Reviews (184)

This movie is a classic
For me, this movie rates number one among romantic comedies. I have watched it dozens of times and each time I laugh and cry as if it is my first time watching it. The story is so endearing.. How a man and woman meet and dislike each other, mature and "find" each other again only to end a great friendship and finally realize they love each other and marry. I don't feel that Billy Crystal or Meg Ryan have been able to equal their performances in this movie with any other film. They have great chemistry and through the entire film, you hope that someday they will realize how they feel for one another. Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher are equally entertaining. Whenever someone asked me what my favorite Romantic Comedy is, my answer is always When Harry Met Sally.... If there were a "Hall of Fame" for movie genres, this movie would be it. If you want a good laugh (and cry) this movie is it.

It Had to Be You
This movie has been a favorite of mine back in highschool when I first saw the film either on HBO or Television. It also has personal meaning as well, not in the romantic way as some might have the film in their lives but just in a fun eventful personal way.
The movie is about the single life, dating, and the age old question "Can woman and men just be friends?" The movie stars my personal favorites Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal who are perfectly paired up together in this film. Meg plays Sally who's I guess the more positive, healthier (speaking from the film of course) of the two where as Billy is completely different he's deep and depressed. They meet each other on the trip to New York City where they want their lives to start after college. Then ironically keep meeting a couple years later...the final time they meet he's seperated and she and her boyfriend break up. The movie continues to go into the question, in a way its a hopeful movie for the romantics and other words it could give relationships like this a false impression as Nora Ephron explains in the Documentary of the Film. But nonetheless its a hopeful and very cute romantic comedy. It also stars the wonderful Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby. Who are great as Sally and Harry's best friends in the movie. Its fun romantic and witty. And great for both men and woman I believe. It'll be up to you to decide if woman and men can be just friends :)
The soundtrack is great. It's all performed by Harry Connic Jr. to give it the classic touch. With the hit tune "It Had to be You." And many more classic songs.
The DVD has tons of goodies. I'll ignore the fact that it doesn't have a full screen selection as well. But let's move on it's got a great behind the scene's documentary fully on how the idea was scripted, when people came on board such as Nora Ephron, Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal and so on. It goes through who had the idea for what, and how each of them relates to the characters they play. To even how the music was picked for the film and so on. They also have the movie trailer and trailers for other movies by Rob R. as well as the music video to "It Had to be You" With Harry Connic Jr., Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. There's also commentary by Rob R., Billy Crystal, Carrie Fisher and cast and crew which I still have yet to view and go through but I can't wait. This will always be my first classic romantic comedy and how I came to adore Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. I'm sure both men and woman will love this movie :)

My favorite movie of all time!
This movie is the perfect movie to make you laugh. I watch it every year somewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love the scene where they pick out a Christmas tree. It draws you into New York the way Sex and the City does. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan were perfect for their roles--I've never liked either of them more than in this movie. Many great quotes came from this movie.

A unforgettable romantic comedy . The best of eighties!
Billy Cristal and Meg Ryan are in their peak craft. They made a punch comedy with the challenging question: May two friends of different sex to be great friends without falling in love?
This is a the premise who will allow to Reiner and this cast to make a delightful and sugestive film.
Obviously you will find traces of some films of Woody Allen , but this picture in particular breathes in the purest sense of the world. This is a love story with many laughable and smart situations that (jokes apart), will let you thinking.
Believe me if I say that since Two for the road (Stanley Donen) and Forty carats (Milton Katselas) I'd never seen a film so original and so well made. The orgasm sequence is now a classic!.A film that blends the charisma and the beauty of Meg and the hyper fast mind of Cristal, never can fail. Don't you?
Acquire this one. It's a cult movie.

Funny.
Billy Crystal as Harry and Meg Ryan as Sally starred in this crowd-pleasing romantic comedy.

I was really surprised that I enjoyed this one, usually I don't like Billy Crystal but there was some excellent dialogue in this film that helped him out, Meg Ryan looked great (when she didn't have an awful '80's perm - note to ladies on here - it looks really dumb as do ugg boots and jeans that show off your butt cleavage or fat rolls).

I really wish the whole "I'm having what she's having" statement was not said as I've had to endure countless cheesy commercials based on this scene but all in all had some fun with this one.

That said, too many f words, about 8, and too much of the fornicating already, try getting to know someone properly first then marrying them as a lifelong commitment before sleeping with them

Also, you can have platonic friends of the opposite sex, and unless you've got a lust problem you won't be thinking about bedding them all the time.

Thanks for reading, and come out of them you lustful demon!! ... Read more

Reviews (173)

Crystal Comedy Sparkles
Billy Crystal writes, produces and stars in a "boy-loses-girl", "boy-gets-girl" tale with a twist or two along the way. Crystal plays Lee the publicist sent to placate the media with a "junket" and get separated "American Sweethearts" Gwen Harrison (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Eddie Thomas (John Cusack) back together again. Gwen is the self-centered movie star sister with a Spanish live-in lover with a lisp, Hector, played by Hank Azaria. Eddie is the soon to be ex-husband who has spent the last six months with his East Indian guru, Alan Arkin, getting over being betrayed. Julia Roberts as sweet sister Kiki is Gwen's personal assistant who also happens to be in love with her brother-in-law. Can you imagine a fat Julia Roberts? Flashbacks show us Kiki before she slimmed down. A great cast that also includes Christopher Walken in a pivotal bit part and a cameo appearance by Larry King. Great fun!!

Cute and entertaining
Catherine Zeta-Jones plays the star actress with a diva attitude, Julia Roberts is her ever-so-kind and helpful sister and personal assistant, and John Cusack is the love-sick estranged husband of Catherine Zeta-Jones'. Although they have been living apart for a year, are going to be divorced, and try to avoid each other, Zeta-Jones and Cusack both star in a movie which the movie's producer is anxious to earn big bucks from. Billy Cristal is the PR guy hired by the movie's producer to encourage (let's say, "dupe") Zeta-Jones and Cusack into making a star appearance at the film's premiere and he also orchestrates a series of "scandals" for the reporters and tabloids, just to make more money (as they say, no publicity is bad publicity, or something like that.) In the process, Zeta-Jones and Cusack end up in all sorts of funny, embarassing circumstances which they both try very desperately to extricate themselves from.

Cusack is not at his best, but he's entertaining. Roberts is looking good (and I wonder if she did really put on all that weight for this movie, cos it looks so real!). Zeta-Jones is stunning and ever-so-convincing in these diva roles.

I wouldn't say this is a great movie... but its a good one for renting for those nights in (with lots of crisps and popcorn at the side!). It does have enough unpredictability and gags in it to keep you chuckling, and the nice little happy ending will make you go "Awwww...." with a smile :)

Cusack is America's Sweetheart
This is Cusack at his best . . . quirky, new age, obsessive over Catherine Zeta-Jones, who is the most loveable self-absorbed prima donna ever to grace a screen.

I'm mad about this movie, it is probably the one that pushed me over the Cusack edge.

Star Studded Folly
How did someone take a light-hearted but cute premise, big name stars, and turn it into such a lame and inane film? The talent is obviously there, but the movie simply doesn't work. Alternating between over-the-top (which I think was the point) and deadly dull (which probably wasn't), this film stalls and fizzles.

