Written by: Nancy Meyers
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Keanu Reeves, Amanda Peet, Frances McDormand
Rating: [4/5]
When stuck in the same cycle of pleasure, one makes themselves susceptible to not realizing the best thing for them may lie outside of what they believe works best for them. For the character we follow in this feature, he so happens to have a fixation on having casual relationships with women half his age. This journey of realization allows for some meaningful growth all wrapped into a lovable story with some tremendous actors.
Refusing to date anyone over the age of 30, Harry (Jack Nicholson) heads out with his new girlfriend, Marin (Amanda Peet) to her mother’s beach house in the Hamptons. At the house, they run into her mother, Erica (Diane Keaton), which brings some awkwardness but following a heart attack, Harry needs to stay in the house for close observation by his doctor prior to traveling back home giving him plenty of alone time with Erica.
Older men having a fixation with younger women comes as no surprise to no one who exists in our society, especially those who follow Hollywood relationships. It says plenty about the men who pursue these women and why ones around their age do not scratch a particular itch they seek in relationships. The focus on an older man’s sexuality does add some intrigue, especially for Harry when engaging in sex too soon following his heart attack could induce another. Never thought I would learn about the idea of if a man can walk up a flight of steps he can then safely engage in sexual intercourse. Harry represents a textbook example of an older man fitting this bill where he likes to feel young and wanted by these younger women, which makes his inevitable romance with Erica a growing moment for him. I know, the bar’s incredibly low for men.
This relationship dynamic has its grounding in much more respect than whatever Harry wanted to do with Maren and the chemistry built between Keaton and Nicholson proves incredibly dynamite. Keaton, in particular absolutely shines in this feature in her portrayal of this divorcee who finds it difficult to maintain an interest in another love entanglement. She finds herself in a situation where she needs to pick between Harry and the young and handsome doctor Julian portrayed by Keanu Reeves. One does not have to be a genius to know which direction she goes with in the end knowing the genre but man did she deserve someone like Julian who respected her from the get-go. However, she’s the author of her own story much like in her career as a playwright and the relationship she builds with Harry makes enough sense in the story for her to make the inevitable decision she does.
While certainly handling the romantic elements of this feature well, Something’s Gotta Give also has some spectacular humor. Seriously, the sequence where Erica cries for consecutive days may represent Keaton’s very best comedic work to date in the way she hysterically cries at anything and everything because of her emotions. Keaton absolutely tears up this role with so much zeal displaying all of the great summer wear one would expect for someone who frequents the Hamptons during the summer. The same goes for Nicholson in his portrayal of this schlubby womanizer and he displays what makes him such an eligible bachelor to women with the natural charm the actor effortlessly brings to the role.
As with any Nancy Meyers film, the feature serves as home goals in the way it displays this Hampton house with the most gorgeous kitchen. Truly a place anyone would enjoy spending their time and she allows us to spend time with these characters as they experience everything it has to offer. It also builds upon the population typically focused on in Meyers’s film. Very wealthy types who could easily afford a home in the Hamptons, but she always manages to make them incredibly lovable characters we can easily enjoy following despite their lack of relatability on a class level. In the end, these individuals are humans who experience the same emotions as anyone else and evidently go through the same heartbreak and flutters that come with putting oneself out there emotionally.
A joyous occasion much like every Nancy Meyers feature film, Something’s Gotta Give has this airiness to it with these rich individuals struggling to choose each other amongst all of the other nonsense surrounding their lives. The humor of the feature matches very well with the romance pairing these two together culminating in something quite enjoyable with the help of two of the greatest actors we’ve ever had giving such charming and lovable performances in these roles. With fun supporting turns by Keanu Reeves, Amanda Peet, and Frances McDormand, this all culminates into something so full of charm that makes it a breezy watch for anyone to tune into and enjoy. When Meyers hits she usually knocks it out of the park and she very much does that this go-around.
Films with Josh 
