Oliver's Story is a movie in desperate need of a purpose. Oliver, still grieving for Jenny after her death, refuses to move on with his life, despite nearly two years having passed since she died. He throws himself into his work helping the poor and rebuffs his friends' efforts to set him up with new people.
By chance he meets Marcie Bonwit (Candice Bergen), an heiress to the Bonwit Teller Department Store fortune. They get together, he seems to loosen up and enjoy himself, but Oliver is held back by his guilt over Jenny. Eventually Marcie tires of feeling as if she is competing with a dead woman, and breaks things off. In the background, are Oliver's father's efforts to get him to take over the family business and accept the responsibility that comes with being in the family. Somehow the break up of his relationship with Marcie inspires Oliver to finally move on with his life and accept his place as a WASP.
There are so many problems with this movie. The biggest issue is that Bergen and O'Neal have very little chemistry, and their relationship feels forced and pointless. She is like the anti-Jenny to the point she is telling Oliver to revel in his wealth. The other big issue is the total lack of a storyline. Oliver spends most of the movie moping, gets together with Marcie, mopes some more and then reconciles with his father. In between all this, very little happens. Marcie is a poorly developed character, and we are given no reason as to why she would try to invest so heavily in a relationship with Oliver. Overall, it's never clear what we are supposed to get from this movie, and it suffers heavily from that.
By chance he meets Marcie Bonwit (Candice Bergen), an heiress to the Bonwit Teller Department Store fortune. They get together, he seems to loosen up and enjoy himself, but Oliver is held back by his guilt over Jenny. Eventually Marcie tires of feeling as if she is competing with a dead woman, and breaks things off. In the background, are Oliver's father's efforts to get him to take over the family business and accept the responsibility that comes with being in the family. Somehow the break up of his relationship with Marcie inspires Oliver to finally move on with his life and accept his place as a WASP.
There are so many problems with this movie. The biggest issue is that Bergen and O'Neal have very little chemistry, and their relationship feels forced and pointless. She is like the anti-Jenny to the point she is telling Oliver to revel in his wealth. The other big issue is the total lack of a storyline. Oliver spends most of the movie moping, gets together with Marcie, mopes some more and then reconciles with his father. In between all this, very little happens. Marcie is a poorly developed character, and we are given no reason as to why she would try to invest so heavily in a relationship with Oliver. Overall, it's never clear what we are supposed to get from this movie, and it suffers heavily from that.