Won't Win Any Oscars
This movie wasn't amazing, but it was a cute story. It was interesting to think about everything that goes into publicizing a movie, and what the actors are like in real life. Crystal's character was very funny. See it at some point if you don't have anything better to do, but don't spend too much on it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Billy Crystal plays Mickey, a basketball referee who has to accompanyhis estranged father's body to France, where the old man requested to be buried with the other members of his D-Day platoon. Unfortunately for Mickey, the airline loses his body. Fortunately for Mickey, this leads him to meet Ellen (Debra Winger), an airline executive who takes personal charge of the case and even joins him at the funeral. A whirlwind Paris romance leads to marriage, but that's when the complications begin... The story of Mickey and Ellen's marriage is recounted by their friends (played by Joe Mantegna, Cynthia Stevenson, Julie Kavner, Richard Masur, John Spencer, and Cathy Moriarty) as they wait for Mickey and Ellen to arrive at a dinner party. And of course these friends have their own stories, which are played out in witty shorthand as they bicker about who's going to tell the next part of the Mickey/Ellen saga. Forget Paris is uneven (unsurprisingly, Winger is stronger in the dramatic sections and Crystal in the comic parts, a schism that takes its toll on their chemistry), but its best parts hold up, even if the whole is shaky. Plus, the movie's theme (that romantic memories aren't what makes a marriage work, you have to live in the present) is explored with conviction and tenderness. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Charming
Forget Paris is indeed a charming romantic comedy. Billy Crystal is his usual wise cracking self and Debra Winger fits in decently as his love interest. I like the way the story seems to weave as each of the supporting cast members relate an amusing anecdote about our star couple. Several hillarious moments include when Crystal and Winger are in therapy and the reactions of the different psychologists. Love Crystal's retort to a couple psychologist team,"When do you get involved, when there is gunplay!"

Overall, the story is pretty similar to When Harry Met Sally. In some ways its a little irrealsitic. Nonetheless, there are some comedic moments that will keep you amused.

Funny Romantic Comedy
The romantic comedy is a very popular genre at the movies right now. I suppose that it always has been. In "Forget Paris" the emphasis is on the comedy, rather than the romance, and it provides a nice counterpart to some of the others.

The story is structured in a fashion that will be familiar to Woody Allen fans. Three couples are sitting around at dinner telling stories about their absent friends Mickey (Billy Crystal) and Ellen (Debra Winger).

Mickey and Ellen first meet in Paris through a rather amazing set of circumstances. (I won't give it away.) They fall in love, but Mickey has to go back to work-he's an NBA referee-so he leaves. He pines for Ellen, though, and it starts to affect his work. (There's a great scene with him and Kareem Abdul Jabbar.) Finally, Mickey returns to Paris and they resume where they left off.

Eventually, they decide to get married and Ellen quits her job and moves to California with Mickey. That's when the problems begin. Mickey is constantly on the road, so Ellen gets lonely, plus she hates her new job. Basically, she's miserable.

Trying to make things work out between them, Mickey quits his job and stays home with Ellen. In the meantime, she has gotten a great job that she loves so she's never home. Now Mickey is miserable.

If you suspect that somehow everything works out in the end, you've probably seen this kind of movie before. No matter. A romantic comedy succeeds or fails, not based on its originality or unpredictability, but on its charm, humor and the charisma of its characters. On that basis, "Forget Paris" succeeds.

Billy Crystal produced, directed and co-wrote the film, in addition to starring in it, so it's his picture all the way. With that kind of pedigree, you know it's going to be funny, and it is. Sometimes hilariously so.

It also means that there will be moments when the story or the characters will be sacrificed in order to serve the humor-and there are. There are too many scenes where Crystal cracks jokes and all Winger is given to do is laugh at them. That's too bad. An actress of her talent and intelligence should have a character that is more worthy of her.

There will be natural comparisons between this film and "When Harry Met Sally...," which also starred Billy Crystal. Although this picture is not as good as that one, it is still enjoyable.

Better Than Average
This is not a great movie, but I have to admit it is better than most romantic comedies out there. There are at least two or three "laugh-out-loud" moments (my favorite is the pigeon scene), but for the most part it is just okay. I thought my lack of enthusiasm could be attributed to the fact that this is more of a "chick flick," but alas, my wife felt the same way.

Using the friends of the main characters to tell the story in flashback is an interesting device, but overall this film is only a little bit better than average.

romantic comedy wins despite itself
Debra Winger and Billy Crystal are surprisingly well matched in this romantic comedy. The two meet in Paris where Mickey Gordon (Crystal) has come to bury is father, a WWII vet for whom Mickey had little love. When papa's coffin gets lost, it falls to Ellen Andrews (Winger), an airline exec to help him out. Paris is magical, and they fall in love. Unfortunately, while there love endures, that Parisian spark doesn't survive the wedding. Crystal's bachelor life proves harder to leave behind than he thought (Mickey has what amounts to Bill Crystal's dream job - as an utterly fearless NBA ref - but may have to sacrifice it; He may also have to bear living with Winger's dementia-plagued father played by William Hickey). She may have to bear the obvious unhappiness of causing Mickey to lose his dream job, not to mention his loutish friends, including Joe Mantegna as a sportswriter, and primetime TV vet John Spencer ("LA Law", "West Wing") as a serial divorcee who derisively refers to his latest spouse as "the new Mrs. Jack."

If "Paris" is uneven it's because it's trying to be a romantic comedy that is often not very romantic or that funny. Still, the flick knows when to light things up (much of the story is told over dinner by Mickey's friends - especially Mantegna who display's a reporter's knack for knowing where his audience's attentions will flag, and a gift for reclaiming them) and in the end, romance wins.

A good story that's funny and original!
Genuinely funny and original! From the opening, you'll be both touched and thoroughly entertained by this truly romantic comedy!

Billy Crystal is wonderful as a slightly neurotic basketball referee and Debra Winger is convincing as an ascending career woman who finds herself torn between love, Paris, and her job.

Highly recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

One of the Best Comedies of the Ninties.
New Yorker Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal) turns 39 and thinking that he will be misrable for the rest of his life. Then his two best friends (Daniel Stern & Bruno Kirby) offer a present to Mitch by bringing him to a cattle drive in New Mexico. Then mitch's life start to change unexpectedly by going on his fantasy vacation with his friends. They are set out to find thier freedom and thier adventure, they will remember for a life time.

Directed by Ron Underwood (Tremors, Heart & Souls, Mighty Joe Young-Remake) made a extremely likeable entertaining ambitious comedy. Crystal, Stern, Kirby and Jack Palance's wonderful Oscar Winning Performance makes this Contemporary Comedy Classic really worth watching. Crystal also Executive Produced the film. There's a nice music score by Marc Shaiman (South Park:Bigger, Longer & Uncut). DVD's has an fine anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) transfer and an good Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound. DVD only extra is the Original Theatrical Trailer. This is Wonderfully Written by Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel (City Slickers 2:The Legend of Curly's Gold). Watch for Jeffery Tambor, Yearley Smith, Robert Contanzo, Jake Gyllenhall, Danielle Harris and that's Crystal real-life Daughter-Lindsay Crystal playing his Daughter in the flim. One of the highest grossing films of 1991. This is One of the Best & Most memorable comedies ever made, see it. Grade:A.

Buckaroo Bonanza....
This review refers to the MGM Contemporary Classic DVD Edition of "City Slickers".....

Saddle up Buckaroos, for the funniest city dude meets cowboy adventure since Bob Hope roamed the plains!

Mitch(Billy Crystal) is going through a mid-life crisis. He sells "air" for a New York radio station and finds that as he nears 40, his life seems unfulfilling. His buddies Ed(Bruno Kirbly), an aging Romeo, and Phil(Daniel Stern), pitifuly henpecked, also seem to be feeling the strain. They decide a little vacation is in order and head for a New Mexico cattle ranch to enjoy life as they "bring in the herd".

This "fantasy" vacation turns into one hysterical adventure. Learning to rope and ride is trickier(and funnier), then you think. But the toughest part is dealing with the tough ranch hands. One in particular..."Curly"(Jack Palance)...is one bad hombre as he scares these guys out of their wits.

