BEST FRIENDS (1982)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
One of the pleasures of Burt Reynolds is his complete confidence as a romantic leading man, and his underrated ability to deliver nuanced comic lines and adult emotions that go beyond "Cannonball Run." That is also one of the intrinsic pleasures of Norman Jewison's "Best Friends," a sophisticated adult film about a grown-up relationship between two adults and the messiness of marriage in its inception.
Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn play a couple of Hollywood screenwriters, Richard and Paula, who are lovers and live together in a cozy house, not some glorious mansion thank goodness. One day, they decide that since they are moving in to a new house, they may as well get married. Richard and Paula attend a chapel in L.A. where everyone speaks Spanish. Why? Perhaps because it gives Richard Libertini the opportunity to speak as the Hispanic minister and give the funniest line in the film, "I dee endo."
Richard and Paula decide to travel by train to make the announcement to their parents. They make their first stop in the icy cold Buffalo, NY, where they meet Paula's parents (wonderfully played by Jessica Tandy and Barnard Hughes). Paula's parents have a mutual understanding about their marriage, now that they are celebrating their 40th anniversary. It turns out that Tandy accepts her husband's inclination to masturbate in their bathroom to some porn mags, and to fondle their maid.
Next stop is Virginia where the couple meet Richard's parents. The mother (Audra Lindley) takes pictures at the most inopportune moments, whereas the father (Kennan Wynn) is set in his ways. Both are incredulous that the couple got married and are told about it after the fact.
Most of "Best Friends" has Richard and Paula fighting, bickering and arguing, particularly when they are trying to finish some sort of screenplay that is supposed to have a final shot of a fake sunset. He tries to calm her down by having her ingest Valiums. She wants space and doesn't want to be limited or restricted to being simply a wife. Their marriage changes things, as opposed to being the lovey-dovey couple we see at the beginning.
"Best Friends" is a grown-up movie, saddled with reality and ambiguity about relationships and the friction that can ensue. Though there are some laughs, this is more of a serious treatment of a relationship gone sour. Burt Reynolds has never been more understated. Goldie is past her "Cactus Flower" days - she handles her character's unnerving mood swings better than Meryl Streep might have. Having reliable pros like Jessica Tandy, Barnard Hughes, Audra Lindley and Keenan Wynn is the icing on the cake, complementing what a long, lived-in marriage entails. "Best Friends" is a winning delight on every level.
