Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-22 12:29:28

PLEASE put this movie on DVD please!

I adore this film. I love this film. Of all the trash out there that gets put on DVD, why is this movie still not available? It just doesn't make any sense to me.

2012-05-21 19:42:14

An absolute GEM

This is on my all-time Top 5, and it is a crime that it is not on dvd (but thank god we can get "Porky's 7"). If you like funny but a little melancholy movies you MUST SEE THIS. Sweet and sad, romantic and quirky, "Men Don't Leave" offers a stellar cast and top notch writing and directing. What more can you ask for?

moonspinner55 2012-05-16 19:38:52

Quirky comedy, tear-jerking drama: one odd package

Widow with two growing sons must become her family's breadwinner,keeping everyone's spirits up while dating again for the first time inmany years. It doesn't surprise me that people have to see this picturetwice or more to get into the movie's grooves. The handling is veryfocused, the writing gets us from A to Z smoothly enough, but the toneof "Men Don't Leave" is quirky, to say the least. Sometimes I wasn'tsure whether to laugh or not. At times it seems to go overboard, othertimes it hits a perfect note yet doesn't follow through. Still, theoverall effect of this movie is genuinely pleasurable. It's not a big,chancy movie with issues, it's quiet and small and heartfelt. There arelittle scenes of emotion that well up into big hurts (anddisappointments like the lottery family that just KILL us), and all theacting is so wonderful, particularly Jessica Lange (a shaky tower ofstrength). I loved it when the German woman gets Jessica to dance, orwhen she gets a nosebleed while kissing Arliss Howard for the firsttime, or throwing all her muffins out the window while feigningbasketball moves. And what about Kathy Bates as the boss from Hell?It's an erratic film (with a puzzling title), yet I admired it greatly,and it has stuck with me over all these years. ***1/2 from ****

2012-05-16 17:56:22

A MASTERPIECE

For the last decade, this has been one of my all-time favorite movies. It is brilliant and beautiful. The sad story centers around a family for whom life consistently goes down hill. Lange, O'Donnell, Cusack and Bates are all flawless. The best aspect is near the end when Beth (Jessica Lange) feels so helpless, hopeless and depressed that she can no longer get out of bed- for days. We have all felt this way at the lowest point in our lives and it's reassuring to see a movie that explores the depths of melancholy and then tells us that we can get through it.

2012-05-15 23:22:38

please please make dvd!!!!

such a great movie. its an anthem to single mothers!!! i will buy this movie as gifts for all of my friends. how could anyone not take advantage of this gem with Jessica Lange!!!! its a work of art!!!DVD DVD!!!

2012-05-15 15:34:10

A VERY GOOD MOVIE WHY IS THIS NOT ON DVD

THIS IS A VERY GOOD MOVIE WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN TRANFERRED TO DVD? WE DONT NEED ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES BOX SET .PLEASE RELEASE ON DVD THANK YOU

2012-05-12 11:53:15

Brilliant

On the A-list of my favorite movies. This is an overlooked gem of a film, where everything works. It reminds me of a great Salinger short story, where all the details are both suprising and totally convincing. There are many moments in this movie that had to be based on direct observation, or, if not, are acts of great creative imagination: the grocery line conversation, the breakfast scene, the food delivery to the Peabody musical performance, and many others. Joan Cusack, Kathy Black, Chris O'Donnell are all outstanding. The music is perfect, as in Brickman's other great effort: Risky Business. There are scenes shot in such a way that they keep evoking different reactions, flipping back and forth between the feel of present event and poignant memory, a sort of bipolar mood established sometimes by nothing more than the distance of the camera from the actors and the lighting. Lange's performance has one of two moments that seemed unconvincing or forced to me, though she's tremendous overall. Like Bottle Rocket and High Art, this is a nearly perfect movie that does what it does so softly it hasn't gotten nearly as much critical attention as it deserves.

jscanlon 2012-05-11 22:16:43

one of the unheralded gems of the 1990's

It usually takes me two viewings of a film to decide whether I think it is agreat film. The second that "Men Don't Leave" ended I knew it was a greatfilm. It tells the story of a middle aged woman (Jessica Lange) who movesher two sons to Baltimore following the death of her husband. There shemeets a quirky musician (Arliss Howard) and her older son starts dating anequally quirky x-ray technician (Joan Cusack). This film is by turns joyfuland heartbreakingly sad and features sure-handed direction by Paul Brickmanand a beautiful score by Thomas Newman who also scored "American Beauty".The performances are wonderful, most notably Jessica Lange's and JoanCusack's. If you're looking for a wonderful family drama with comedicmoments then "Men Don't Leave" is for you. One of the best films of the1990's.

