Married to It (1993)

I was lurking around my local rental store, and came across this. The plot looked interesting, and the cast is what really intrigued me; what a disappointment! This is a movie Tyler Perry would be foaming at the mouth to do. I can't begin to tell you how stagy this feels. It didn't feel like a movie; everyone felt phony to me, and I really couldn't empathize with most of the characters. Most of them are very selfish and abrasive people who I'd have no interest in spending time with what so ever. The character I empathized the most with is probably a three way tie between Ron Silver, Stockard Channing & Mary Stuart Masterson. Most of them have problems that most marriages do. But the way they go on about it is incredibly annoying. Beau Bridges and Cybil Shepherd are the worst, though. Beau fantasizes about someone else's breasts whilst Cybil can't understand children. Marriage is supposed to be about honor, loyalty, trust, and respect among other things. It's one of the reasons I am probably never going to get married because a lot of married couples forget why they fell in love the first place. This movie does a poor job of explaining it, but it still reaffirms my thoughts about marriage. All the actors do well, but I couldn't sympathize with most of them. The subplot between Nina (Masterson) & Lucy (The daughter of Silver's) is probably the most likable thing in the film. And of course there is the biggest cliché in the book. The happy ending!Final Thoughts: I got through it OK, but it's definitely a flop for a reason. It's unlikable, pretentious, and wastes an excellent cast. If you have nothing else to watch, maybe give it a go, but even then; that's pushing it...4.5/10

Three more or less happily married couples with absolutely nothing in common except for their Manhattan zip code meet by chance and become good friends. The numbskull title and corny scenario (each couple survives a crisis which prompts them to re-evaluate the vow 'for better or worse') ought to be enough to frighten off any self-respecting film buff, but within the TV sit-com material is a modest and disarming (light) comedy, with a well-chosen cast doing credit to roles which could easily have become stereotypes.Former Woodstock hippies Channing and Bridges fare best; 20-something yuppies Leonard and Masterson leave less of an impression because their characters are so unbelievable squeaky clean; and the talent of Ron Silver is mismatched to a lack of the same in Cybill Shepard, who at least delivers some great lines, providing evidence to the questionable notion that a bad actor never yet defeated a good script. The film is an optimistic, if entirely conventional, celebration of monogamy, friendship, family values, and happy endings, with the expected sentiment becoming too explicit only during the sappy, self-conscious climax, at a children's school pageant dedicated to the Summer of Love (complete with a freeze-frame peace sign finale).

The problem with this film is the characters. These aren't real people, they don't convince. Real people don't talk like that and they are so obviously fictional people created by a writer who doesn't have a clue as to how real people are and talk. The cast does try, but Stockard Channing is the only cast member that actually rises above the material, she is the only one you care about at all, and Mary Stuart Masterson is pretty good. It isn't a complete disaster, there are some interesting scenes between the cliché's. It could of used a little more trimming as well, it overlong at an hour and 52 minutes, and there are definitely a few obvious scenes that should have been edited out.

Chuck and Nina Bishop grew up together in Iowa and have moved to New York City, and they are the cutest couple. He is successful in the investment world (though not too successful, since they can't afford nice furniture yet), and she is a school psychologist. Chuck has to compete with Jeremy, who is charming and cares more about money and success than rules (which is truly ironic since Paul Gross later impressed us as the impeccably straight mountie in "Due South").John and Iris Morden were hippies and part of the 60s culture that protested injustice. He works in the welfare department and seems to have lost his enthusiasm. Former Mayor Ed Koch misses Iris but never says exactly what she did. She seems to work in some arts-related job now. The couple has two sons who appear relatively normal, though one has hair like Bart Simpson.Leo runs a toy factory and apparently gave that a higher priority than his first wife Madeleine, who seems to despise him. He spends some time with daughter Lucy, who hates Leo's new wife Claire, a spoiled rich ... rhymes with witch.These very different couples are brought together by a common interest--Lucy and the Morden boys attend the same exclusive school where Nina works.All three couples have their problems, and for two of the couples the difficulties become serious enough to require lawyers.I enjoyed this movie when it was funny, which was most of the time. I especially liked seeing Cybill Shepherd being obnoxious, acting like the whole world must cater to her every need and expressing surprise that not everyone has all the comforts and advantages. Donna Vivino was adorable as Lucy. Most of the leading actors gave good performances.Where the movie had problems was in getting too dramatic. This would not be a bad thing for everyone who watches is, but I was watching to laugh. The ending, however, was satisfying.Overall, I was happy.