Prior to her change of career into a delightful grumpy old woman after winning an Oscar for "Terms of Endearment", Shirley MacLaine had a career slouch that was not her fault, but simply based on the choice of screenplays that seemed better on paper than they would be on screen. In reflection, "Loving Couples" was nearly identical in theme to her other 1980 film, "A Change of Seasons", and both flopped. It's a good thing she had her one woman show to tour in and that Jennifer Jones turned down the role of Aurora.
The two middle-aged theme comedies of 1980 seem slight now, even though there was a handful of them for several popular actresses who were aging out of what movie executives considered box office. These still attractive actresses were certainly better than the type of film that has them involved in an affair with a much younger man, or like what MacLaine has to do here with husband James Coburn who acts all concerned over what he assumes are hot flashes or change of life. She's still quite attractive here, and even if her character is not a grumpy old woman, she has every right to be due to Coburn's assumptions and neglect even though he obviously loves her.
It's not by chance that she happens to be there riding a horse when Stephen Collins rides off the road, apparently ugly her, and ends up in the hospital. The sandy haired young man is quite the flirt, and of course it's obvious that they'll end up in an affair even though she's his doctor and he's involved with Susan Sarandon who makes a point of going to see Coburn (also a doctor) when she suspects his wife is having an affair with her boyfriend. The moral of what's good for the goose is good for the gander takes on an ultra confusing twist with the voluptuous Sarandon making a play for silver daddy Coburn.
This is definitely a plot that could have been a movie of the week had it been cast with less than A stars, and it's definitely very TV sitcom like in its method. Nan Martin and Sally Kellerman play very funny supporting characters, and Marilyn Chris ("One Life to Live") is hysterically funny as Collins' boss. I don't absolutely hate this movie, but it's just not worthy of the talent involved even though it's beautifully filmed (on the southern California coast of course), and I did like all the characters. But the situation is just so forced that is difficult not to see it other than through its deficiencies.
The two middle-aged theme comedies of 1980 seem slight now, even though there was a handful of them for several popular actresses who were aging out of what movie executives considered box office. These still attractive actresses were certainly better than the type of film that has them involved in an affair with a much younger man, or like what MacLaine has to do here with husband James Coburn who acts all concerned over what he assumes are hot flashes or change of life. She's still quite attractive here, and even if her character is not a grumpy old woman, she has every right to be due to Coburn's assumptions and neglect even though he obviously loves her.
It's not by chance that she happens to be there riding a horse when Stephen Collins rides off the road, apparently ugly her, and ends up in the hospital. The sandy haired young man is quite the flirt, and of course it's obvious that they'll end up in an affair even though she's his doctor and he's involved with Susan Sarandon who makes a point of going to see Coburn (also a doctor) when she suspects his wife is having an affair with her boyfriend. The moral of what's good for the goose is good for the gander takes on an ultra confusing twist with the voluptuous Sarandon making a play for silver daddy Coburn.
This is definitely a plot that could have been a movie of the week had it been cast with less than A stars, and it's definitely very TV sitcom like in its method. Nan Martin and Sally Kellerman play very funny supporting characters, and Marilyn Chris ("One Life to Live") is hysterically funny as Collins' boss. I don't absolutely hate this movie, but it's just not worthy of the talent involved even though it's beautifully filmed (on the southern California coast of course), and I did like all the characters. But the situation is just so forced that is difficult not to see it other than through its deficiencies.