Grumpy Old Men, opening on Christmas, gives veteran actors a chance to shine. The pairing of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau as long-time enemies and neighbors is the best thing about this credibility-stretching comedy. They take curmudgeonly behavior to new and very funny lows.
John Gustafson (Lemmon) is a former high school teacher whose life in suburban Wabasha, Minn., consists of ice-fishing and making the life of Max Goldman (Matthau) utterly miserable. Since Max is similarly obsessed with the same two pursuits, they’re a perfect pair. It’s a kind of perverse game to see what pranks each can play on the other and what names they can call.
“Mo-ron,” John calls Max in greeting.
“Putz,” Max replies.
When they meet accidentally in the drugstore, it’s an opportunity to play oneupsmanship on who has more ailments. But when a curvaceous redhead moves in across the street, a competition for her attention heats up, once the men conquer their fears.
Ann-Margret, looking lovely in middle age, is Ariel Truax, the widowed English literature professor and object of their desire. Though she seems more like a psychic or astrologer, it’s not her profession that is at issue. The off-the-shoulder sweaters, friendly manner and aggressive pursuit of John mean that Ariel is husband-hunting.
Why this California transplant would limit her interest to first one, then another of her neighbors is perplexing, especially because Ariel looks like she should have a Fabio type of 32 on her arm. In another one of those only-in-the-movies situations, the average-looking son of Max (Kevin Pollak) is in a mutual admiration society with the tall, willowy blond goddess daughter (Daryl Hannah) of John.
If you can get past these problems in Mark Steven Johnson’s screenplay, all is well. Gently joshing Ossie Davis provides John and Max with the courage they need to go after Ariel. Burgess Meredith, playing the 94-year-old father of John, is a constant source of comic relief.
Underneath the veneer of rivalry, Grumpy Old Men is a nice movie about friendship and love between men who thought they couldn’t stand each other. It’s nice holiday fare.
