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Heartburn (1986) More at IMDbPro »

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32 comments in total

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15 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
IS THERE SOMETHING THE MATTER WITH ME?, 31 December 1998

Author: Jotho from Australia

It is some years since I saw this film, but I definitely thought at the time it was vastly under-rated, and now that I have seen the voter's scores for this, I am surprised all over again. Obviously, I have to log off and go to the video store to refresh my memory, but: the story was great, the song Joni Mitchell contributed was one of her all-time bests, and how could Meryl Streep ever be in anything that wasn't worthwhile? By the way, the book was better, punctuated with recipes. It is an autobiographical tale, which bursts the balloon of the Watergate heroes and is definitely one of the most entertaining and realistic of the cinematic versions of life and love.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
The movie's just okay--but the song is outstanding!, 22 November 2003

Author: xavrush89 from Illinois, U.S.A.

Let's face it, these aren't the two most likable people on the planet, but that's only because writer Nora Ephron may have been a little too hard on herself. (Actually, she's hard on most everyone in this.) We care about this relationship, and the performances ofthe excellent cast make it intriguing at first, but viewers are just as likely to grow impatient with these characters as they do with each other. It's worth seeing, but a hard film to love.

Now, some words about the Carly Simon song, "Coming Around Again." I heard the song before I saw the movie and it no doubt affected my viewing of it. So many movies seem to just tack on any old song at the end credits, but this song really captures the essence of love and marriage and brings out all the emotions of a great film scene in merely a few minutes. I cannot believe the overblown "Take My Breath Away" from "Top Gun" (also overblown) won the 1986 Oscar for Best Original Song, and "Coming Around Again" was not even nominated! Perhaps this is why Carly Simon won her Oscar for "Let the River Run" two years later, to make up for this gross omission. (She would also duet with Streep during the end credits of "Marvin's Room"--an even better film.) The song alone is reason enough to see "Heartburn".

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Uneven, but less manufactured than Ephron's subsequent films, 12 November 1998
Author: darnell-2

Although somewhat artificial, the humor and "heartburn" of this Nora Ephron film seem more affecting and less manufactured than those in her more slick subsequent films, When Harry Met Sally... and Sleepless in Seattle. Perhaps the autobiographical slant helped.

Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson play a couple based on Ephron and Carl Bernstein. They meet, marry, settle in Washington, and have children. Streep's wedding-day jitters, it turns out, were amply justified; she discovers an affair between her husband and a social-climbing hostess.

Streep is so luminous and so natural that one may not realize until the end of the film how completely insipid and devoid of any distinguishing qualities her character is. "Rachel" changes from a wan, nervous divorcee (before meeting Nicholson's character) to an obsessively devoted wife and mother who keeps babbling about how happy she is.

Nicholson is well-cast as the rakish but (initially) endearing husband. The supporting cast reflects the expert hand of Juliet Taylor, Woody Allen's longtime casting director, who peppered it with many familiar faces, including Allen favorites Joanna Gleason, Caroline Aaron, and Karen Akers. Maureen Stapleton is particularly droll as Streep's shrink. Nineties audiences will enjoy seeing Kevin Spacey as a neurasthenic mugger.

The comedy in the film is somewhat uneven, but often extremely engaging, as in a running parody of "Masterpiece Theatre." And compare the spontaneous bravado of Nicholson's lopsided rendition of "Soliloquy" from Carousel (the comic highlight) to the forced quirkiness of Meg Ryan's tone-deaf "Surrey with the Fringe on Top" in When Harry Met Sally...

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Good but vague in purpose., 7 October 2001

Author: George Parker from Orange County, CA USA

"Heartburn" has Mick Nichols at the helm with Streep and Nicholson starring and an excellent supporting cast including a bit debut by Kevin Spacy. In spite of all that, the film has only managed lukewarm commentary from critics and public alike. Taking a somewhat cynical look at marriage as it follows one couple (Streep & Nicholson) from nuptials through the birth of two children including infidelity, this well crafted flick muddles comedy with drama to a nebulous end. An enjoyable watch for mature people who've been there, "Heartburn" will likely disappoint others because of its uneventfulness and lack of purpose.