2012-05-05 14:50:35

Hate Jessica Lange, Liked the Movie

This movie centers around a widowed mother-of-two's struggle to keep her famly together. Lange annoys me to look at, but she does give a very good performance as a mother of two children who lose their father to an accident at work. A young Chris O'Donnel is her eldest son, who has a few really funny and sarcastic lines in the movie. His character plot involves building a romantic relationship with an older Joan Cusack, a nurse that he meets when his family moves to Baltimore. (Every teenager watching has to be wishing a woman like that would just throw herself at them as she does with Chris's character in the movie). To tell the truth I was falling asleep during the stupid scenes between Lange and Arlis Howard, who plays her new love interest in the move to the city. You wanna just reach in the screen and kick Kathy Bates out of the movie during her scenes, and I think Joan Cusack, (really the only reason worth watching the movie) doesnt have enough screen time as far as Im concerned. The movie is very sweet though, and if you can tolerate dead-air every now and then as you watch, its worth seeing. And I think you'll also favor the storyling between Joan and Chris O'Donnel.

2012-05-04 23:36:05

The Widow in Baltimore

Jessica Lange is an American Treasure in the same league as Meryl Streep but with a much less lauded filmography. In "Men Don't Leave," Lange plays a recently widowed woman who finds herself without much money, two young sons and no job. She moves to Baltimore to seek her fortune and make a new life for herself and for her family.There is a deep and abiding humanity in everything Lange does. Here she is all naked emotion and frantic desperation tempered with an endless well of positivism.Chris O'Donnell's scene at the Riverfront with Arliss Howard is one of the great, emotionally open and heart wrenching scenes in movies...ever. O'Donnell has not been as truthful in films, since."Men Don't Leave" was much ignored when it first opened and it is an embarrassment that it is not available on DVD. But nonetheless, it contains one of the best performances of Jessica Lange's career and it is not to be missed by anyone interested in fine movie acting.

2012-04-27 01:38:27

Lange won't leave my mind, and neither will this film...

There is an intimacy in `Men Don't Leave' that caught me off-guard and certainly made the film more palatable; that and the beautiful performance by Jessica Lange. The film itself has no real surprise thrown in, for it mostly plays out rather predictably and uneventfully, unless you count that ridiculous yet somewhat wholly believable plot line involving Chris O'Donnell's affair with Joan Cusack (I love it when she pops up in a movie). No, `Men Don't Leave' is a rather small glimpse in at the life of a recently widowed woman raising two boys. With little money to her name, she moves to Baltimore where her depression makes adjustment difficult and ultimately threatens the fabric of her family. Couple that with the budding hormonal difficulties brought on by her eldest son (O'Donnell in his big screen debut) and the advances of a man who seems like a perfect fit and you have a tough time to be had by an emotionally vulnerable woman. Lange totally makes this film hers and she owns every frame. She is such a talented actress, and this may be one of her finest moments; such tenderness and emotional conveyance in small moments. That is something I really respected about this film, for as much as it doesn't `go a lot of places' it manages to feel sincere and earnest; something that a lot of films fail to capture. There is a scene with O'Donnell and Arliss Howard where your heart begins to break over the amount of raw honesty projected; so open and naked and vulnerable. Director Paul Brickman uses a deft hand at creating an intimate feeling that permeates the film, even when certain moments begin to fray. Lange, Cusack, Howard, O'Donnell (his first and best performance, by miles) and Bates lend memorable and commendable performances and help make `Men Don't Leave' an underappreciated must-see film that very few have seen. Oh, and Thomas Newman's score is fantastic.If you can, make the time to see this one!

anonymous 2012-04-26 07:05:20

A sweet, authentic portrayal of a woman bereft by the sudden loss of her husband who must cope with financial distress and the demands of her children.

Lange is her usual extraordinary self, especially in that part of the filmdepicting--quite aptly--the onset of acute depression. Cusack deservesheroscar nomination--manages expertly one of the most appealing charactersyouwill ever see on screen. Comedy, romance, and everyday tragedy puttogetherin an affecting script that has few weak moments. If you are drawn tosmallfilms centered on human relationships that draw sniffles and chuckles ofrecognition and a welcome sigh of relief when it all turns out at the end,you will love this film.

