Grumpier Old Men (1995)

John and Max resolve to save their beloved bait shop from turning into an Italian restaurant, just as its new female owner catches Max's attention.

Director:

Howard Deutch

Writers:

Mark Steven Johnson (characters), Mark Steven Johnson

Stars:

Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Ann-Margret

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Walter Matthau	...	Max Goldman
Jack Lemmon	...	John Gustafson
Sophia Loren	...	Maria Sophia Coletta Ragetti
Ann-Margret	...	Ariel Gustafson
Burgess Meredith	...	Grandpa Gustafson
Daryl Hannah	...	Melanie Gustafson
Kevin Pollak	...	Jacob Goldman
Katie Sagona	...	Allie, Melanie's Daughter
Ann Morgan Guilbert	...	Mama Ragetti (as Ann Guilbert)
James Andelin	...	Sven
Marcus Klemp	...	Eddie, Assistant Manager
Max Wright	...	County Health Inspector
Cheryl Hawker	...	Lena
Wayne A. Evenson	...	Handsome Hans
Allison Levine	...	Assistant at Dog Pound

Storyline

Things don't seem to change much in Wabasha County: Max and John are still fighting after 35 years, Grandpa still drinks, smokes, and chases women , and nobody's been able to catch the fabled "Catfish Hunter", a gigantic catfish that actually smiles at fishermen who try to snare it. Six months ago John married the new girl in town (Ariel), and people begin to suspect that Max might be missing something similar in his life. The only joy Max claims is left in his life is fishing, but that might change with the new owner of the bait shop.

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Plot Keywords:

boat | lake | neighbor | rivalry | minnesota | 

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Taglines:

Still Yelling. Still Fighting. Still Ready For Love.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for salty language and innuendos

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian German

Release Date:

22 December 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Grumpy Old Men 2

Filming Locations:

Mayslack's, 1428 4th Street NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$69,870,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lancaster Gate,Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There's one scene where Jack Lemmon has to sleep over at Walter Matthau's, and he has to deal with how sloppy he lives: Very much like their most famous movie, The Odd Couple.

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Goofs

When the worm is escaping into the ground, the green wire pulling it along is clearly visible.

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Quotes

Ariel Gustafson: [Upset at John] John, how could you?

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Crazy Credits

Outtakes are run beneath the closing credits, including Burgess Meredith giving many different bawdy names for the Hawaiian island he visited, and the line he uses to invite Maria's mother back to his room.

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Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Remembers Walter Matthau (2001)

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Soundtracks

Venus
Written by Robbie van Leeuwen
Performed by Shocking Blue
Courtesy of Red Bullet International C.V.

User Reviews

Not As Good As The First

After the success of "Grumpy Old Men" a sequel was inevitable. The fact that it's also inferior to the hilarious first movie was also inevitable.

Plot In A Paragraph: John and Max are still on good terms following the events at the end of last movie. They still greet each other in the same way, but now with affection. They join forces to save their beloveds bait shop from being turned into an Italian restaurant by its new owner (Sophia Loren) who has just took over.

Almost all of the cast from the first movie return, Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon are their usual brilliant self, with their usual awesome charisma. Ann Margaret isn't given much to do this time around. Sophia Loren is certainly still a sex bomb. Burgess Meredith is back, and is as smutty if not smithies than the first time around. Daryl Hannah and Kevin Pollack both return too, and are both as reliable as you'd expect.

Sadly, Grumpier Old Men was Burgess Meredith's final film. He looks in bad shape here, but still puts in a good fun, full of life performance.