California Suite

Jane Fonda and Alan Alda 

This was a reluctant purchase for me. On the one hand, it was a birthday movie for me. That means it was a movie that I asked to see for my birthday when I was young. So I have fond memories of going to the theater to see it. On the other hand, these kind of things often don't hold up with age. On top of it all, this is a bare bones DVD. With so many outstanding DVDs released, I try to avoid the ones that just take an old movie and slap it on DVD. I made an exception.

There are four stories going on at once. There’s the one with Jane Fonda and Alan Alda who used to be married, they have a daughter, and they're trying to decide who their daughter will live with.

Maggie Smith and Michael Caine play a couple who are in town for the Oscars. She's nominated.

Walter Matthau is caught with another woman in his bed when his wife, Elaine May, shows up.

Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor play doctors who show up with their wives and argue about everything.

It was nice to see Jane Fonda again. She's been gone from the screen for so long. Maggie Smith is still incredible in this movie after all these years. This is probably my favorite Walter Matthau performance.

The Cosby/Pryor segments are embarrassing. There are special effects involving a broken down car that are really poorly done. Their banter is just obnoxious. And I can maybe see Bill Cosby as a doctor. I keep seeing that credit from the Cosby show that identified him as a doctor, when in fact it's an honorary degree. But anyway, trying to imagine Richard Pryor as a doctor is too much of a stretch for me.

All in all, it was a great movie to see again. I’ll forgive the Cosby/Pryor segments for the chance to see Maggie Smith and Michael Caine spar.


Maggie Smith and Michael Caine...and Richard Burton