This is a comedy that turns into a Hallmark sticky goopy. Billy Crystal stars as a comedy writer who works on an incredibly unfunny cable TV sketch comedy show that ads tell us is #1. He has dementia but drugs are enabling him to function. He meets a woman (Tiffany Haddish) who won a raffle to have lunch with him. They form an unlikely friendship.
Much of the film entails flashbacks that show us his life with his wife from 40 years ago. He's sort of a Neil Simon writer with hit movies and Broadway plays but he's been writing for this lame SNL clone for decades. He's hidden his dementia from his kids and they are resentful of his friendship with the younger woman. And that's about it. The last third of the film turns maudlin as Crystal gets the expected bad news and we go all sticky goopy.
Crystal is fine (and co-wrote the script) but Haddish is a bit much at times. Supporting cast is unremarkable as are cameos by Sharon Stone and Kevin Kline.
There's a brief look at a photoshopped picture of comedy legends Imogene Coca, Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, and Howard with Crystal added in, supposedly from his early writing days. But I'm afraid their prime time on TV was long before Crystal's character would have been a writer.
Anyway.
Much of the film entails flashbacks that show us his life with his wife from 40 years ago. He's sort of a Neil Simon writer with hit movies and Broadway plays but he's been writing for this lame SNL clone for decades. He's hidden his dementia from his kids and they are resentful of his friendship with the younger woman. And that's about it. The last third of the film turns maudlin as Crystal gets the expected bad news and we go all sticky goopy.
Crystal is fine (and co-wrote the script) but Haddish is a bit much at times. Supporting cast is unremarkable as are cameos by Sharon Stone and Kevin Kline.
There's a brief look at a photoshopped picture of comedy legends Imogene Coca, Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, and Howard with Crystal added in, supposedly from his early writing days. But I'm afraid their prime time on TV was long before Crystal's character would have been a writer.
Anyway.