Something Short of Paradise (1979)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Blah romance has Susan Sarandon as a strength but is almost completely derailed by Steinberg. Not only does he have the screen charisma of a lemming the character he plays is an annoying jerk. The viewer could care less about whether the main couple get together which is fatal to this kind of film.Susan at this point was a rising actress, her big breakthrough came with her next film-Atlantic City, so she was working her way up playing whatever leads presented themselves which would explain her presence here but what about David Steinberg. Whoever thought he could make it as a leading man? His line readings lack inflection and his facial and body language are dull.Unless you're curious to see the young Susan Sarandon there are many much better films in this genre.

Why would anyone think he can steal from Woody Allen? Every gesture in this trifle is ripped from Allen's work. This is even down to the male protagonist running along a city street to meet the female protagonist (to set all right).The male protagonist believes fresh air is harmful. The film has the characters doing little silly things together—things that are not charming or funny.How did the production company get actors to participate in his mess? This movie is a disgrace. It is worst than dreadful. It ought to go into a vault with the door welded shut. I wish there were a score lower than one.The cab ride to the airport is the worst part of the movie (that is the spoiler alert.)There are even slurs on L.A.

SPOILER ALERT The something short refers to David Steinberg, who is visibly shorter than Susan Sarandon. He comes up short in the physical appearance dept., but insists on more screen time, in his undies and hairy shoulders, Richard Nixon five o'clock shadow, etc. than Susan. He also comes up short in the personality dept., coming across as petulant and rude, e.g. throwing food and drinks, picking fights, etc. Susan gamely feigns interest in David, but in reality this grim mischkeit would be invisible to her, unless he had a power job in entertainment or billions of dollars. In reality, he would be lucky to get the hideous second female lead, let alone Susan. The romantic comedy, often defined as a comedy without jokes, grinds through ancient cute moments, painfully contrived situations, etc. Of all the frogs Susan had to kiss, this had to be the worst. Could have been saved if Susan had peeled off more clothing, but even this notorious bleeding heart liberal had to draw the line somewhere. Avoid at all costs, unless you enjoy watching a beautiful woman pretending to be attracted to a whiny nerd. BC

Kooky midwestern shiksa meets kooky New York Jew and embarks on tentative romance. On a sunny day with all the planets aligned you get "Annie Hall". On a rainy day in Akron, you get the bravely-titled "Something Short of Paradise", a romantic comedy with no romance, not to mention wit, chemistry or pathos. Sarandon and Steinberg grimly plod through the standard plot points, meeting, breaking up and getting back together, but since they strike no romantic sparks you wonder why they bother. Nothing entertaining is made of the characters' cultural or tempermental differences, and the actors often move (or stand around) awkwardly as though they hadn't rehearsed. What's worse, Steinberg's Harris Sloane is petulant and even shows some flashes of jealous violence. Besides being completely wrong for his rather nebbishy character, I'd think this would cause any intelligent woman to run while she could. Unless you're a big fan of Sarandon or Steinberg, both of whom give their all in this lost cause, I'd suggest you do the same.