Two close friends
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Two close friends |
| Original title | Best friends |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1982 |
| length | 109 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Norman Jewison |
| script |
Barry Levinson Valerie Curtin |
| production |
Patrick J. Palmer Norman Jewison |
| music | Michel Legrand |
| camera | Jordan Cronenweth |
| cut | Don Zimmerman |
| occupation | |
| |
Two close friends is an American comedy film from the year 1982 .
action
Richard Babson and Paula McCullen are not only best friends and work together as successful screenwriters, they are also lovers and will soon be moving into their first joint home in Los Angeles . Of course, they'll be asked again and again if they don't want to get married soon. And Richard is excited about the idea. He asks Paula for her hand, but she is absolutely insecure and doubts whether the marriage would destroy their mutual friendship. However, she also realizes that Richard wants marriage with her more than she doesn't want it, which is why she agrees. The wedding ceremony takes place very discreetly, without witnesses or guests in a small Spanish chapel.
And so it goes on the honeymoon in Buffalo , New York to Paula's parents. The train journey there is not very romantic, but at least Paula's parents warmly welcome Richard into their family. But Richard soon realizes that Ellie and Tim's marriage is in crisis. They talk past each other, are apparently prudish because they do not allow Paula and Richard to sleep in one bed, and they do not talk about their feelings. Ellie confesses to her daughter Paula relatively early on that she is absolutely sexually unsatisfied. Tim is more interested in Mrs. Riley's housekeeping than his wife. After Paula catches him with his pants down, she is horrified and doubts the institution of marriage all the more. But her mother has long since forgiven Tim, because no matter how bad the problems are, as long as you love each other, you can get through anything.
Then they go to Virginia to visit Richard's parents. And Richard's family is absolutely lively. Much too lively for Paula. You are warmly welcomed. But the friendliness soon wears off when Richard reveals that he has secretly married Paula. Instead of being happy, the parents are disappointed and hurt because they did not find out about it sooner and were not allowed to attend the wedding. But now they want to give a celebration of marriage with all the friends and neighbors they know. And although the Babsons' marriage is lively and loving, it is also loud and Paula cannot find a moment of calm and retreat for herself. Therefore she does the worst thing she could do at the celebration in her honor, she leaves after having a little scene publicly with Richard. But instead of feeling embarrassed, Richard helps her by advising her to take some Valium . And she takes a lot of it, a lot. When she went shopping the next day with Richard's mother Ann and his sister Nellie, she took so much that she collapsed and had to be hospitalized.
But that's not all, producer Larry Weisman desperately wants Paula and Richard to go back to Los Angeles to rewrite the final scene of the film. Shortly after arrival, there were minor disputes that escalated completely while working on the script. Instead of reworking the last two pages according to the director's wishes, they blame each other for never having been allowed to get married. After a brawl, Paula and Richard are down and find out that marriage really wasn't the best idea. They love each other, pull themselves together and then walk towards a fake sunset together.
criticism
“ Two close friends doesn't work like a loud comedy. There is an element of an original original joke that holds up promising throughout the film. [...] The film doesn't force its story towards a strong ending, but rather concentrates on the subplots [...]. Reynolds and Hawn make a delightful couple, and it is surprising that two individually awarded comedy actors can play so comfortably together. "
“A fast-paced dialogue comedy that satirically illuminates petty-bourgeois neuroses and comical social rituals without falling into clichés and exaggerations. Routinely staged and played, the film offers entertaining, charming entertainment for friends of the genre. "
background
The semi-biographical film is based on the experiences of the two screenwriters Barry Levinson and Valerie Curtin , who divorced during the film's release.
Awards
- a 1983 Academy Awards nomination for Best Song
- a nomination at the Golden Globe Awards in 1982 for Goldie Hawn as / Best Actress - Musical or Comedy
publication
After the film opened in the USA on December 17, 1982, it was able to bring in over 36 million US dollars at the box office again. In Germany, the film opened in cinemas on June 10, 1983 and has not been released on VHS or DVD since then .
Web links
- Two great friends in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Two great friends at Rotten Tomatoes (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Janet Maslin : Best Friends (1982) on nytimes.com, December 17, 1982 (English), accessed February 9, 2012
- ↑ Two great friends. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ James L. Longworth, TV Creators: Conversations With America's Top Producers of Television Drama, Volume 1 , p. 178, accessed February 8, 2012
- ↑ Best Friends (1982) on boxofficemojo.com (English), accessed February 9, 2012