Walking and Talking (1996)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Nicole Holofcener

Writer (WGA):

Nicole Holofcener (written by)

Release Date:

17 July 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

A movie for everyone who wants to get married and stay single at the same time.

Plot:

Things have been tough lately for Amelia. Her best friend moved out of the apartment, her cat got cancer...

Plot Keywords:

Male Female Relationship | Alzheimer's Disease | Cat | Friendship | Love

Awards:

7 nominations

Cast

Amy Braverman	...	Young Amelia
Miranda Stuart Rhyne	...	Young Laura
Catherine Keener	...	Amelia
Anne Heche	...	Laura
Randall Batinkoff	...	Peter
Brenda Denmark	...	The Vet (as Brenda Thomas Denmark)
Vincent Pastore	...	Laura's Devil-Seeing Patient
Liev Schreiber	...	Andrew
Todd Field	...	Frank
Kevin Corrigan	...	Bill
Joseph Siravo	...	Amelia's Therapist
Rafael Alvarez	...	Laura's Sexy Patient
Ritamarie Kelly	...	Ellen
Steve Cohen	...	Actor In Play
Jordan Levinson	...	Peter's Friend

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, language and brief drug use.

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

UK | USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:L (original rating) | South Korea:18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | France:U | Spain:7 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

New Jersey, USA

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

Allison Janney has a cameo appearance as Amelia's neighbor.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Laura and Frank are at the restaurant, Frank puts his menu away twice.

Quotes:

Andrew: I hope he calls back.
Amelia: I don't.
Andrew: What do you mean? I thought that's what I needed to be here for. Those sickos are the loneliest slimiest... hello cookies... hmm... I like.

Movie Connections:

References What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Soundtrack:

She's Got a New Spell

Friends

Some relationships between childhood friends endure the passage of time, as it's the case with Laura and Amelia, who as the film opens are seen as young girls. After some years they have met again as adults and their friendship has a different kind of meaning to both, if anything it is stronger than before. Whereas Amelia has found love and is graduating for a professional career as a therapist, Laura, on the oder hand, has found a job in a newspaper, but her love life leaves a lot to be desired.

Nicole Holofcener, the director, takes us to meet these two women as they go through their lives in present day Manhattan. Having seen this film when it made its commercial debut, we decided to take another look after almost ten years of being released and we can report the film is still fresh and quirky as when we first saw it. The director, whose "Lovely and Amazing" was also a worthy successor, treats her subjects with a light touch and the result is a film that gives the viewer a good insight about human relations in a cinematic form.

The best thing going for the film is lovely Catherine Keener, who is an asset no matter what she is playing. Ms. Keener seems to be a natural for the movies. The camera loves this actress who has a style of her own and who, in comedies such as this, makes perfect sense as her directors clearly capitalize on her uncanny sense of how to play the quirky characters in which she has excelled.

Anne Heche, on the other hand, makes a perfect Amelia come true. Ms. Heche is a good actress that always brings something to the roles she plays. Amelia, the young woman in this film, is at a point in her life where she has to make decisions about her relationship with Frank, who clearly adores her, and her own career as a therapist.

The supporting roles are basically the men in the two friends' lives. There is Frank, who is living with Amelia. He wants her to commit and marry him, but she has doubts before she says yes. Todd Field makes a good impression as Frank. Bill, the video store clerk likes Laura, but feels betrayed when he hears a message Amelia has left on the answering machine where she calls him ugly; he takes offense and decides to drop Laura. Kevin Corrigan is perfect playing this man. Finally there is Andrew, an old flame of Laura's who has broken up with her some time ago, but has remained friends. Liev Schreiber is good in this part.

"Walking and Talking" shows a talented Nicole Holofcener at her best. The film shows us a director who knows a lot about the complicated balance of the relationship between two caring friends.