2012-04-25 11:59:08

I was in this movie, and I still didn't like it

When I was about 10, I got to be in this movie as an extra. Although it was a lot of fun to spend a day "in Hollywood," this movie stunk. My family took me to see it when it came out in the theaters (it only came out as a "sneak preview"; not enough people went to see it to qualify it as a hit), and we were greatly disappointed. If you want to see me, though, I'm the little boy on the lottery T.V. show when the main character is watching T.V. at his father's funeral.

george.schmidt 2012-04-24 22:35:46

Sleeper Lange gem

MEN DON'T LEAVE (1990) ***1/2 Jessica Lange, Arliss Howard, Joan Cusack,Kathy Bates, Chris O' Donnell, Charlie Korsmo. Engaging comedy/dramafocusing on Lange as a recently widowed mother facing some toughrealitiesand meeting some interesting people. Fine performances, particularly O'Donnell (in his film debut) and Korsmo as her sons, both revealingpainfulmoments expertly. Directed with panache by Paul Brickman ("RiskyBusiness").

2012-04-20 18:33:24

Where is the DVD?

Dear Warner Home Video: What a shameful oversight that this wonderful movie is not available on DVD. Please take steps to correct this soon. Many thanks from a loyal customer.

2012-04-20 17:36:52

Perservering Through Hard Times

Sometimes life deals us a bad card. Men Don't Leave is a movie that depicts such tragedy to Jessica Lange's movie character when her well providing husband is killed in a work related accident. From that point, money woes plague Jessica and she has to move her family from the lush suburbs to a more edgy part of Baltimore. At this point her two boys become more affected by the new surroundings as each crave for the attention left by the oid of their late father. Chris O Donnel's character is especially rebelious as he takes on "the man of the house" role and acts up around Lange's musician love interest. Its very interesting how the relationships between mother and sons shift and change as the movie develops. The influence of both O'Donnel's and Lange's romantic relationships are quite unique as well. In spite of some rebelious attitudes by all, the bonds of family seem to stand strong. Help proves to be around the corner.Good pacing, drama, and balance between laughter and tears. This movie does have a fairly broad appeal to many audiences.

2012-04-20 05:41:20

WHERE IS THE DVD?

Something in my head triggered me to remember this awesome movie. I came online to buy it on DVD and was devistated to see that it isn't available in that format. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!!!! Jessica Lange, Chris O'Donnell and Arliss Howard give excellent perfomances. Someone needs to put this wonderful movie on DVD as soon as possible.

Ratstink 2012-04-19 16:43:43

All time great tear-jerker.

I love this movie. Lange, Cusack, and O'Donnell each give one of theirbestperformances. Must see for fans of any of them, especially Cusack. Eventhough it is pretty weepy it is also very funny and sweet. I like the waythey deal with the depression of Lange's character. There are somewonderfulimages and great lines. I am still waiting for O'Donnell to live up to thepromise he showed in this film. I know some will think I'm nuts but IthinkLange was never sexier. See this movie. Warning: not as many laughs in theTV-edited version.

2012-04-19 07:07:07

A little sappy but Cusack and Howard are stand-outs

Ho-hum. Another "what's a housewife to do after she's left on her own"flick. You have your helpless mother, your surly teenager, and yourdepressed little kid. Enter Joan Cusack and Arliss Howard with two fineperformances (I especially liked the accordian sequence)and the film comesalive. However, I sensed no real rapport between Lange and Howard. Infact, Lange seemed to have walked through her role as an after-thought.

bhicks56 2012-04-18 15:32:53

sweet surprise.... good movie, bad title

Paul Brickman's American remake of the inferior LA VIE CONTINUE is one ofthose kind of movies you stumble on by mistake. That's what made it evenmore enjoyable as I viewed on HBO. I have never heard of it, though theensemble cast is energetic and full of famous faces of thepresent.The story has the ability to be funny and honest even as it becomes slightlymelancholy with both death and near-death experiences.The performances, again, are great, especially Jessica Lange, because hercharacter isn't a single mom who struggles hard to keep her family together.Things get so incredibly rough that she becomes uneasily passive, lettingher oldest son sleep with an older woman (the wonderful Joan Cusack as anurse living in the same building) and spending most of her unemployed daysin bed. Other good performances come from Charlie Simon, proving you can be charmingand sexy even with male-pattern baldness and Kathy Bates playing a charactercompletely different from her usual sweet and struggling woman typecast (andit isn't even due to a Stephen King novel!!).It's strange how you can explain the story to a person and they take it as adepressing tale, while Brickman sprinkles so much hilarious moments in thisfeel-good-feel-bad-feel-good-again movie. Witness the great scene betweenLange and her son played by Chris O'Donnell involving the use and authorityof the S-word.