They are joined by several others as the drive begins from New Mexico to Colorado and anything than can go wrong... does! There's a stampede, a runaway wagon, and Mitch even has to deliver a calf. Their cell phones are no help here! There's also mucho male bonding going on during the trek. These guys even bond with the cows! They learn about each other and with the help of the very tough Curly, they even learn what is important in life.

The funny lines and gags are non stop, and there are some very poignant moments as well. It'll have you smiling and often laughing out loud. You won't want it to end, but luckily...there's a sequel.."City Slickers 2..The Legend of Curly's Gold".

The film was honored with several awards. Among them Jack Palance took an Oscar for Best supporting actor, as well as a Golden Globe and a Best supporting actor from the American Comedy Awards. Billy Crystal was also honored at the American Comedy Awards as Funniest Actor in a lead and the People's Choice Awards voted the film the Favorite Comedy of the year. They are joined by some outstanding and seasoned character actors. Jeffrey Tambor, John Mostel, David Paymer, Patricia Wettig, and Helen Slater and the wonderful Noble Willingham all keep us in stitches as well. The music by Marc Shaiman is as fun as the story and Direcotr Ron Underwood and Photographer Dean Semler bring us some real cinematic delights.

The transfer of the DVD is very nice. An excellent picture in widescreen presents the beautiful Western scenery and terrific colors. If you watch the original theatrical trailer, you can really notice the difference made by the transfer. Although the sound in Dolby Stereo was good, it could have been better. This film with all the great music and action needs to be in 5.1. It may be viewed in French(Mono) and has subtitles in Spanish and French, but no other special features. Just a really funny flick that will take you away for about 2 hours.

So sing along to the tunes of "Rawhide" and "Bonaza" with Mitch, Phil, Ed and Norman the cow along the big trail...have fun...Laurie

Poignant Comedy
This is one of those great comedies that also speaks to the great truths of life. I have watched this film over and over again and am always left with a wonderful feeling after having watched it. It lifts my spirits when I am low and helps to remind me what is truly important in life.

Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal), Phil Berquist (Daniel Stern) and Ed Furillo (Bruno Kirby) are three friends approaching mid-life at break neck speed. Each year they go on increasingly more dangerous adventures which Mitch's wife (Patricia Wettig) describes as desperate and juvenile attempts to hold on to their youth. When Ed suggests mushing along the trail of Admiral Byrd as a way to top running from bulls in Spain, Mitch is ready to quit the adventure trips and settle into senior life at the ripe old age of 39. After a demotion at his job and a surprise at his birthday party where Phil and his icy wife Arlene (Karla Tamburelli) have a blow out after she learns of his infidelities, Mitch's depression gets the better of his wife who sends him on one more adventure - to find his smile.

And so it is that the trio finds themselves on a cattle drive in the American west with five other lost souls and Curly (Jack Palance) as the cattle boss. Palance is wonderful as the gruff old cowboy who intimidates everyone around him (Mitch:"Kill anyone today, Curly?" Curly: "Day ain't over yet."). Yet he knows the secret to life and relates the cryptic answer to Mitch during the ride. As they drive the cattle and overcome obstacles like stampedes, drunken escapades by the trail hands and their own personal struggles, Mitch comes to realize what Curly's answer means and that it is the only answer he needs to bring the pieces of his life back together.

A Big Letdown!
WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!! I hate it when they do this!! The first hour of this movie is so funny I laughed out loud on a number of occasions. Something I don't usually do when I watch a comedy by myself but this was just too hilarious. Then, a cow gets shot just after giving birth, Jack Palance dies and is buried on the trail, two horses get killed going over a cliff with the wagon and a cute little calf nearly drowns in a river. After being bullied and deserted by drunken cowboys, the "city slickers" manage to drive home the herd of cattle and are informed that the cows that "trusted" them will be ground up for hamburger....but hey, that's life! Billy Crystal finds his family is the most important thing to him, and he adopts the little calf, but no jokes could make me even smile after the middle portion of this movie that starts out broad comedy and mutates into warm'n'fuzzy, overly-sentimental, and very predictable fluff. Not my idea of a "feel-good" movie... a little sad actually. When it started I was making plans about buying the sequel. When it ended I decided to sell the original. I can see why there are so many used copies for sale at Amazon Marketplace.
This could have been up there with the best National Lampoon Vacation movies (started out that way) but they blew it.

Great movie, horrible dvd
I love this movie! Its among my top favorites. However, the DVD [is bad]! One reason, the dubbing. The first half of the movie is fine, but about half way through, the words being spoken by the characters dont match up with their mouth. It looks like a bad Bruce Lee movie! Im not one to complain, but it just kept getting worse! At one point the whole line was almost spoken before the characters mouth started moving! I just baffles me that those responsible for transfering this movie to DVD took no care at all in doing it! I really dont know how this DVD made it to stores without someone noticing this huge fault and trying to make it better. Like I said, this is my favorite movie, I give it the lowest rating for the lack of dubbing quaility! ... Read more

Reviews (81)

REPROBATE ALLEN WINS ME BACK, THIS TIME
When it was first released, I avoided seeing DECONSTRUCTING HARRY (a.k.a., Woody) because I couldn't bring myself to face yet another self-deprecating, neurotic, self-indulgent, self-centered Woody Allen on screen (who the newspapers had just confirmed is that way off screen too!). Having first laughed at and then endured Allen since the 1960s, I'd had enough. Nevertheless, to this day Allen's THE FRONT remains one of my all time favorite movies ... mainly because of its truthfulness, honesty and courage. Unintentionally, one night I saw part of DECONSTRUCTING HARRY on cable TV (and then HAD to buy it here in DVD) ... because I couldn't stop howling. I'd only seen perhaps the middle half hour of it, but that was enough. Mercifully, THIS movie was not ALL about Allen. Rather Harry Block-Woody Allen was "exploited" as a vehicle for a higher form of humor. Then there were a parade of actors who I never imagined had it in them: Richard Benjamin, Kirstie Alley, Amy Irving ... of all people ..., Mariel Hemingway ... yet! ALL were great in this comedy ... they were terrific. Equally terrific were Hazelle Goodman as Harry's motherly hooker Cookie (wonderful), Billy Crystal and Robin Williams ... who you'd expect to be funny, were indeed that.

I must admit, Allen pulled one out as writer, director and star. But not merely because of the brilliant writing and directing (oh, O.K., and the acting) but because for ONCE Harry-Woody was not the center of the neurotic universe. He was in the middle of the action .... but he tied it all together in DECONSTRUCTING HARRY. Many modern interpersonal issues, stereotypes and clichés are brought into scrutiny under this microscope. It is the very absurdity of it all, making the movie hysterically funny.

Clearly, this is a movie for mature audiences. It is definitely not a movie for children and adolescents. Probably they would find it boring and confusing. The language and situations are graphic, raw and irreligious. But in this movie these are necessary "paints" for painting this picture. Grownups will enjoy this movies thoroughly.

Allen's self-exploration vignettes
Weaving between fiction and reality, Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry tells the tale of a writer's sexual exploits, romantic failings, and dealings with depression. Allen's character Harry transfers his life's problems into his books, which causes much strife between the real-life counterparts in his world.

Once again Allen has leveraged his considerable fame to draw in Hollywood's elite. Throughout the film, every face is a familiar one. Billy Crystal is portrayed as the devil who steals Woody's romantic lead, Robin Williams as a blurry actor who can't get his focus, Kirstie Alley as a ex-wife who discovers Harry has cheated with a patient, and countless more celebrity cameos.

