Flannel Pajamas (2006)

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

I just caught this movie last night on IFC. I found it totally engrossing and liked it very much, although I can't quite say why. All I know is that with its quiet realism, this movie was the perfect example of why I prefer "indie"-type movies over blockbuster-type mainstream American films. To me, this movie had a theme very similar to the recent "500 Days of Summer." Although "500 Days" was more in a comedic vein, in both movies, the male lead - try as he might to get the female lead to love him (or stay in love with him) - ends up getting his heart broken. Flannel Pajamas is about the quick spark but ultimate disintegration of a relationship. It had no readily recognizable climax; in fact, I spent most of the two hours tensely waiting for one, but the fact that one never materialized only served to underscore that real life often does not contain such obvious turning points. In particular, I kept expecting Stuart to have an emotional meltdown - on the heels of both his brother's suicide and his wife's departure - but that never really happens (although the heart-wrenching scene in Times Square of Stuart watching from the sidelines as a child happily runs into the arms of his waiting father comes pretty close). Some of the reviews I've read on this site speak of neither character being "likeable." To the contrary, I liked Stuart very much. From the way he is introduced in the opening scenes, I expected not to like him, but by film's end, I was scratching my head as to why any woman would want to leave a man who is handsome, rich, thoroughly in love with her, and eager to please her in every way. In contrast, I found Nicole flaky, utterly selfish and impossible to please. The fact that she whines over Stuart's never actually having said "I do" at their wedding made me want to gag. And the fact that she chided him for never wanting to hold hands anymore - this when he just tenderly takes her hand - made me want to slap her. More significantly, the fact that she would intentionally try to get pregnant despite her prior agreement with Stuart to wait two years is one of the most under-handed things I can imagine taking place in a relationship. Much is made of Nicole's dysfunctional family, a family marked by divorce and abuse. Perhaps this is the root of her inability to maintain a stable relationship. It must be, as I find no fault with the sympathetic Stuart. To me, Stuart is the aggrieved character here; it broke my heart to see him so broken-hearted. I must say I was baffled by the last scene of Stuart being brought to laughter by the sight of a pinwheel. The movie would have benefited greatly from the opportunity for that final "Aha!" moment, but alas one was not forthcoming.

I rented this based on good reviews from the likes of Ebert and I agree with another reviewer here...this movie fails to deliver and Ebert, I want my money back.Justin Kirk is always delicious and rich and gives passionate performances...here I was like UGH, shut up. Same with Julianne Nicholson. I disliked every single character in this movie. This is not the wonderful actors' faults. No, this is a Jeff Lipsky problem. This is apparently a semi-autobiographical story and it perhaps director is too close to subject matter and doesn't see the major flaws in the story he has written here. HUGE holes...I imagine Jeff writing some of these scenes from memory (as I have done in my writing) and failed to step away...look at it with new naked eyes and say...hmmm, lots of holes here because drama and movies are not real life...real life needs filling out to be put on screen.I am really shocked how un-fleshed-out these characters all are...how unlikable they all are and how this movie got Justin K to appear to be not a great actor.I recommend this movie for writers and actors so that they may witness writing and performance that is not great, not horrible but terribly flawed...see if you can figure out how this movie could have been better...S**t, it could have been brilliant.

I was really looking forward to this movie, especially after the amazing montage trailer set to the beautiful "Thursday" by Asobi Seksu. Unfortunately, that song and Justin Kirk are the ONLY good things about this film. From the first scene, this movie fails. The dialogue is terribly, terribly written ("Camels are what I smoke; Bacardi is what I drink; and the unemployment office is where I hang out"???) and nary a character is interesting or believable.But for me, by far the worst thing about the film is the Nicole character. Her actions throughout are incredibly selfish. Who would accept $15,000 from a brand new boyfriend at the very beginning of a relationship? Similarly, she is only too happy (once they are married) to quit her job and blow through thousands of dollars of Stuart's savings to start a catering "business" that we never see any evidence of after a single scene in which she is preparing "her first catering job." She demands a dog even though her husband is allergic and hates them. She essentially leaves her husband because he doesn't want a kid within the first two years of marriage -- a pretty reasonable limitation that he discussed with her and SHE AGREED TO before they were married! Good lord! Throughout this movie, the characters are utterly unreal. She celebrates getting fired from a job. He sits calmly at the table with his mother-in-law and enlists her as an ally not three minutes after her anti-Semitic diatribe. The whole thing is just laughable and interminable. What a waste of time and the $5 rental fee. Ugh.

Film follows the relationship between two thirty something New Yorkers through their first date, courtship, marriage, and eventual breakup. Interesting concept but this film is in dire need of an editor. Film begins with a blind date at a diner where the two main characters meet. I was looking forward to experiencing the initial awkwardness of the first date; the small talk and uncomfortable moments which would then gradually transform into two people connecting on a more intimate level. Instead, the film starts mid date at the diner with the main characters and their friends who are distracting and don't need to be there. To make matters worse, Stuart (Justin Kirk) comes off as arrogant, and a bit smarmy. Nicole (Julianne Nicholson)is a mousy, dull young woman who appears to lack confidence. If you don't like the characters, who cares whether they like each other? A subsequent scene has Stuart in the rain lying his jacket between the curb and the cab so Nicole doesn't get wet, then leaves it there. This comes off more stupid than charming.As the film progresses, Justin Kirk as Stuart does begin to tone things down and the character starts to become more likable as the couple's relationship develops. But then, Nicole begins to become more selfish, childish, and immature. Nicole's change in her feelings toward Stuart seems to come somewhat out of the blue. All this results in an ending that is a downer and a bit puzzling. The actors do what they can, but the writing, directing, and editing let them down.Lots and lots of dialog here and unnecessary scenes that don't move the story. Also, several unnecessary characters and plot lines are introduced but fail to have much significance. Decent supporting performances, however, especially by Rebecca Schull as Nicole's mom. Also a surprising amount of nudity by both lead characters which was tastefully done. "Flannel Pajamas" does have some important things to say about the difficulty in sustaining relationships today, especially with so many outside influences such as family, friends, and careers. Still, I'm not convinced that investing two hours in these characters was quite worth it.