Deep and complex runs the bond between leading men and women in the paradigm that is the blockbuster movie of today. Often the success of a movie rides solely on the chemistry that exists between two leading characters, witty scripts and great cinematography be damned.The other day I was watching the Wedding Singer and was struck by the relationship between Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. I was watching it and wondered why they felt they could pull off a Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan level relationship and team up again in 50 First Dates. While the phenomenon of the Adam Sandler movie is surely a crowd pleaser, it doesn’t strike me as appealing to as wide an audience as a Tom/Meg movie, and their on-screen chemistry far outstrips any feigned interest Drew can conjure up vis-à-vis Adam Sandler. (Although Meg annoys me. Her characters never seem to know what they want.) Surely Sandler can act attracted to her, cuz frankly for any normal man…it ain’t acting. Although, that's not to say I wasn't convinced that she was into him. Drew is perky and fun and she did win me over. This got me thinking. What other great on-screen couples are there and what makes them so interesting to watch?
My first thoughts turned to:
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Honestly, could dancing be any more riveting? They just make me want to jump out of my seat and embrace my inner coordination...sadly, I when I reached for it, I fell flat on my face. I guess I'll have to live vicariously through Fred.
Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathau. Seriously now, I’m not sure there are two men that know each
other as well as these two did, or could play off one another as well. Grumpy Old Men? Are you kidding me? Their banter? HILARIOUS! What are the on-screen couples worth mentioning in your mind?
5 comments:
One of my favorite classic pairings to catch on the screen would be Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. They can turn on the tears and just as quickly make you cry with laughter. They always deserve a nod from the panel!
Okay, great post! There are SO many fantastic on-screen couples. Hm, let's see. Okay, one of the greatest comic duos, judging on timing and chemistry is William Powell and Myrna Loy. Go watch any of the Thin Man movies and you'll see what I mean!
Who else? Well, I've got to say that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had tangible chemistry in Mr. & Mrs. Smith...I guess art reflects life, eh?
Hm, other than that, oh yeah. Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant! Bringing Up Baby or The Philadelphia Story? Fantastic. Ms. Hepburn and Spencer Tracy make another superb pairing. Try Adam's Rib or Guess Who's Coming To Dinner. Their relationship in that one made me cry.
It's amazing how much credit people give to Mr and Mrs. Smith. By all accounts, it wasn't that great of a movie, but people loved it. I feel a more accurate title would be something like, "Beautiful People in Various Random Scenarios Doing Dangerous Things" for that's really all the movie was.
Because, come on. The only reason guys go see that movie is to watch Angelina throw on the hooker costume and pop the bad guy in the head just before leaping off a balcony and gliding gently down 20 stories to safety, and the only reason girls see it is to watch Brad Pitt do any number of things...shirtless.
Although, it's true, they did work well together as a couple.
If we're going to talk about on/off-screen chemistry and recent cinematic ventures, I have to mention in passing, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Far and Away... "I loved you from the first time I saw (...met?) you...!" "I've often wondered about that..."
But then they, y'know. Drama. Maybe the movies shouldn't reflect real life.
Mickey and Judy are awesome, and so are Judy and Gene Kelly. Actually, anyone who dances well together is fantastic in my mind. I hear ya on the coordination bit, UPC.
But really, when you want to talk about smoldering passion, nobody can top Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones in the first Zorro movie. Whenever they're both in the same shot, I can't decide whom to watch because they're both so fabulously hot. And then they had to go and marry respectively old weird people...
I'm partial to Lemmon and Mathau in "The Odd Couple."
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