The joy in partaking in this film is evident in the celebrity actors who appear. There's a certain prestige in such an endeavor, and we, the film audience, can identify just about everyone in the film. At the same time, each character that appears has so much baggage in our minds. For instance, Demi Moore appears as an ex-wife. How many of us can honestly think of her in any way other that her celebrity profile. While this isn't a major problem, identifying with some of the celebrities proves difficult at times.

Deconstructing Harry catalogs Woody's struggle with sexual desire and his inability to love. Early on we discover that he has finally found true love in a pupil, Elizabeth Shue, but she has fallen in love with his friend.

The plot is shaped around Harry's self-identity questions, and the character's goal is to go to an honorary ceremony at his alum. He has nobody to take. His ex-wife won't let him take his son, his girlfriend has left him, and a hooker is the only one around that will take him up on his need for companionship.

The play between Allen's semi-autobiographical stories, which flash to and from reality, illuminate the film and shows how Allen's writing channels his depression and gives him a release from an otherwise ugly life.

After viewing Deconstructing Harry, I wonder how autobiographical it really is.

Witty, perhaps, but heartless
There is no doubting the genius of Woody Allen. The clever ideas and witty dialogue flow thick and fast here, but there is just one problem: The film is totally and utterly heartless.

Woody Allen's humour here is just downright cynical. Cruel, even. The film has a narcissistic feel to it, where everyone is mocked and ripped apart mercilessly apart from Woody's alter-ego, Harry. Though I saw this a few years ago and loved it, on rewatching it recently, I just couldn't enjoy it. His cynicism here is left untempered by optimism and faith, something that marked out his earlier work. Sorry, but this just left a bitter taste in my mouth.

One of Woody's best!
This belongs on the shelf along with the other Woody greats such as Hannah, Manhattan, Stardust Memories & Crimes and Misdemeanors. I can't imagine any objection to this movie unless you're the type that gets excited whenever you see a Tom Cruise type up on the screen. About as close to art as a movie can get and in the same league as Bergman, Wenders, Godard or any of the other greats.
Enough said.

incredible
This is by far my favorite woody allen film . most people who discredit the movie do so because of course language and/or typical woody allen roles and situations. well, if you can't take a little vulgarity, f__k off this movie's not for you. It's not potty humor, it's unfiltered dialogue fitted to the characters and the situations they find themselves in. As for the typical allen scenerios of love triangles and even squares, that's what has made him. Would you expect a woody allen film where he is not nuerotic, or tense, or in constant insecurity? Then don't expect one in which all the angles of relationships are dissected and exploited. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Cast Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal together in a film and it should be a sucker's bet as to who's going to be funnier and who's going to give the more nuanced performance. Somehow, though, De Niro walks away with most of the laughs in Analyze This, a buddy action-comedy about a mob boss (De Niro, natch) suffering from panic attacks who makes a nebbishy shrink (Crystal, natch) an offer he can't refuse--actually, it's not really an offer, it's a command. The good doctor is forced to help the gangster get in touch with his feelings. Had the brilliant TV series The Sopranos not underscored how thin and watery and shticky director-cowriter Harold Ramis's approach to such potentially rich material actually is, the movie--a hit in theaters and De Niro's biggest film ever--would seem more fresh and kicky. De Niro's definitely a hoot as the ever milder menace, and Crystal actually concentrates on giving a credible performance opposite the acting legend (alas, he doesn't turn his character's fear of his patient into inspired comedy, as Alan Arkin did in Grosse Pointe Blank). The conclusion devolves into the requisite gunplay, and Chazz Palminteri and Lisa Kudrow are criminally wasted as an opposing mob boss and Crystal's fiancée, respectively, but overall, it's breezy fun. --David Kronke ... Read more

Reviews (136)

I see 3 movies/dayand this's the greatest movie I ever seen
This is one of the greatest movies I ever seen in my entire life. In this movie DeNiro had prove that he can act what so ever kind of movie ...

mildly amusing but extremely predictable movie
I was disappointed by this movie given all the great reviews. Typically, Billy Crystal plays it "too close to the vest" resulting in humor that belongs on a TV sitcom.

A terrible De Niro movie, shame on him.
This movie is nothing more than a theft of plot from National Lampoon's 1997 hit "The Don's Analyst". If you want to see a hilarious psycho-spoof about a Mob boss, see this one. Robert Loggia is, as always, excellent and very, very funny. The rest of the cast supports with vigour.

As for "Anylyze This", if it weren't for De Niro I would have given it 1 star. Billy Crystal is his usual incompetent self; Harold Ramis fails miserably.

Don't waste your time on this one.

A brilliant refreshing comedy!
This has to be one of the funniest movies that has ever been made. The premise itself is funny. A mob boss getting in touch with his feelings. The therapy sessions bring out very funny scenarios as ideas and concepts are intrepreted from different perspectives. What is normal in phsyco speak is completely repulsive to a mobster. Likewise, what is normal for a mobster is completely irrational to a psychiatrist. When Crystal suggests Deniro may have sexual feelings about his Mother that are described as normal, Deniro is afraid to call his mother after that. Then of course, the patient confidentially issue comes up. As a patient, Deniro shares secrets with his doctor. The consequences for the Doctor violating that confidentially has a whole new meaning when the patient is a wiseguy! This is not a movie that relies on one liners or gags for the laughs. It is the situations that are funny. A movie that will stand the test of time and keep you laughing long after it's over.

Hysterical!
The people who do NOT think this film is funny are the same people who take themselves and LIFE entirely too seriously! This is a great comedy that does what it set out to do... entertain. It was fun to see DeNiro in a comedy and to see that he has such great comedic timing and talent. Crystal is his usual funny self as well, and the two blend beautifully. Buy the movie... it's one you can watch over and over again. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

OH MY G-D
I have seen this movie at least 100 times, and it is still as funny since the first time I watched it! Anne Ramsey is a remarkable actress and I don't believe she has ever performed like this before. The combination of Danny Devito and Billy Crystal couldn't have been pulled off by anyone else. They gave an outstanding performance in this film. The plot is absolutely fabulous and is more realistic than you might think because there are quite a few of us that have, at one time or another wanted to 'Throw Momma From the Train'. The picture quality might not have been the best, but with a story line as 'to the point' and commendable as this one....... Does it really matter?

A classic I grew up with
This is one of the movies I saw before I reached 12 in a tiny cinema and I loved it. I then forgot about it until this year when I found I had a copy of it taped from Cable TV in video library, I made some popcorn sat down and watched a very, very funny movie starring Billy Crystal and Danny Devito, and now it's coming to the DVD format.

Throw Momma From The Train is a classic comedy in which an aspiring man Owen (Devito) wishes to kill his mother who treats him bad. He channels his energy into his writing, for which he takes a class led by Billy Crystal, to which he lets him in on the plan to get rid of Momma.

I can't say any more fearing I would spoil this great, great movie for you all, it simply is a must-see, and definately a must own.

A little dissapointing that the DVD doesn't have an Audio Commentary either by Crystal, Devito, or the Director, but nevertheless, at this price, with scene access, crystal (no pun intended) transfer, and something I'm looking forward to: Deleted Scenes, It is really a crime if you don't pick up this title.

It really is funny, and has a place in my heart, so if you have seen it, click add to cart, if you haven't, get down to the video store, rent it, kick back with some popcorn, and prepare to enjoy some of the best comedy the 80's had to offer.

