Irreconcilable Differences (1984)

Alternating between the past and the present, a precocious little girl sues her selfish, career-driven parents for emancipation, surprising them both.

Director:

Charles Shyer

Writers:

Nancy Meyers, Charles Shyer

Stars:

Ryan O'Neal, Shelley Long, Drew Barrymore

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryan O'Neal	...	Albert Brodsky
Shelley Long	...	Lucy Van Patten Brodsky
Drew Barrymore	...	Casey Brodsky
Sam Wanamaker	...	David Kessler
Allen Garfield	...	Phil Hanner
Sharon Stone	...	Blake Chandler (aka Amanda)
Kim Marriner	...	Reporter
Wendy Gordon	...	Reporter
Ken Gale	...	Reporter
Deborah Cody	...	Reporter
Steven K. Miller	...	Reporter
Annie Meyers-Shyer	...	Little Girl in Crowd
Lauren Hartman	...	Woman on the Street
David Paymer	...	Alan Sluiser
Larry Marko	...	Court Clerk

Storyline

Albert and Lucy fall in love, get married, and have a daughter Casey. Everything is wonderful, till success in business distract Albert and Lucy from each other and Casey. They soon divorce and start fighting so Casey beats sues to divorce her parents, to go live with the maid who has been taking care of her. Themedia has a field day, which is only making things worse.

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Plot Keywords:

divorce | parent | love | maid | emancipation | 

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Taglines:

They've Got Everything... including a 10 year old daughter who's suing them for divorce.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 September 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Diferencias irreconciliables

Box Office

Gross:

$12,400,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hemdale Film, Lantana, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sharon Stone's character is modeled upon Cybill Shepherd, a former lover of Peter Bogdanovich.

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Quotes

Lucy Van Patten Brodsky: Do you have kids?
Woman at Party: Yeah, but I'm not into parenting right now.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Alien from L.A. (1993)

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Soundtracks

"This Belle"
Written by Jerry Belson and Harvey Miller,
Performed by Sharon Stone

User Reviews

A good look at family vs. career.

Ryan O'Neal and Shelley Long are perfectly matched in this movie about a couple in a marriage that falls apart due to family vs. career. An eight year old Drew Barrymore is very impressive as a child who attempts to divorce her parents because they neglect her. Thrown in for good measure is an intrepid look at the movie business and an early vixen like performance from Sharon Stone as the home wrecker.

This film is very balanced in its look at all the subjects involved. A very under rated movie that contains some acute observations about life's priorities (or lack of them).