Reviews (71)

Subject matter meaningful for some...not for all
In Hanging Up, the phone is the umbilical cord for the family in this story, three sisters and their dear old dad. While Hanging Up was touted as a comedy, at least that's the impression I got, I'm hard pressed to remember much about it that was funny, it's a drama if ever there was one.

We meet Eve, played by the effervescent Meg Ryan, the overwhelmed middle sister in a family of driven, slightly neurotic individuals. Oldest sister, Georgia (Diane Keaton who also directs) is typical oldest child, overachiever material with her own Vogue-esqe magazine, named Georgia. Youngest sister Maddy is a somewhat spoiled soap opera star played to whiney perfection by Lisa Kudrow. Last but not least, is the dying father, Lou, with the ever-grumpy and inappropriate Walter Matthau at the helm.

The film has woven together the present with a series of flashbacks to Eve's childhood as well as flashbacks during her time with her father in her adult life. Amidst all the flashbacks, is the busy, crazed daily routine of party planner Eve and her attempt to understand what is happening to her father. She must also deal with a level of resentment towards her sisters for being an interruption into her life with all their phone calls, but not being a shoulder to lean on for her where their father is concerned.

Hanging Up does a great job demonstrating just how stressed out people can get. There is regular day-to-day stress and then there is the stress you bring on yourself purely because of a basic personality flaw. I have firsthand knowledge of making stress out of things that don't have to be stressful. First ulcer at age fourteen, thank you very much. I can understand Meg Ryan's character and her propensity for making mountains out of molehills.

The most rewarding thing about watching a character like that is watching the "change". Let's not forget, folks, in a movie, the main character usually makes a personal change, has an epiphany, changes their life, or ends a destructive pattern. What is drama? Putting an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances. What Eve does early on in the film is reach a level of frustration that is so high she makes a scene in the middle of a hospital corridor.

Why is that so entertaining? Because she sort of freaks out and that's something regular people WANT to do, but CAN'T because we behave within the confines of societal norms. If I'm having a bad day, and I am in the middle of St. Anthony's and start yelling and flailing my arms, someone is gonna drag me to the fourth floor. In the movies you can scream and act like an idiot, in real life people look at you and say, "the cheese has slipped off her cracker".

Despite the frenetic pace of Eve's day to day routine and the frequent flashbacks, Hanging Up lacks the same gusto in its attempt to impact the viewer with the seriousness of a dying parent. Matthau's character seems to be little more than window-dressing with his scenes all virtually being nothing more than one-liners from the confines of his wheelchair or hospital bed. I guess I feel a dying parent would be a more significant story factor here than it seemed to be.

While I admit to becoming a little misty from time to time during the film, I was looking for gut-wrenching Terms of Endearment stuff. Hanging Up fell a little short for me but I'm sure people to whom a similar situation has happened may have a stronger emotional reaction.

However, there are two instances where Hanging Up was borderline daring, dealing with subject matter that I have seen little of, if ever. There is an obvious rift between Eve and her mother, from whom Lou was divorced many years before. We are given a taste of Eve's view of her mother from the flashback scenes, but the real drama comes when, in one of the flashback scenes Eve pays her mother a visit.

Eve goes to her mother (Cloris Leachman) to plead for her to return home because her father is so unhappy. Aside from that being a difficult confrontation for anyone to deal with, is the revelation that she's not all that satisfied with being a mother in the first place. Other girls couldn't wait to grow up and become mommies, so she thought she did too and it didn't take. The thought of hearing that coming out of a mother's mouth is almost like a kick in the stomach, which is exactly the reaction Ryan's character seemed to have. Talk about taboo, admitting to your child you wish you weren't a mother. Somebody call Jerry Springer, next topic, "I Wish You Were Never Born".

Another explosive element is the basis of the father's illness. His memory and clarity are more off than on. The sadness of a person slowly losing their mind, slowly forgetting everyone and everything dear to them is pathetic and emotionally charged. Hanging Up touches on this hopelessness in a moment of confusion, when Matthau's character confuses his daughter with someone else he used to know and basically, is hitting on her. Eve has to remind him that she's his daughter, not this other person and he becomes angry, stating he doesn't have any daughters. It's icky. But sometimes life is icky and this scene is a blatant reminder of just how icky things can get.

Hanging Up finally gets its message across when Ryan's character must basically get a grip and learn when to say when. She can't be superwoman, bearing the responsibility of what is happening to her father all by herself. I must also stress the importance of the sister relationships to the film as well, which I have no understanding of either since I have four younger brothers. I always wanted a sister, but with all those brothers, what I got instead was my own room. Women with sisters may take more away from this movie than any other viewer. Hanging Up isn't for some, great for others. This is one where your own life's experiences will impact your perspective on the film.