The story of Owen Lift's momma
Danny DeVito directed and starred in this film about Owen Lift's elderly and senile momma. Owen(DeVito) takes a literature class given by Larry Donner(Billy Crystal). Momma(the late Anne Ramsey) is frequently annoyed by the striking of Owen's typewriter(the kind used was a manual with typebar assembly). He wants to kill her in the worst way. She survives the poison given to her(Pepsi with lye). The lye softened her up mentally! But that doesn't last long. She resumes being her bitchy self. Kate Mulgrew is Larry's ex-wife who's a novelist like her ex-husband. Larry hears on the radio that she was missing and presumed dead. Margaret,the ex-wife promotes her new novel on Oprah Winfrey,who appears as herself. Kim Greist is Larry's girlfriend Beth Ryan. Jazz musician Branford Marsalis is Larry's buddy Lester. Marsalis,a saxophonist,even plays in the film. After seeing a murder movie,Owen suggests that Larry kill Momma,and Owen kill Margaret. Rob Reiner,Crystal's longtime buddy is Joel,Larry's agent. Joel quit representing Larry. Memorable scenes include when Larry introduces Owen to Beth,Larry tells her,"Owen is a dead man!". Owen suddenly appeared in a moment of passion between Larry and Beth. Momma calls the police to report Larry murdered his ex-wife. That's when Larry,Owen and Momma are on a train to God knows where. Larry is physically evicted by Momma from the moving train,resulting in hospitalization. Following his discharge,Larry finally musters up the courage to proceed with his novel which he initially began months ago. A year passed,and Owen phones Larry at a booth near Larry's apartment("Look out your window!"). The two wave to each other and Larry invites Owen in. Momma had died of natural causes. Owen wrote a book entitled "Owen,Momma and Owen's friend Larry". Owen is about to fly to New York to promote the book. There is nothing violent in the book,according to Owen. It tells about what the three did together in the film,them taking a picnic and Owen,Larry and Beth on vacation. Margaret becomes engaged to an Oriental man who revived her when she was drowning. Bruce Kirby(Bruno's father) appears in the film as detective who investigates the rumoured murder at Owen's home.

So Funny I Had To Own It
There is no reason that I would ever want this movie on DVD. There is nothing special. A trailer and extra scene... However There was one reason I did buy this on DVD and that is that it was the funniest movie I had ever seen. This is Dark humor and to me there is no better humor.

NO Comedy Greater
Wow there is no words that describe how hard I laughed when I watched it. After that I could not stop renting it and then I had to buy it. Get it or loose out. ... Read more

Description

They locked up mob boss Paul Vitti in Sing Sing and that's where he sang sang - bellowing West Side Story tunes and convincing officials he's more suited for a nut house than the Big House. Better yet, the Feds say, let's release Vitti into the custody of his therapist Ben Sobel. ROBERT DE NIRO (Vitti) and BILLY CRYSTAL (Sobel) reprise their Analyze This roles and reteam with filmmaker HAROLD RAMIS (Caddyshack) and co-star LISA KUDROW. ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Harold Ramis' Analyze That
Robert DeNiro and Billy Crystal return in a sequel that takes an unsubtle swipe at "The Sopranos," and offers little else.

Paul (Robert DeNiro) is in prison and Ben (Billy Crystal) has settled down into a routine life in suburbia with wife Laura (Lisa Kudrow) and his son. Someone is gunning for Paul in the big house, and Ben's father dies. Paul has a complete nervous breakdown, singing the score to "West Side Story," and he is released into Ben's care (after some very funny psychoanalytic tests). Of course, Paul was faking and of course, the FBI knows, trailing the men as Paul must suddenly go out into the world and get a real job.

After several employment mishaps, Paul is hired on as a consultant on the mob TV series "Little Caesar." There, he reunites with his old gang and they begin planning a huge heist. Meanwhile, Ben is still trying to grieve for the father he sometimes hated, popping pills and trying desperately to keep Paul in line. In the end, we find out who was trying to kill Paul, who may be redeemable after all.

Like its predecessor, "Analyze That" is merely okay. The focus here is definitely on DeNiro, as he is featured in almost every scene. Ben takes a backseat in the film when in fact his situation dealing with his father's death (running gag: "He's grieving, it's a process") is more interesting than Paul's heist and double crossing cronies.

The film takes an almost angry look at "The Sopranos" in the form of its fictional show "Little Caesar." Naturally, I felt a little hypocrisy at this stage. A fake movie about mobsters poking fun at a fake TV show about mobsters.

While no laugh riot, there are some bright spots. DeNiro has the funny psycho tests scenes, and Crystal is very natural while watching his life unravel. If you thought Kudrow's role in the first one was overpraised, then you will completely think the same here. Her lines seem hurried, like she did this over lunch hours during "Friends," and she is once again completely wasted in an underwritten role. Joe Viterelli is always good as Jelly, Paul's henchman, and Cathy Moriarty is fine as a rival crime boss.

"Analyze That" is a ninety five minute foul mouthed sitcom, complete with end credits outtakes, that has its likable characters and not much else. The initial "mobster/shrink" gimmick wore off long ago, and a third movie does not seem likely.

PRETTY MUCH THE SAME MOVIE.
"Analyze That" follows almost exactly the same patterns that the original movie set. And perhaps that's not too bad, because we got another amusing movie from the duo De Niro / Crystal. The movie is funny, but for some reason we get the feeling that "Analyze That" could have been even better. This comedy has the right ingredients: Billy Crystal, one of the best comedians of his generation, Robert De Niro, the best actor of his generation, and a very charismatic supporting cast, including Lisa Kudrow.

Crystal and De Niro reprise their roles as a therapist and mob-boss patient, and of course they are the main reason why this movie has funny moments, Crystal plays the funny guy and De Niro plays the though guy, only this time he turns -apparently- into an old softy singing guy. De Niro isn't the typical comedian, we are used to see him as a mobster, but not as a singing mobster, so when he sings, we laugh.

"Analyze That" offers some laughs, not too many, but this sequel still can be considered as an amusing comedy, of course, we get the sensation that could have been even better, but if you liked the first one, you'll like "Analyze That".

A Minus 5 .....Twice
Well its not often I fall asleep with utter bordom, but I did with this one *yawn*, 20 minutes into the movie, I hit the DVD player reject button, this Movie was so.o.oooo Unfunny and a boring piece of B-S , the DVD Cover's was the only good thing going for it, sorry Billy, Better luck next time :) "Analyze this" gets the big thumbs down as well, I couldnt even give the 2 DVD's away, Hmmmmmm Ohh well, I guess they make Good Coffee Cup Mats..... so not all is lost :)

A few occasional laughs
Original movie 'Analyze this' wasn't a masterpiece but was still decent. This sequel is worse. There is no enough materials here for Robert de Niro and Billy Crystal to work with (it's sad to see more and more movies with Robert De Niro that do not deserve his talent). I have seen already all de Niro facial expression in the first movie (where it was funny) and it just doesn't work for the second time. The plot is quite pathetic. Lisa Kudrow, unfortunately, doesn't do very well here. Overall, it's worth to watch only if you have nothing to do and no other movie is available.

A Few Good Laughs
Analyze That features two good performances from Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro. Its kind of refreshing to see De Nero doing comedic work. The parts where De Nero's character acts out scenes from West Side Story are quite funny. Crystal gives us his usual amusing schtick about self guilt particulalry in the relationships with his late father and wife.

The story however is helter skelter where De Nero's mob boss character seems to shift gears too much from amusing fool to hard ass mob boss and all points in between. This can be more annoying than funny although there are some cute moments. However, there is little variation from the Jelly's character gives the film a light hearted touch.

