Funny About Love (1990)

When Duffy Bergman, a New York City cartoonist, meets Meg Lloyd, a gourmet chef, he discovers the love of his life and they marry, yet love alone isn't enough to make them happy. Meg ... See full summary »

Director:

Leonard Nimoy

Writers:

Bob Greene (article), Norman Steinberg

Stars:

Gene Wilder, Christine Lahti, Mary Stuart Masterson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Wilder	...	Duffy Bergman
Christine Lahti	...	Meg
Mary Stuart Masterson	...	Daphne
Robert Prosky	...	E. T.
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Hugo
Anne Jackson	...	Adele
Susan Ruttan	...	Claire
Jean De Baer	...	Vivian
David Margulies	...	Dr. Benjamin
Tara Shannon	...	Redhead
Freda Foh Shen	...	Nurse
Wendie Malick	...	Nurse Nancy
Robert Hy Gorman	...	Roger (as Robert Groman)
Scott Groff	...	Jake
Ramy Zada	...	Ellis Hayden

Storyline

When Duffy Bergman, a New York City cartoonist, meets Meg Lloyd, a gourmet chef, he discovers the love of his life and they marry, yet love alone isn't enough to make them happy. Meg decides she wants to have a baby, a goal that initially makes Duffy frantic, but soon becomes his most important desire as well. When they are unable to have a baby, Meg begins concentrating on her career and the two slowly drift apart, eventually separating. Later, when Duffy is speaking at a convention of the Delta Gamma sorority, he reveals that the Delta Gamma girls have always been his dream girls, his Love Goddesses. There, he meets the young and uninhibited Delta Gamma girl, Daphne Delillo. When Daphne moves to New York City to work as a network sports reporter, their mutual attraction, and Daphne's spontaneity spark an adventurous new relationship for Duffy. Now Duffy must decide which is more valuable to him, the relationship he has given up, or the relationship he has always dreamed of having.

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Plot Keywords:

baby | chef | cartoonist | fertility clinic | remarriage | 

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Taglines:

Everyone has a biological clock. Duffy Bergman's is about to go off.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie was filmed during January, February, and March 1990.

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Quotes

Waiter: He hates the coffee!
Duffy Bergman: No, the coughing! I hate all the coughing!

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Goodfellas/Narrow Margin/Funny About Love/The Tall Guy (1990)

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Soundtracks

Isn't It Romantic
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Lorenz Hart

User Reviews

"I know my timing stinks but look at this, look at all the stuff I know, isn't that worth something? It's gotta be worth something."

Friend Leonard Nimoy directed Gene Wilder in his 1990 film, Funny About Love. Also starring Christine Lahti and Mary Stuart Masterson, this romantic comedy showed the struggle of the human need to reproduce and the struggles that come with infertility. Funny About Love is nothing spectacular but goes the distance in describing a difficulty felt by 1 in every 8 couples with some humor. Human life is full of decisions, just as it is changing our minds about those decisions, Funny About Love shows this inextricable part of human life through one New York City couple.

Duffy Bergman (Gene Wilder) is on top of the world in his field as a renowned political cartoonist. One night at a book signing he is hosting, he tastes some horrible cappuccino and since "coffee is very important to him" he decides he must meet the person responsible for the dreadful cup. When he is taken to her, he is instantly smitten with her beauty and attempts to get Meg (Christine Lahti) to agree to a date with him. Although initially reluctant, Meg is eventually won over by Duffy's lighthearted comedic disposition and agrees. The two eventually marry and decide, in spite of Duffy's reservations to have a child together. After three years of infertility treatment, Meg is dejected and sick of failure and wishes to stop trying to conceive. Never really getting over his uncertainties, Duffy was thrilled with Meg's decision. As Meg's culinary career kicks into overdrive during the respite from attempting to have a child, Duffy begins to actually want to have a baby. This time, it is Meg that is unsure and wants to wait to have a baby. The constant battle of when and if to have a baby proves to be too much for their marriage and the two separate. In their time apart, they both realize what they really want; but can they get what it is they want with each other?

Gene Wilder plays the quirky jokester of a cartoonist well, and Christine Lahti plays his lighthearted wife well. The two share a beautiful on-screen chemistry making the otherwise forgettable film more fun to watch. There's nothing really to take away from this story unless you are a fan of one of the principles. The writing struggles through the entire film, being very abrupt in all the right places. I can't understand how Gene Wilder was in this film. The incredibly personal story line of the intense struggle of infertility and in- vitro fertilization after losing his wife the year prior to cancer after experiencing years of infertility. That is the aspect I take most from this film. I gain more respect for Wilder as an actor for being able to endure such a plot that so closely resembles his own life.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 September 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

New York Times

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,036,352, 23 September 1990

Gross USA:

$8,141,292

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,141,292

Company Credits

Production Co:

Duffy Films, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1