One thing’s for sure, Something’s Gotta Give is certainly not As Good as it Gets; though it certainly feels like it’s trying to be in ways. No, Something’s Gotta Give, despite its pretension towards sophistication, actually ends up among the lines of Under the Tuscan Sun.

I’ll be the first to say that love stories are generally universal, but Something’s Gotta Give is clearly aimed at an older audience – and not just because of the age of its characters. Along with the characters, the situations, the issues and the humor all feel geared towards the older generation. Much like Tuscan Sun, this movie feels like it’s therapy for depressed, divorced, middle-aged women.

The depressed, divorced, middle-aged woman in question is Erica Barry (Diane Keaton). Despite living with her upbeat sister, Zoe (Frances McDormand), she’s lonely and longing for affection. She lives a quite life writing plays which are directed by her ex-husband.

Things change when she meets Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson), a rich executive who’s been dating her daughter. He quickly becomes housebound after having a heart-attack, and though Erica hates him at first, she eventually starts to fall for him. The situation gets complicated as Harry’s doctor, Julian (Keanu Reeves), falls in love with Erica for reasons that are never really explained.

What follows is a traditional romantic comedy which is rather light on the comedy. Give goes on way too long, largely because the longer it runs the sillier it gets. It does have its more touching moments though, particularly as Harry begins to grow up and come to terms with himself.

I like Jack Nicholson, and though his character is certainly interesting here, it’s still something of a letdown from the contemplative About Schmidt. And Diane Keaton, though certainly good, is still a bit much for me. Keaton’s whole performance was a little too close to overacting for me to get into.

Something’s Gotta Give always felt like it was trying to be smarter than it actually was, trying to be funnier than it actually was, and trying to be more affecting than it actually was. Maybe it’s just me; maybe I’m just too young. Whatever the case, I just didn’t feel it.

Year: