It’s Complicated 2009

     When brought together at a family event, two executives find themselves oddly attracted to each other after ten years of being divorced.  Although the couple think that news of their affair will stay in a different state location, it brings itself back to their own city and disrupts their personal lives.  While the couple still maintain other current romances, they cannot help but to continue with their new affair.

     This is a fast paced and smart comedy with a great cast.  It is a mature work and it succeeds where Something’s Gotta Give didn’t.  Nancy Meyers creates three real characters and they have everyday qualities and sympathy.  The divorce was caused because Jake (Baldwin) left Jane (Streep) for a much younger woman!!  Jane has struggled after the divorce to find find happiness as she has aged.  She meets Adam and he is a sensitive architect.  He is designing her new kitchen has had his fair share of divorce stories in his own past.  Jane and Jake attend their son’s college graduation and they find themselves on common ground for a very different change??
     
     This mature romantic comedy is age-appropriate for older teens and up.  Although adults are most likely to appreciate it.  The sexuality isn't graphic, the movie's main themes concern is infidelity, sex for the over-50 set and dealing with adult children.  None of this is meant for younger kids.  There's some swearing and a good bit of social drinking.  The main characters have their first adulterous night together after getting completely sloshed from alcohol.  There are a couple of humorous scenes in which a marijuana joint is shared by three adult characters.  Teens could get the message that being intoxicated lowers inhibitions which is true.  Since no negative consequences are shown, parents should talk to their kids about possible consequences.  As in every other Nancy Meyers movie, everyone lives a completely pampered and wealthy lifestyle?  This time they are living in Santa Barbara.  We should all be so lucky!!
    
120 min, Comedy directed and written by Nancy Meyers with Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, John Krasinski, Lake Bell, Mary Kay Place, Rita Wilson, Alexandra Wentworth, Hunter Parrish, Zoe Kazan, Caitlin FitzGerald, Emjay Anthony, Nora Dun, Bruce Altman, Robert Curtis Brown.

Note:  Imdb 6.5* out of 10* with 86,807 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 58% with 183 critic reviews 60% with 100,000+ audience scores, Roger Ebert 2 1/2*, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Peter Baldwin, Common Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen, 3* out of 5* age 16+, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 6697 reviews.  

Special Note:  Meryl Streep asked her alma mater, Vassar College, if they could film the college graduation scenes on their campus.  They refused even though Streep serves on their Board of Trustees and two of her children have attended this college?  In the scene where Jane answers a phone call from her daughter Lauren, she is clearly surprised by Jake who kisses her causing her to say "You're still on the phone" instead of "You're still on the plane."  This was a genuine reaction from Meryl Streep who did not expect Alec Baldwin to kiss her.  Nancy Meyers had asked Alec to kiss Meryl since it would be something Jake would do.  Fortunately, Streep kept the scene going and incorporated her mistake so this scene could be kept in the movie.

Mistakes:  When Jane and Adam are looking over the plans together at her house, Adam asks "Have you lived here long?" but his mouth isn't moving.  When Jane and Adam put the croissants in the oven, the pastries are much too close together.  Croissants expand to over double their size as they cook and they would have stuck together?  As a baker, Jane would know this?  In the scene where Adam is trying on clothes, he tries on a sweater that he refers to as gray.  It is clearly a brown color?