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All-Reviews.com Movie/Video Review
Story of Us
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 out of 4
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Review by Susan Granger
2½ stars out of 4
Instead of the usual vows, perhaps the marriage ceremony should
include the question: "Do you have any idea how difficult this is
going to be?" Because that's what intrigued filmmaker Rob Reiner to
wonder: Can any couple with two kids survive together for 15 years?
Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer play a suburban dad-and-mom whose
constant quarrels have made them decide on a trial separation while
their kids are in summer camp. As they fumble through the nitty-gritty
of living apart, flashbacks reveal what abrasive episodes led up to
their edgy estrangement. Basically, she's a crossword-puzzle creator
who's a highly organized, compulsive perfectionist while he's a
laid-back, playful writer who flourishes in an unstructured
existence. (One is tempted to interpret Willis' obviously raw hurt as
a spillover from his real-life divorce from Demi Moore.) Writers Alan
Zweibel and Jessie Nelson re-visit bittersweet marital territory
that's been explored many times before, stressing that any successful
relationship is a work-in-progress. One winces for the obvious hair
pieces and/or transplants Willis feels compelled to wear, while
Pfeiffer is so breathtakingly beautiful that her efforts to be a plain
housewife are pathetic. And when Jayne Meadows, Tom Poston, Betty
White, and Red Buttons pop up as the in-laws, you're acutely aware
that these are aging stars playing cameos. Nevertheless, Reiner's
slickly inventive direction and the sheer charm and likeability of
Willis and Pfeiffer prevail, set to the tune of Eric Clapton's guitar
strumming "I'm Sorry." On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "The
Story of Us" is a shaky, sentimental 6. It's "When Harry Met Sally" -
15 years later - with "best friend" Rita Wilson outrageously
attempting to update the orgasm-in-a-deli scene.
Copyright © 2000 Susan Granger
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