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Best Friends (1982)
Starring Burt Reynolds, Goldie Hawn, Jessica Tandy, and Ron Silver. Cinematography by Jordan Cronenweth. Edited by Don Zimmerman. Produced by Norman Jewison and Patrick J. Palmer. Written by Valerie Curtin and Barry Levinson. Directed by Norman Jewison.
Richard and Paula are a romantically involved screenwriting team living in beautiful southern California. When they decide to buy a house together, the logical next step seems to be to get married. After some debate the couple finally ties the knot and they honeymoon across the country to visit their new in-laws. Both sets of parents prove to be insane, and the kids start following suit. Tensions are building between them for the first time in their relationship and on top of that they have a screenplay is already in production that they have yet to finish.
Best Friends is loosely based on the lives of the screenwriting pair of Valerie Curtin and Barry Levinson. Ironically, Curtin and Levinson ended their seven year marriage the same year this film came out. Professionalism seemingly triumphed over emotions as they continued to work with each other co-writing Unfaithfully Yours and Toys.
The story for Best Friends is along the same lines of later films like Meet the Parents and Fools Rush In, but is nowhere near as funny or rewarding. When things are good between the lovers, they are constantly sucking on each other’s faces. When things are bad they sling cruel remarks and make each other cry. The visual representation of their love is not balanced by the horrible things that they say to each other so in the end I really did feel like they would probably be better off separated. The film also appears to be merely trying it’s hand at comedy with the only laughs coming from the eccentricities of the aging in-laws and in a way they’re kind of sad too. I’m not going to lie and say I never chuckled, but I left them film feeling more down than up.
Budget: $???
Total US Gross: $36,670,556
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Runtime: 116 Minutes
US Release Date: 12/17/82
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Awards: Academy Awards: Nominated for best original song. Golden Globes: Nominated for best actress in a comedy or musical.
Tagline: What A Present For Christmas.
Quote: “I told you that marriage would screw up the relationship!”
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