Therefore, this movie stands in the middle of the pack. ... Read more

Description

Urban cowboy Mitch Robbins, played by Billy Crystal, is at it again in this adventure-comedy film. After discovering a treasure map in the band of Curly's hat, he and his good pal Phil (Daniel Stern) and his mooching brother (Jon Lovitz) set out on an adventure to find the lost treasure. Jack Palance co-stars. Year: 1994 Director: Paul Weiland Starring: Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Jon Lovitz, Jack Palace ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Why no City Slickers III? (3.5 stars)
This sequel is at least as good as its precursor. It combines solid (if unspectacular) humor, with a feel-good message. But the director got it right. You need to start with the humor, to engage the viewer, before bringing in the heavier themes. Otherwise it's too easy for the uninvolved and sarcastic viewer to write the film off as corny or too sincere. It can be said that there is nothing truly innovative in this film; in some respects it aims for the common-denominator, but it hits it. The fact of the matter is, this is the level at which a lot of guys interact and bond. The treatment of westerners and women aren't great, but that's not what this modest movie is about. It's about male bonding.

Other pluses include the strong acting and the well-defined characters. Palance and Lovitz prove interesting muses for Crystal, albeit in very different respects. And even if we've heard it a million times before, it's good to be reminded that what you learn along the way is often more valuable than the what you are pursuing in the process.

So while this film is no great work of art, unlike the main characters in their quest, the moviemakers fully achieve what they set out to do.

A Sequel That Is Good!
City Slickers is a very good movie and though sequels often pale in comparison this sequel was actually pretty good and Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern and Jack Palance were still in top form and I liked the addition of Jon Lovitz as Billy's lazy freeloading brother but I wish that Bruno Kirby was in this sequel too reprising his roll from the original but it's still a good movie and I highly recommend it and I hope to buy this and the first movie on DVD!

"Let's get that gold!"
This is a very funny movie, with an A+ cast, and script. With quirky one liners and beautiful scenery, you really do feel like your in a western.
It was fun seeing the cast again in this sequel, except for Bruno Kirby, who was replaced by Jon Lovitz.
The commentary for the movie is also quiet good. It's fun learning about what went on behind the scenes and such.
I personally think this is one of the better sequels. Very nicely done. 

Don't listen to CJ! It's a great sequel!
One of the few sequels that live up to the original. Yes there are a few gags repeated from the first movie - it's called CONTINUITY, CJ - look into it.

Other than that, it takes the likeable characters from the original and puts them in a brand new adventure. This isn't a retread of the original plot. Scenery is beautiful, Lovitz is a riot.

Slick City guy returns to the west.
Billy Crystal is looking marvelous in the amusing comedy that is fun to watch. I actually like the sequel just slightly better than the original. Billy crystal is charming and funny and Jack Palance is great. ... Read more

Description

They locked up mob boss Paul Vitti in Sing Sing and that's where he sang sang - bellowing West Side Story tunes and convincing officials he's more suited for a nut house than the Big House. Better yet, the Feds say, let's release Vitti into the custody of his therapist Ben Sobel. ROBERT DE NIRO (Vitti) and BILLY CRYSTAL (Sobel) reprise their Analyze This roles and reteam with filmmaker HAROLD RAMIS (Caddyshack) and co-star LISA KUDROW. ... Read more

Reviews (60)

Harold Ramis' Analyze That
Robert DeNiro and Billy Crystal return in a sequel that takes an unsubtle swipe at "The Sopranos," and offers little else.

Paul (Robert DeNiro) is in prison and Ben (Billy Crystal) has settled down into a routine life in suburbia with wife Laura (Lisa Kudrow) and his son. Someone is gunning for Paul in the big house, and Ben's father dies. Paul has a complete nervous breakdown, singing the score to "West Side Story," and he is released into Ben's care (after some very funny psychoanalytic tests). Of course, Paul was faking and of course, the FBI knows, trailing the men as Paul must suddenly go out into the world and get a real job.

After several employment mishaps, Paul is hired on as a consultant on the mob TV series "Little Caesar." There, he reunites with his old gang and they begin planning a huge heist. Meanwhile, Ben is still trying to grieve for the father he sometimes hated, popping pills and trying desperately to keep Paul in line. In the end, we find out who was trying to kill Paul, who may be redeemable after all.

Like its predecessor, "Analyze That" is merely okay. The focus here is definitely on DeNiro, as he is featured in almost every scene. Ben takes a backseat in the film when in fact his situation dealing with his father's death (running gag: "He's grieving, it's a process") is more interesting than Paul's heist and double crossing cronies.

The film takes an almost angry look at "The Sopranos" in the form of its fictional show "Little Caesar." Naturally, I felt a little hypocrisy at this stage. A fake movie about mobsters poking fun at a fake TV show about mobsters.

While no laugh riot, there are some bright spots. DeNiro has the funny psycho tests scenes, and Crystal is very natural while watching his life unravel. If you thought Kudrow's role in the first one was overpraised, then you will completely think the same here. Her lines seem hurried, like she did this over lunch hours during "Friends," and she is once again completely wasted in an underwritten role. Joe Viterelli is always good as Jelly, Paul's henchman, and Cathy Moriarty is fine as a rival crime boss.

"Analyze That" is a ninety five minute foul mouthed sitcom, complete with end credits outtakes, that has its likable characters and not much else. The initial "mobster/shrink" gimmick wore off long ago, and a third movie does not seem likely.

PRETTY MUCH THE SAME MOVIE.
"Analyze That" follows almost exactly the same patterns that the original movie set. And perhaps that's not too bad, because we got another amusing movie from the duo De Niro / Crystal. The movie is funny, but for some reason we get the feeling that "Analyze That" could have been even better. This comedy has the right ingredients: Billy Crystal, one of the best comedians of his generation, Robert De Niro, the best actor of his generation, and a very charismatic supporting cast, including Lisa Kudrow.

Crystal and De Niro reprise their roles as a therapist and mob-boss patient, and of course they are the main reason why this movie has funny moments, Crystal plays the funny guy and De Niro plays the though guy, only this time he turns -apparently- into an old softy singing guy. De Niro isn't the typical comedian, we are used to see him as a mobster, but not as a singing mobster, so when he sings, we laugh.

"Analyze That" offers some laughs, not too many, but this sequel still can be considered as an amusing comedy, of course, we get the sensation that could have been even better, but if you liked the first one, you'll like "Analyze That".

A Minus 5 .....Twice
Well its not often I fall asleep with utter bordom, but I did with this one *yawn*, 20 minutes into the movie, I hit the DVD player reject button, this Movie was so.o.oooo Unfunny and a boring piece of B-S , the DVD Cover's was the only good thing going for it, sorry Billy, Better luck next time :) "Analyze this" gets the big thumbs down as well, I couldnt even give the 2 DVD's away, Hmmmmmm Ohh well, I guess they make Good Coffee Cup Mats..... so not all is lost :)

A few occasional laughs
Original movie 'Analyze this' wasn't a masterpiece but was still decent. This sequel is worse. There is no enough materials here for Robert de Niro and Billy Crystal to work with (it's sad to see more and more movies with Robert De Niro that do not deserve his talent). I have seen already all de Niro facial expression in the first movie (where it was funny) and it just doesn't work for the second time. The plot is quite pathetic. Lisa Kudrow, unfortunately, doesn't do very well here. Overall, it's worth to watch only if you have nothing to do and no other movie is available.

A Few Good Laughs
Analyze That features two good performances from Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro. Its kind of refreshing to see De Nero doing comedic work. The parts where De Nero's character acts out scenes from West Side Story are quite funny. Crystal gives us his usual amusing schtick about self guilt particulalry in the relationships with his late father and wife.

The story however is helter skelter where De Nero's mob boss character seems to shift gears too much from amusing fool to hard ass mob boss and all points in between. This can be more annoying than funny although there are some cute moments. However, there is little variation from the Jelly's character gives the film a light hearted touch.

