Not as good as it got

Rating: 4/10 (8 June 2019)

Considering the awards and praise this popular comedy received, the result is a drawn out and mediocre affair with too many characters that serve little purpose where a shorter, more focused script would have alleviated the the tediun and seeming endlessness of this movie that feels like a pilot for a TV series.. The script is awkward and contrived with the lead characters not seemingly meant for one another; the ending was not a happy one for me. Nicholson lacks charm where say Kevin Kline might have made it work, Hunt periodically turns on the waterworks and Kinnear is a bland stereotype. The film is occasionally maudlin with Shirley Knight and the dog giving the best performances.