Better than the critics would have you believe
It seems the critics really hated this movie, but I found the premise one that really deserved addressing. The issue of one child being left to care for an ailing parent, while the other selfish siblings are heard from only if things aren't going their way, is an issue with which I'm sure many people have to deal.

In this movie, Meg Ryan plays the one that gets all the work and none of the credit. She does just a wonderful job, as does Walter Matthau as the father suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Though I might question some of the casting, based on ages of the actors (17 years difference between the oldest and youngest children!), even Kudrow and Keaton play their parts well...as spoiled, self centered siblings.

I believe what may be a turn-off to some is the presence of TOO MANY obnoxious personalities. The movie would have been much better without the presence of Adam Arkin's or Jesse James's characters...and I probably would have felt more sympathy for Meg Ryan's character as well.

Though the movie was far from perfect, there were some emotional moments in the movie that made up for its shortcomings.

I think the biggest problem with the story line was the unrealistic unity of the sisters at the end of the movie. Self-centered individuals do not suddenly change their ways. Had Meg's character gone on her way, leaving the sisters to SEE the error of their ways, it would have been a much more effective ending.

As for the transfer....as usual, a fantastic anamorphic widescreen picture from Columbia. The special features are not great, but certainly more than one gets on most basic DVD's.

In the end, I would say this is an enjoyable...though not completely fulfilling movie. It could have been better, but it is definitely worth a rental...or if you can find it in the bargain bin as I did....a cheap purchase.

{As an added challenge....see if you can recognize the film error as the cars are racing to the hospital toward the end of the movie.)

Sometimes You Just Need to Hang Up
When I first saw this movie, I have to admit that I wasn't very impressed by it. You're going from sister to sister, scene to scene very quickly. I didn't have much time to understand what was even going on. So I decided to give the movie another chance, mostly because Diane Keaton is my favorite actress. So I did and as I watched, I became more aware of what was going on. Meg Ryan, Lisa Kudrow, and Diane Keaton all give stunning performances in this movie. Walter Matthau gave a great performance as the father. The sad part is, is that this was his final film before he passed away. Cloris Leachman has a very small part in the movie, but the parts that she is in are quite effective.

Many people view this movie as a comedy. It is definitely not a comedy. It is a drama. If you watch closely and really pay attention to what is going on, then you'll see the difference. Eve (Ryan) is trying to balance her son and husband and caring for her father. Something that Maddy (Kudrow), a soap star and Georgia (Keaton), the head of a magazine entitled 'Georgia' will not do. They are too wrapped up in their own lives to come and help care for their dying father. Yes, the ending is a little predictable, but it is also very touching. If you're looking for a movie that has everyone getting along all the time, don't rent this. But if you want to watch a movie that shows what true family can be, rent this. Granted, many families are not like this, but hey, you never know!

Not that bad, not great, either
I just watched this film on DVD, and to a regular guy like myself (I think I'm pretty regular), it was not a bad experience. Maybe it's because my mom and her siblings are currently dealing with their mother right now, and the movie struck a chord...

Anyway, I thought Meg Ryan was terrific in this film. In her other films she always tried to be cute and funny. When I was younger I liked that, but then I found her boring. But she's good in this one as the middle child who has the (mis)luck of caring for her dying father. Keaton, on the other hand, is totally unconvincing as either a magazine mogul or first daughter, and she had no screen presence at all; plus her outfit and makeup, which are meant to make her character look younger than the actress herself, are a disaster. Kudlow does what she does best: playing a dumb, clueless blonde.

As for the story, it has certain charms, but ultimately falls apart because it's confusing and melodramatic. (Be sure to watch a deleted scene on the DVD.) As some reviewers pointed out all too often the movie seems directionless, and the on-screen chemistry of the three sisters is rather lacking. Funny Evie keeps asking about the name of a "bland" actress from the 50s; the movie just gets more and more bland. But Ryan is good enough that she keeps the film moving and makes me like her again.

How could it be THIS bad?
Damn, with this cast, and with Nora Ephron, how could they make a movie that's this terrible? And the saddest thing is that it turned out to be Walter Matthau's last movie cuz he died shortly after the filming. I figured the negative reviews might be wrong, that it really couldn't be all THAT awful - but I didn't finish watching it. Clicked off the TV and went to bed with a good book. Sheesh, what a shame. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Special Agent Cooper gets Shot!
This debuted at the height of the Twin Peaks frenzy! Excellant and mysterious, not to mention it's pivitol to the entire series. One of my favorites ever! ... Read more