finally, Kinnear gives his first really good performance as Simon. All in all, an excellent film!