My guess is that, sadly, there are few people living today
who know the name of James Thurber. A noted humorist and cartoonist, Thurber
was hailed as one of the greats for many years. A TV series called MY LIFE
AND WELCOME TO IT aired in the 60s based on
his life and drawings. But today he is long forgotten. Unless of course you
check out THE WAR BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN.
Jack Lemmon stars as Peter, a divorced man who draws and
writes for a living and who has decided that men and women should not
co-mingle. In his mind's eye the only thing it leads to is a disruptive life at
best and mental cruelty at worst. Of course this means that before long he'll
meet someone special enough that he'll want to get married.
Enter Theresa (Barbara Harris), a woman he meets in the
waiting room of his eye doctor. You see Peter also has a problem that will
completely affect his work: he's losing his sight. This is not something he
shares with anyone, including his friends. So this first encounter with Theresa
doesn't go well. They do contact one another and eventually spend the night
together. An interest develops and soon Peter not only finds himself married
but with three children and a pet dog as well.
As if this wasn't enough to complicate Peter's life and his
various crotchety attacks on women via his drawings and writings, Theresa's
ex-husband suddenly falls into the picture. Steven (Jason Robards) is the
adventurer extraordinaire, a prize winning photographer who has traveled the
world and taken pictures from various war torn countries. He is a hero in his
children's eyes and a pain in the posterior to Peter as he flirts with his ex
from the moment he arrives...and invites himself to stay with them.
Seen at first as adversaries circumstances lead the two men
to become friends of a sort ending with a war of cartoon characters on the
walls of Peter and Theresa's home between men and women. Just how the actual
battle involving all three parties is resolved makes for an interesting film at
times but not the blockbuster that Paramount was expecting.
There are moments that are truly touching, most notably a
story that Peter shares with Theresa's middle daughter Linda (Lisa Gerritsen)
involving a world that falls apart and is saved by a flower. Based on one of
Thurber's actual stories it helps her come to grips with the world she lives
in.
This movie is being released on DVD
and for fans of Lemmon who feel the need to own everything he ever made you'll
be pleased. For the rest of us we get a movie that isn't too bad but nothing
special either. It truly feels dated from the clothing to the atmosphere to
just the way the movie is made. It isn't a great movie but it could provide a
decent night's entertainment.
Click here to order.
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