Therefore, this movie stands in the middle of the pack. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

"There's an art to being incidental."
An artful little film. The plot isn't original -- estranged father and son reconciling in the nick of time -- and has been done before and since (Jack Lemmon, "Tribute", "Dad"; Paul Newman, "Harry and Son"; Jackie Gleason, "Nothing in Common"). But director Henry Winkler keeps "Memories of Me" happy-poignant rather than tragic, and earns big kudoes for keeping the runaway talents of Billy Crystal and Alan King on-track as much as he does. Where the film shines are the incidentals that make life good.

Crystal plays the straight man, for the most part (only a few runaway moments), Dr. Abbie Polin, a New York heart surgeon who suffers a coronary while working on some nice lady's heart ("Kansas?"). JoBeth Williams, playing his shikse ladyfriend, Lisa ("Dr. Christian"), goads Abbie into reconciling with the father he'd led her to believe was dead. So Abbie is off to California, where Pop, King as Abe Polin, is "the King of the Extras".

Williams' performance is easily overlooked, but she also has one of the best lines in summing up Abbie's aloofness, "You are great in bed, but then you don't know how to hold my hand." And King hasn't often carried a film to this degree ("Just Tell Me What You Want" being another), but he and Crystal are magic together.

Some highlights: Abbie's trumpeting. Abbie keeping up with the pink-clad jogger. The history of the courtroom wawlah. The singing impression/telegram. Abe calling for a hora on Olvera Street, with mariachis ("Have a tequila!"). Abbie standing in as Abe's agent, and Abe's casting interview. Abe rehearsing his death scene ("You will notice that the picture is slightly askew.").

The DVD transfer is anamorphic but otherwise nothing special. What artifacts and graininess remain aren't distracting. Includes the original full-screen theatrical trailer along with pitches for other MGM releases. A blooper reel, if such could be unearthed for a future repackaging, is for now, alas, sorely missing.

Even so, as Abbie says, "This is an interesting collage."

Don't listen to the naysayers -- this is a gem
Billy Crystal and Alan King turn in memorable performances as an estranged son and father confronting past hurts, who finally learn to appreciate one another and thus, get on with living -- just in time. As you would expect from such comedic giants, the timing, humor and chemistry are excellent. A poignant film that balances a heavy subject with humor and thoughtful perspective.

Commical Yet Dramatic
Looking for a Dramatic movie that has some laughs in it?? No...they don't do dumb things like bumping eachother over the head with bricks...it's the funny things they say. If you are into good commedy, you'll love this movie. Lines such as "My gosh i'm shrinking....when i die you can burry me in a shoe box" is just an example of the laughs and tears this movie has in store for YOU!

A realistic reflection of life as a movie extra and more.
Sorry all, my opinion is jaded as I played a bit part in the film as the TOMATO, yes the tomato. They covered my face with green makeup, my legs with green tights and of course a giant round red tomato suit. Going to the lunchroom (sans the tomato suit) was embarrasing but funny too... Hollywood! Also not that anyone will read this but, Sean Connery was in one scene and off camera he and I were checking out a penny on the ground, I looked at him like "no, you take it" so he did! Said Connery "a penny is still money, right?" Why do I remember this stuff?

So Memories of Me will always be a memory for me. ... Read more

Description

Get ready for "the mother of all comedy events" (Pat Collins, WWOR-TV/New York) as Robin Williams and Billy Crystal play a flaky writer and an uptight lawer teaming up to track down a runaway teen each thinks might be his son. Year: 1997 Director: Ivan Reitman Starring: Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Julia Louis-Dreyfus ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Quite Funny
This movie really is pretty funny. Crystal is always funny and Williams, well, what can I say... the guy is funny even if he's not trying to be! Crystal plays a straight-laced lawyer while Williams plays a total psychotic, who really wants to believe he has a son so he'll have a reason to stay partially sane.

This movie's plot may be a bit thin, but who cares because the cast is great. The short version of the plot is that a worried mother recruits two men to find her runaway teenage son. How does she get them to agree to find him? She tells each of the men(obviously not thinking that they may run into each other while searching for the boy) that he is the father. This leads to a silly comic pairing.

There are all kinds of great things in this movie. Crystal and Williams are great together. Mel Gibson makes a cameo-- watch closely because you might not recognize him!! The band Sugar Ray is also in the movie. Cool things like that!

This may not satisfy a hunger for laugh out loud, slap on the knee kind of funny, but it's still funny, with a charming ending.

MUCH funnier than I expected
After looking at the rather....well, dumb cover, and reading the synopsis, I expected it to be a rather medicore movie. Boy was I wrong. I'll tell ya, the script ain't gold, but Billy Crystal and (especially) Robin Williams make this movie quite funny as heck. Everything from Williams' opening lines/scene about how depressing his life is, to his amusing vulnerability, to the way Billy Crystal wittily mocks everybody, makes this movie quite a delight. And notice how I used the actors' names instead of the characters' names. That is because, like I said, it is the talented and hilarious acting that saved this movie from potential mediocracy.

The script isn't anything particularly special, and there is only one somewhat major flaw with it: Williams and Crystal are deceptively sent by a former girlfriend of both of theirs on a search for a boy who she claims to be the son of both of them. But near the end, it is never explained why she does that, instead of....oh I dunno, hiring a detective, or looking for him herself? While this kind of takes away from the believability of the story, the story isn't where the movie is meant to shine so it doesn't end up meaning much.

Williams plays the perfect total loser, and Crystal the witty, successful lawyer, in this movie sprinkled with more than enough hilarious and memorable scenes. If it weren't for a tighter script, it would've gotten five stars. Definatley worth a rental, and most likely a purchase if you're either a Billy Crystal or especially (since he was the focus of the majority of the better jokes) Robin Williams fan.

Best actors but script doesn't do justice.
Overall, I have always enjoyed Robin William and Billy Crystal's performance in many other movies, but I must admit to my surprise that it wasn't making me laughing on the floor as I usually do. The script was boring and the plot was downright disppointing. Didn't like the ending. It was like a stupid wild goose chase for both of them and end up accepting that the mother of the son lied to them. Which is really a bad example for younger audience to see this and thinking it's normal for mothers to lie. I hope someday to see both Robin and Billy to act together in another movie in the near future and hopefully better script than this one.

Distinctly Average In All Departments
The premise of Fathers' Day sounds like one of those ideas that was hatched in a boardroom rather than a creative mind. A woman tells two former boyfriends that they are the father of her teenaged son, who has run away. Naturally, these guys become instantly paternal, reluctantly join forces, and set out to find the kid who may or may not be theirs.

The teaming of Robin Williams and Billy Crystal provides some good moments, although at times Crystal seems to be too much of a straight man. Williams has plenty of scope to be...well, himself - which means that some sickly sentimentality is eventually allowed to creep in. In fact, the film is quite promising until the pair of wannabe dads make contact with their supposed offspring. The kid turns out to be such a snivelling loser that any sane person would disown him rather than try to save him from the conveniently cartoonish drug dealers he owes lots of money to. Junior is also infatuated with a girl who couldn't care less. When she finally tells him that he is boring, you find yourself shouting "Yes!" at the screen.

Even so, Williams and Crystal provide plenty of pleasant and undemanding entertainment along the way. But the film is so built around them that it wastes the talents of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Natassia Kinski. Having said that, there is a nice uncredited cameo by Mel Gibson.

Not a bad film if you're looking for a nicely mindless comedy. But everyone involved has done much better work elsewhere.

