That Old Feeling (1997)

Very well executed

As Good As It Gets

Absolutely Brilliant!

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

That Old Feeling (1997): Dir: Carl Reiner / Cast: Bette Midler, Dennis Farina, Paula Marshall, Danny Nucci, Gail O'Grady: Cruel comedy about the passion once felt by a couple now divorced. Paula Marshall is getting married and stressed about inviting her divorced parents. Dennis Farina and Bette Midler arrive and the bickering begins until Marshall orders them outside. This turns into an adulterous affair. Why would parents do this to their daughter on her wedding day? These parents are absent minded and selfish. Even worse is that the other characters are engaged in their own orgy. Predictable and shameless low for director Carl Reiner who once made hilarious insightful comedies such as The Jerk and Oh God. How h got reduced to this is a fact that is best not examined since he is known for material more intelligent than this. Farina and Midler are both talented comic actors capable of better than this. They aren't even remotely likable here. The fact that they lock Marshall in a hotel room so that they can continue their fling is revolting. Perhaps it might have been for the better for Marshall who is given little to do. Danny Nucci plays an obsessed photographer out to harass Midler while she is harassing her daughter. The film could have examined one's failed marriage and its desired passions but its humour dictates the experience as a joke, which is insulting. Score: 3 / 10

this is the kind of movie that i try to remember with a fondness even in excess to how i really feel about it, just to make up for the fact that i often fail to make any real converts to my strange passion for movies that work better than they should. That Old Feeling is a good example (others I could cite: My Fellow Americans, Odd Couple II) of just how hard it is to really convey the intimacy that certain long-term rancor breeds...Denise Farina (who first entered my hall of fame in Get Shorty, because he nailed it, the way he abuses Gene Hackman, the huge oft-broken nose...brilliant). And Bette needn't reprove herself to me, and though I'm hardly a die-hard fan, there's something so vibrant about Bette Middler as she negotiates her raging trysts with her loathed ex...That friction, the movie suggests, is central to any sort of authentic passion. And, like any closet-romantic, I am dazzled by the knowledge that Paula Marshall (Molly, the newlywed) ended up getting married to her costar Danny Nucci (plays a paparazzi following around Molly's mom--Bette Midler) a few years after shooting on the film wrapped. chemistry is crucial.

This movie just saved my day - I know this is not a movie for everyone, but I fell in love with in the first minutes. This movie has the certain "something", which I find rare in movies these days - you can clearly see that everyone has had great fun doing this. Bette Midler and Dennis Farina pull out the best roles, and the casting is awesome overall. I might just be naive, but this film kept surprising me all the time, and I can't recall the last time any movie has gone by so fast. There is not great depths in the plot, it's just plain old 'feel good have fun' hour and a half !Worked for me, went straight into my top ten !

This movie is adorable. I've seen it about six times but I never tire of it. I enjoy the comedy between Bette Midler and Dennis Farina, who are both fantastic, but watch this movie for Paula Marshall and Danny Nucci. They are both hilarious and sweet. This movie may not be the most popular one, but I'd rather watch this than many of the romantic comedies that have come out recently. Rent it, especially if you're a romantic comedy fan! It's great!!!