‘Give’ fun flick for the ladies

PEGGY J. ROGERS

Writer-director Nancy Meyer’s newest romantic comedy, “Something’s

Gotta Give,” delights in exaggerating the thorny differences that

flare up between mid-life adults who discover they’re as repelled by

each other as much as they’re attracted to each other.

The story focuses on what the two leading characters are thinking

and feeling in their situations. There are no pressing outside

problems to overcome or enemies to defeat for their relationship to

progress. No one stands in the way of their relationship except what

they cause themselves.

Jack Nicholson drew inspiration from his real-life, bad-boy image

to play Harry Sanborn, a 60-something man who believes he’s the envy

of everyone for having dated younger women for 40 years. How does he

do it? He’s rich and able to keep up with the under-30s generation

thanks to advances in modern medicine.

Erica Barry (Diane Keaton) is a successful playwright and virgin

once removed. She’s only had sex with her ex-husband. For Erica, sex

and love are synonymous. Although rich like Harry, Erica is far more

reclusive and exclusive -- she could even be considered stodgy.

Harry’s weekend beach-house date with Marian is interrupted when

her mother, Erica, shows up to work on her next play. Within minutes

of meeting each other, Erica and Harry have sized each other up,

realized they loathe each other and proceed to vent their opinions.

Harry tries to make a quick exit, but a heart attack prolongs his

stay in Erica’s home, where he’s forced to rest and recover. With

only each other for company, their attraction surfaces. Once that

happens, all hell breaks loose -- it is after all, a romantic comedy.

Meyer mixes contemporary social issues with comedy as she has in

her previous films starring Keaton. “Baby Boom” addressed the issue

of single working mothers, while the first and second “Father of the

Bride” dealt with empty-nesters and having pre-menopausal babies.

“Something’s Gotta Give” is a mid-life romance that pokes fun at

acceptable dating protocol between adults. It’s an issue of older men

dating younger women and younger men dating older women. The comedy

goes for the exaggerated laughs over easy solutions to the dating

trend outside one’s age group.

“Something’s Gotta Give” is at its best when dealing with the

different expectations Erica and Harry bring to their relationship.

She wants commitment and he wants his freedom. At its worst, the

comedy treats Harry’s heart attack, recovery and subsequent

health-related problems on the same level as a paper cut --

completely unrealistic -- but it has its funny moments.

The target audience of the film is women. Men don’t know how to

derive the same pleasure as women when talking about their feelings,

and that’s what Erica and Harry spend most of their time doing --

explaining, describing and trying to sort out their feelings. So

ladies, leave the men at home, call up your friends and go enjoy a

good laugh.

* PEGGY J. ROGERS, 40, produces commercial videos and

documentaries.