Women vs. Men (2002) (TV)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Chazz Palminteri

Writer (WGA):

David J. Burke (written by)

Release Date:

4 August 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Cast

Elle Alexander	...	Karen's Girlfriend
Darryl Armbruster	...	Salesperson
Dayton Callie	...	Pizza Man
Jennifer Coolidge	...	Shelly
Kevin Indio Copeland	...	Benny
Joey Diaz	...	Goon
Ben Donovan	...	GangBanger
Glenne Headly	...	Brita
Marshall Herskovitz	...	Tom
Christine Lahti	...	Dana
Joe Mantegna	...	Michael
Michael 'Big Mike' Moore	...	Crutch
Claire Partin	...	Woman
Robert Pastorelli	...	Nick
Barbara Pilavin	...	Very Old Italian Woman
Jon Polito	...	Desk Sgt.
Paul Reiser	...	Bruce
Susan Savage	...	Karen
Edward Zwick	...	Moderator

Also Known As:

Oooph! (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexual content.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Singapore:M18 | USA:R

Company:

Bedford Falls Productions

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the husbands stop to pump gas in New Jersey, they pump their own fuel. It is illegal in NJ to pump your own gas.

Is this REALLY how couples today interact??

The first few scenes of this movie had some pretty funny moments, and then everything deteriorated to head games, psychobabble, and emotional drivel. By the end of the movie I had a nagging fear that this movie might be an indication of how couples in today's society actually do communicate with each other--in which case, the world's in serious trouble! It's a very talky movie, with just a handful of scenes involving physical interaction--most of the action is just background for the dialogue, rather like a play--but that isn't always a bad thing. The creators of "thirtysomething" were at the helm of this movie, so I was looking forward to the stimulating, thought-provoking dialogue that was one of the hallmarks of that show. I was sorely disappointed, though. The women in this movie are shrill, game-playing, emotional cripples, and the men are all clueless mental midgets. Just when you feel like you're starting to understand a character, he/she will do something completely unbelievable or irrational, and it so undermines the validity of the movie that by the time it was over I was sooooo ready for it to end and I had no sympathy or affection whatsoever for any of the characters. Most of the verbal interactions are ill-conceived and outrageously stupid. Joe Mantegna has one terrific, articulate, intensely profound soliloquy near the end of the movie that intensely reminded me of "thirtysomething"--but immediately after that wonderful speech he lapses into nonsense again. What a tremendous disappointment this movie was, particularly in light of the great credentials of its creators and the high caliber of the acting talent involved. No wonder it never made it to theaters.