Grumpy Old Men

After a hiatus of over a decade Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau came gloriously back in parts to suit their senior citizen status in Grumpy Old Men. They may move a little slower, but their comic timing hasn't slowed up one bit.

The setting is a small town in Minnesota where these two old neighbors and widowers have this rivalry going back for years. Next to the ice fishing which they and apparently everyone else enjoys during the winter, their favorite pastime is cracking wise and playing jokes to one up the other. One thing that has slowed up is their libidos.

But that's about to change when Ann-Margret moves across the street. The sight of a pretty woman right on the block is all these two old geezers need to get into action.

As for Ann-Margret she's a free spirit of sorts who's flattered with the attention. Matthau has another friend in high places, his son Kevin Pollak is elected mayor of their town. Lemmon has a daughter played by Darryl Hannah and a grandson and she's married to Christopher McDonald, but they're estranged. The kids like each other and both of their fathers.

Lemmon also has tax problems, he owes some big bucks to the IRS and the villain in Grumpy Old Men is tax man, a most officious Buck Henry. The IRS is an agency everyone hates because it's the only place where you really are guilty until proved innocent in the USA. What happens to Lemmon is all too true. I myself could tell you stories of the IRS problems I've had through no fault of my own. I never owed as much as Lemmon did however and all due to an accounting error while Lemmon was filing jointly with his wife when she was still alive over a decade earlier. Some eager beaver auditor at IRS caught it and the interest and penalties compounded have him ready to lose his house.

I also have to note the presence of another pair of old geezers in the cast, Ossie Davis and Burgess Meredith. Davis owns a convenience store and in the opinion of Lemmon charges outrageously for bait during the ice fishing season. And Meredith is Lemmon's nonagenarian father who is past the age of caring what anyone thinks of him or his opinions.

Grumpy Old Men is a wonderful film for the elderly. Now that I'm at the age of Lemmon's and Matthau's character, I can enjoy this now more than ever. For Geezers of all ages.

John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) are neighbors living in snowy Minnesota who have been fighting with each other for several years.Then a lovely widow called Ariel Truax (Ann-Margret) moves to the street.That means competition between John and Max.Grumpy Old Men from 1993 is great fun for seniors and juniors.I'm only 18 but I'm getting older all the time.Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau were great together.Unfortunately Walter died to a heart attack last July at the age of 79.There are also some other great actors in the movie, including Ossie Davis, Daryl Hannah and Kevin Pollak.Burgess Meredith (1909-1997) is brilliant playing Lemmon's father in the movie.Grumpy Old Men is a heart warming comedy with lots of terrific scenes with Lemmon and Matthau.Don't miss the bloopers during credits.And don't miss this movie.

I write this in 2001. Sadly, at this time, all three of the "Grumpy Old Men" (Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Burgess Meredith) have now passed on. But this film will show that some of your best work can come in your golden years.

I first saw "Grumpy Old Men" against protest. Though I'd heard of its legacy at being "SO funny!"-- I rebelled against the idea of seeing two foul old guys yelling at each other. One night, my parents rented it-- and I happened to be staying at their house that night-- so I popped it in the VCR and watched it.

I went to bed in pain that night because my abdomen was sore from laughing so hard. It took over 3 hours for me to watch the whole movie because I kept rewinding and watching the funniest parts over and over again.

Though the movie stars all VERY-seasoned and excellent actors & actresses-- one tends to forget that... and only sees "John and Max" going at it again. It's a fifty-year fight between these two mischievous old bags of hot-air. The movie becomes more exciting as it progresses-- because you get to wonder who's going to strike next and humiliate the other... Gustafson or Goldman?

Aside from a wonderful story line and script, there are some very memorable one-liners and quotes from both this and "Grumpier Old Men" (the sequel). The soundtrack is sprinkled with wonderful old songs, along with festive polka songs to set the atmosphere for the town of Wabasha, Minnesota-- a small Swedish-settlement in the North.

If you've not seen this movie, and you have a great sense of humor-- do yourself the favor of renting "Grumpy Old Men". It's a heart-warming, happy film that leaves you feeling good after seeing it. God rest all the souls of the stars of this film that are now no longer with us-- but enjoy one of their last gifts to us before they left.

Grumpy Old Men (1993)

The set-up is so funny, and it's so great to see Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau at it again, you have to laugh even though the jokes are often more silly than funny. It's a feel-good drama despite all the hysterics. Maybe the best moments are Burgess Meredith as Lemmon's father, delivering crude old man lines with enough raw disregard for everything to sink a ship. "Did you mounter her?" he asks his elderly son.

Obviously a hit enough to lead to "Grumpier Old Men" two years later, also funny but less fresh. And check out the Meredith outtakes on YouTube--just type his name and look for the "Grumpier Old Men" clip.

I enjoyed "Grumpy Old Men" but was surprised as it seemed less funny than I expected and was more a poignant slice of life film...especially at the end. This is not a complaint...just an observation.

The story is about two neighbors, John and Max (Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau) who seem to hate each other but who also have a long history and a complicated relationship. They act as if they hate each other but over time it's not so clear. During much of the movie, the pair argue over a younger woman (Ann-Margret) who moves onto their block...they each want her and it only stokes their rivalry. See the film to see where all this goes.

The best thing about the movie was the acting. Late in the film in particular, the actors (particularly Matthau) show amazing range without even saying something. A real touching story...not to be missed.