Kotch

19711971
GPGP
1h 53m

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in Kotch (1971)

Wanting to avoid settling in a nursing home, Joseph Kotcher, a retired salesman, is obliged to leave his son's family. He embarks on a road trip during which he strikes up a friendship with ... Read allWanting to avoid settling in a nursing home, Joseph Kotcher, a retired salesman, is obliged to leave his son's family. He embarks on a road trip during which he strikes up a friendship with a pregnant teenager and begins to understand the true meaning of life as he helps the girl... Read allWanting to avoid settling in a nursing home, Joseph Kotcher, a retired salesman, is obliged to leave his son's family. He embarks on a road trip during which he strikes up a friendship with a pregnant teenager and begins to understand the true meaning of life as he helps the girl give birth to her child.

Director
- Jack Lemmon
Writers
- John Paxton(screenplay)
- Katharine Topkins(novel "Kotch")
Stars

See production, box office & company info

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Nominated for 4 Oscars
- 3 wins & 8 nominations total

"Kotch" Dir. Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau 1971 ABC/Kotch Co.

"Kotch" Walter Matthau 1971 ABC/Kotch Co.

"Kotch" Walter Matthau, Deborah Winters 1971 ABC/Kotch Co.

Walter Matthau, Dean Kowalski, and Donald Kowalski in Kotch (1971)

Walter Matthau and Deborah Winters in Kotch (1971)

Walter Matthau in Kotch (1971)

Walter Matthau in Kotch (1971)

Walter Matthau in Kotch (1971)

Walter Matthau and Charles Aidman in Kotch (1971)

Walter Matthau, Dean Kowalski, and Donald Kowalski in Kotch (1971)

Walter Matthau in Kotch (1971)

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in Kotch (1971)

Director
- Jack Lemmon
Writers
- John Paxton(screenplay)
- Katharine Topkins(novel "Kotch")
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

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Wanting to avoid settling in a nursing home, Joseph Kotcher, a retired salesman, is obliged to leave his son's family. He embarks on a road trip during which he strikes up a friendship with a pregnant teenager and begins to understand the true meaning of life as he helps the girl give birth to her child. —Anonymous

old age senility based on novel character name as title nickname as title 10 more

Taglines
- Walter Matthau in the role only he could make so excitingly different...you'll start talking about it from the opening scene. Jack Lemmon directs. He takes his talent 'behind' the camera for the first time to add a new, fresh dimension to his brilliant career.
Genres
- Comedy
- Drama
Certificate
- GP
Parents guide

Trivia
Directorial debut for Jack Lemmon. Lemmon found direction duties both emotionally and physically draining and felt very uncomfortable behind the camera. This was his one and only film as a director.

Goofs
Kotch collects old bowling pins to throw into his fireplace to keep warm. In reality, the thick plastic coatings would create smoke and noxious fumes.

Quotes
Joseph P. Kotcher: [about his wife and baby son in the car] She covered all the windows every time she changed him. I don't know why, I don't know what harm it would do people seeing his little pink pecker at 25 miles an hour, but she covered the windows every time.

Connections
Featured in Stars of the Silver Screen: Walter Matthau (2016)

Soundtracks
Life Is What You Make It
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Music by Marvin Hamlisch

Top review

9/10

Kotch is Top Notch ****

What a wonderful movie. For a change,Walter Matthau plays a sympathetic rather than a cantankerous character. He is just wonderful here in his Oscar nominated performance.

What makes the movie so good is that it doesn't really stress the attempt of his son and daughter-in-law to put him in a home and then show the misery of homes. Rather,it deals with the coming of life anew for Matthau when he takes a profound interest in the very pregnant babysitter for his grandson. What an interesting idea and it is so well developed.

Deborah Winters gives a fantastic supporting performance as the pregnant girl,orphaned, raised by an uncaring brother who finds meaning in her life when she aided by Kotch.

There is a totally winning song dealing with what you do with your life.

This film was definitely an under-rated gem. Too bad.

helpful•16

1

edwagreen
Oct 25, 2008

Release date
- September 17, 1971 (United States)
Country of origin
- United States
Language
- English
Also known as
- Opa kann's nicht lassen
Filming locations
- Samuel Goldwyn Studios - 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California, USA
Production companies
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Gross US & Canada
- $1,334,165

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
1 hour 53 minutes
Sound mix
- Mono
Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1

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Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in Kotch (1971)

Top Gap

What is the English language plot outline for Kotch (1971)?

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