Williams & Crystal make the best movies!
This movie is about a runaway 16-year-old named Scott. The mother goes to two men that she knew and tells them they are the father. First she tells Jack Lawrence (Crystal), a lawyer and he doesn't want to go look for him. Then she tells Dale Putley (Williams) who is a retarded, lonner, and empty life writer who decides to look for him. So the two end up traveling together to find Scott. See what goes wrong next after Dale passing out, crying constantly, getting HOT coffee poured on his nuts, and being a idiot. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Undiscovered masterpiece
Why this film has yet to be considered a masterpiece is beyond me. I suspect it may be considered "too Jewish." Nevertheless, it is completely accessible to any adult audience and Billy Crystal has created a character, Buddy Young, Jr., who is truly unforgetable.

Buddy is a brilliant comedian who, like Jerry Lewis, Buddy Hackett, and countless other comics jumps from the Catskills and Vegas to one of television's highest rated shows. But Buddy is flawed and his loses his show. And that's where the story truly begins. A poignant story that explores the conflicts between career ambitions and family relationships--and yet will make you howl with laughter--will make you wish to see it again and again.

don't anal-yze the realism, just enjoy!!
funny, warm, realistic, borscht belt humor at its best.

Paymer received an academy-award nomination for best supporting and rightfully so.

I loved this movie! A real "feel-good" flick. The type of harmless humor that is a dying breed.

A funny movie and a fun movie at the same time!

Too mean to be funny, and too funny to be meaningful
What a gyp - "Mr. Saturday Night" is supposed to be at least either heartwarming or funny, but is neither. Billy Crystal is Buddy Young, one of the sort of old time Jewish comics who got his start in the postwar "borscht belt". When the flick opens up, Buddy old yet still going strong - perhaps a bit too strong. Still playing gigs, it's clear that Buddy has missed out on big success despite a lifetime of hard work. Record deals and primetime haven't elevated Young to the pantheon of American entertainment like Sid Ceaser or Jerry Lewis. Instead, he plays rest homes and (when he's lucky) cruise ships. Though married, Buddy's true companion is his long suffering brother, Stan (David Paymer). In flashbacks, we learn that Buddy and Stan were originally supposed to have been a team, but Stan backed out at the last minute - leaving Buddy to accept the spotlight. The attention, which gave Buddy fame at first, only produced resentment later on. At first a primetime draw, Buddy's show eventually sank in the ratings (Davy Crockett killed him). A shot at comeback on the Sullivan show turned disastrous - he shared the bill with the Beatles. Various attempts to cash in on the latest craze each ended in failure (when was the last time you dusted off your LP of "Disco Jew"?). Though Buddy seems resolute to go on, each failure erodes a veneer within him, exposing Buddy's nastier side, one that drives away all but his closest relatives, and makes life hell even for them. Though covering years of Buddy's life in flashback, the plot centers around what may be a new break - when a new agent (Helen Hunt) manages to snag for Buddy a promising role in a movie to be directed by a young Buddy fan (played by Ron Silver).

Ofcourse nothing works out - but that's not the movie's problem. Instead, the flick pulls strings shamelessly, using the same tricks that made "A League of their Own" look contrived and very Hollywood. Whether the swelling music or the tears, nothing looks real in this movie. What really kills this flick? The script plays either very funny or very sad, but forgets (or simply never understood) that real Jewish humor is both at the same time - only wearing different faces, but essentially both heartbreaking and hysterically funny at the same time. Instead, the flick never manages to reconcile how such a nasty guy can be both funny and mean and just makes him too separate characters - unfortunately, the mean and less entertaining one gets most of the screen time. If the flick had played it lighter on both counts, it may not have been as funny, but it would have been more poignant and believable.

Fantastic!
Truly an outstanding performance by Billy Crystal that deserved an Oscar. A fantastic movie that moved me greatly. This film is virtually unknown in the UK but got a screening on an English cable channel and I enjoyed it so much and I just had to buy the DVD. Billy Crystal is superb in the lead role. I had never seen, nor heard of, Mr Crystal prior to viewing this movie so I was able to judge him purely by this movie - outstanding!

I'll take Calvero
The washed-up entertainer at the ...end of his life and career takes stock, learning what really matters. I've seen this movie before, when it was called LIMELIGHT. Chaplin handles the same thematic material in a much classier way. ... Read more

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Analyze This
Cast Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal together in a film and it should be a sucker's bet as to who's going to be funnier and who's going to give the more nuanced performance. Somehow, though, De Niro walks away with most of the laughs in Analyze This, a buddy action-comedy about a mob boss (De Niro, natch) suffering from panic attacks who makes a nebbishy shrink (Crystal, natch) an offer he can't refuse--actually, it's not really an offer, it's a command. The good doctor is forced to help the gangster get in touch with his feelings. Had the brilliant TV series The Sopranos not underscored how thin and watery and shticky director-cowriter Harold Ramis's approach to such potentially rich material actually is, the movie--a hit in theaters and De Niro's biggest film ever--would seem more fresh and kicky. De Niro's definitely a hoot as the ever milder menace, and Crystal actually concentrates on giving a credible performance opposite the acting legend (alas, he doesn't turn his character's fear of his patient into inspired comedy, as Alan Arkin did in Grosse Pointe Blank). The conclusion devolves into the requisite gunplay, and Chazz Palminteri and Lisa Kudrow are criminally wasted as an opposing mob boss and Crystal's fiancée, respectively, but overall, it's breezy fun. --David Kronke

Analyze That
Analyze That has more bada bing than its lukewarm reception would lead you to expect. Analyze This had the advantage of a then-fresh idea--Robert De Niro as a neurotic mob boss seeking therapy with reluctant shrink Billy Crystal--but that idea's stale, so this sequel relies on established chemistry and zesty dialogue that matches the original. There's nothing wrong with a retread when it's this funny, and De Niro's latter-day penchant for comedy suits him well when, as kingpin Paul Vitti, he lures Dr. Sobel (Crystal) into a prison breakout scheme involving faked catatonia and West Side Story show tunes. The contrived plot involves Vitti's criminal comeback. Unfortunately, there's little room for Lisa Kudrow as Sobel's sarcastic wife, but De Niro's Raging Bull costar Cathy Moriarty-Gentile is welcomed as a rival mob queen. You want a comedy masterpiece? Fuhgeddaboudit. You want 95 minutes of easy fun? It's right here... and don't miss those obligatory outtakes. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (3)

One MOVIE is very much good ! ...TWO are splendids
BILLY CRYSTAL as much as ROBERT DE NIRO Forms a good team and in the fiction same at rhe reality : They are FRIENDS ! These TWO MOVIES are WONDERFULS ... The first movie is a discovery and the second another discovery and these film with many jokes does mean that a mafioso can also be ill as much as anybody THEY ARE TWO HUGES ACTORS ! AMUSING ! YES OF COURSE ! Jus for that buy these DVD MOVIES ! ... FILMS !!! WONDERFUL !

Better of the 2 bt still a 2.5 star at best for language
This was an amusing movie, but the language is 100% gutter. Rounded down from 2.5 stars to 2 stars for language. I Acutally liked Analyze That a little better than Analyze This. but now that I've seen them once, I see no need to see them again.

"Analyze This and That" You!
"You, you're good, you." Yes! Paul Vitti (Robert De Niro) is brilliant as the mobster who cries and gives no mercy to his enemies. Ben Sobel (Billy Crystal) becomes his shrink after one threat and there goes on! "Analyze This" is funny with Sobel trying to get married, but Vitti interrupts his life and shoots pillows for no reason. "Analyze That" is funnier with hilarious parts including the woman and the midget picture, the tuna casserole, and the "West Side Story" sing-a-longs. Momentous! These are two funny movies that people need to see. ... Read more