It's Complicated (2009)

When attending their son's college graduation, a couple reignite the spark in their relationship...but the complicated fact is they're divorced and he's remarried.

Director:

Nancy Meyers

Writer:

Nancy Meyers

Stars:

Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Meryl Streep	...	Jane Adler
Steve Martin	...	Adam Schaffer
Alec Baldwin	...	Jake Adler
John Krasinski	...	Harley
Lake Bell	...	Agness Adler
Mary Kay Place	...	Joanne
Rita Wilson	...	Trisha
Alexandra Wentworth	...	Diane
Hunter Parrish	...	Luke Adler
Zoe Kazan	...	Gabby Adler
Caitlin FitzGerald	...	Lauren Adler
Emjay Anthony	...	Pedro Adler
Nora Dunn	...	Sally
Bruce Altman	...	Ted
Robert Curtis Brown	...	Peter

Storyline

During his son's college graduation, Jane hooks up with her ex-husband, Jake, who's married to a younger woman. As if being your ex's mistress isn't tough enough, Jane also finds herself drawn to Adam, a smitten architect.

---

Plot Keywords:

graduation | affair | divorce | hook up | architect | 

---

Taglines:

First comes marriage. Then comes divorce. And then...

---

Genres:

Comedy | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some drug content and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [es]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

25 December 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Nancy Meyers Project

Filming Locations:

714 West Potrero Road, Hidden Valley, Westlake Village, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$85,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,098,659 (UK) (8 January 2010)

Gross:

$112,703,470 (USA) (26 March 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Waverly Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene where Jane answers a phone call from her daughter Lauren, she is clearly surprised by Jake who kisses her causing her to say "You're still on the phone" instead of "You're still on the plane." This was a genuine reaction from Meryl Streep who did not expect Alec Baldwin to kiss her. Nancy Meyers had directed Alec to kiss Meryl since it would be something Jake would do. Fortunately, Streep kept the scene going and incorporated her mistake therefore the scene could be kept in the movie.

---

Goofs

In the scene where Adam is trying on clothes, he tries on a sweater that he refers to as gray. It is clearly brown.

---

Quotes

Jake: And I like that you stopped getting bikini waxes. You've gone native. I was into it!

---

Connections

Referenced in DR2 Premiere: Episode #4.2 (2010)

---

Soundtracks

"Wouldn't It Be Nice"
Written by Tony Asher, Mike Love (as Mike E. Love), and Brian Wilson (as Brian Douglas Wilson)
Performed by The Beach Boys
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under license from EMI Film & Television Music

User Reviews

A good romantic comedy is a rarity...

It's Complicated is simply enjoyable. A good romantic comedy is a rarity, so who better than rom-com specialist Nancy Meyers (The Holiday, Something's Gotta Give, What Women Want) to write and direct yet another? Jane (Meryl Streep) and Jake (Alec Baldwin) have been married for ten years and divorced for fifteen, but while attending their son's college graduation sparks fly between the old flames. But Jake's still married to the much younger Agness (Lake Bell), and Jane's architect and fellow divorceé Adam (Steve Martin) remains an interesting and sensible possibility. This puts everyone on a roller-coaster ride of what-ifs, which includes Jane and Jake's three grown kids.

It's a treat to see excellent actors delivering the laughs, especially when it looks like they're having a great time, too. In particular, John Krasinski (The Office) stands out in his supporting role as Harley, Jane and Jake's future son-in-law, who accidentally finds out about the affair before everyone else. Streep shines, as usual, while Baldwin eases into his newfound role of go-to comedy guy since his career-reviving 30 Rock success. The usually slapstick Martin surprisingly turns in a more toned down performance, which is a relief.

It's wonderful to see intelligent lead roles still being written for mature actors that doesn't exclude younger audiences. The story and characters have broad appeal; the dilemmas remain relevant regardless of age and so are the punch lines. It's Complicated is ironically comforting in its effortlessness.