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Loved it, 27 September 1999

Author: Boyo-2

I love many things about this movie - first of all the cast is complete perfection (so many Oscar winners!); the comedy is funny without being stupid; and the end is not sugarcoated in the least. I love anything Streep does, and Nicholson really doesn't register that much. I think he replaced another actor, but he certainly didn't take this part and run with it. He doesn't even get to grin. I also have to mention Catherine O'Hara, who is hysterical, and Anna Maria Horsford.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
All time favourite romantic drama!, 6 December 2004

Author: Lisa Andersson (anderssonokompani@hotmail.com) from Borås,Sweden

I can watch this movie over and over again and will never get tired of it.Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson at their best! I originally loved the book as well.

The ups and downs of a marriage juggling carreers,pregnancy,adulterous spouses,social events etc is really brought up in a masterful but still truthful way.

Streep was actually pregnant for real in the movie.The subtext she brings out in her acting and all the little details just make you love her more and more.

Her culinary tricks makes you run for your notebook.I actually get so hungry for Carbonara whenever I watch this movie.

It is full of tears and laughter and you can't help loving it.

I take this movie to my heart forever.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Poor Use of Splendid Cast, 1 March 2008

Author: randymoyle from Canada

When viewing this movie, I en visualized a film making challenge. It was almost like presenting a class of senior year cinematic arts students with a graduate project. Take Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep and add a few seasoned comedic supporting members such as Catharine O'Hara, and produce the most boring movie imaginable.

The set was dreary, repetitive, and depressing. Nicholson and Streep took to their characters well, but even their efforts couldn't save this one. The lackluster plot was commonplace and predictable. It played out like a slow moving expanded drama that replicates itself millions of times in American homes. In fact many of you could have watched the same drama unfold in the homes of your neighbors, co-workers or family. So why go to the theater or rent this DVD?

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Oscar winners galore!, 12 February 2003

Author: bama1111 (bama1111@aol.com) from United States

When I watch a movie I always find myself looking at the number of Oscar winners, for acting & directing, are in the movie. The Oscar winners could be for performances either prior to or subsequent to their performance in the movie I'm watching. This one features Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, Mercedes Ruehl, Maureen Stapleton, Kevin Spacey, Milos Forman [acting not directing] and Mike Nichols. Just goes to show that outstanding actors and directors need a good story and/or script to make a good movie. Although Nora Ephron has been nominated for 3 Oscars for screenplays she has written, this one just didn't do it for me and, from the tone of most of the comments, for many other people. Of course, I'd enjoy watching Streep & Nicholson reading the phonebook.

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Very Good Drama, 24 April 2002
Author: nicole3699 from Carmel, NY

Heartburn is probably classified as a "chick flick", but I don't care. It is a very good story about real people living in the real world. I'm sure there are many men out there that would probably fall asleep during this, due to lack of machine gun fire or kung foo fighting. But for women it is a great slice of life piece. I could watch it over and over again. It has some great comedic moments, from Mark (Jack Nicholson) and his friend Arthur (Richard Masur) several times as they have profound discussions about every day things in a Woody Allen type banter. One part that always touches me is when Rachel finds out about Mark's affair and confronts him. A few minutes later she is packing up to leave and we hear Carly Simon's song "Coming Around Again" on the soundtrack. If you listen to the lyrics of the song it perfectly fits the action that is going on at that moment. It helps the viewer understand Rachel's despair. Her idea of the perfect marriage has been shattered.

Anyway, if you want to watch a movie with heart, then this is it. I think many of the people who say this movie is boring or garbage are too used to today's action standards and dismiss it too quickly. By the way, this is also a semi biographical account of now director Nora Ephron's marriage to a Washington journalist. The book is also a good read as well. If you think Mark treated her badly in the movie, it is nothing compared to the book.

In summary, Heartburn is a movie for people who are emotional and intelligent.

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
A lot of fun, but not much plot, 29 April 2000

Author: troy-32 from Chicago, Illinois

I actually enjoyed "Heartburn" quite a bit, and I'm afraid it's because the movie is almost plotless, just a series of charming, colorful events. It seems much more European in concept, and "Heartburn" could maybe have been really great if a European director had filmed it, instead of stagy Mike Nichols. Anyway, I was able to enjoy every scene on its own terms. Almost all the best scenes employ food and eating and a lot of gossip. If you're like-minded, how could you not find this an enjoyable time? And Meryl Streep, whom I think is incredible looking, has never had such radiant-looking skin before. The movie may be a little bit smug, but not nearly as much as other movies that try for something similar.

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