Review of It's Complicated (2009) by Lanning : — 16 Sep 2010

For all you writers out there, this one's for you. When you write a story, you're always dealing with the details you use, considering how a specific detail might help -- or hurt -- your cause.

In the case of It's Complicated, there's a particular detail I would point you to for a little writerly consideration. When Baldwin makes his way back, albeit temporarily, to the bosom of his family, one of his great ideas is to rent a movie for the family to watch.

That movie is the now classic The Graduate. I'm of two minds here, which is a wonderful situation for an old guy like me since I really only have about half a mind left. My writer's perspective leads me to two possible conclusions: 1.

This movie choice story detail is absolutely idiotic 2. This movie choice story detail is absolutely brilliant If it is Baldwin's clever idea to show his family -- especially his wife -- that their own situation pales in comparison to the truly complicated situation faced by Ben, Elaine, and Mrs.

Robinson, then he is a very shrewd man. If, on the other hand, this is just a poorly-considered movie choice detail, then the writer(s) has made a stupid mistake. I mean come on, how seriously can you take the marriage problems of these wealthy caricatures in comparison with the closer to Sophoclean tragedy of Ben's having bedded both the mother and the daughter in The Graduate? Seriously, friends, who even gives a borat about the tribulations of Streep, Martin, and Baldwin in comparison to the idea of marrying the daughter after having slept with the mother? If Ben were to say of their situation, as he and Elaine bus off into who knows what kind of future at the end of The Graduate, that "it's complicated," that would be probably qualify as pretty staggering understatement.

On the other hand, if Baldwin, Streep, or Martin were to say that for this triangle, we're talking laughably ridiculous. Complicated? It's not. Not by a long shot. Stupid, maybe, but who cares anyway? Thank goodness at least for Meryl Streep -- even though she should never have agreed to do this to begin with.