"Divorce comedies make a comeback with 'The Roses', and here's a roundup of other shows in the same genre"
In the world of cinema, divorce has long been a popular topic, with early comedies like Cary Grant's "In Name Only" and "The Awful Truth" paving the way. Bob Mondello, NPR's movie critic, has seen many of these films throughout his career.
Fast forward to the present, and Mondello is discussing the new divorce comedy "The Roses." This film is a remake of the 1989 movie "The War of the Roses," starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner. While it brings back the genre, it differs significantly in tone. Unlike the original, which was dark and absurd, "The Roses" focuses more on the emotional sadness of the couple, softening some class conflict elements present in the original adaptation.
Mondello compares comedies about divorce to romantic breakup movies on steroids, while dramas focus on the emotional aspects of relationships, such as endangered children, financial ruin, and loneliness. One such drama is "Kramer vs. Kramer," which explores the complexities of divorce and the lingering feelings between ex-spouses. In this film, Meryl Streep's character demands her son, leading to a heated argument with Dustin Hoffman's character.
"Kramer vs. Kramer" is considered by Mondello to be the best classic of the genre, having won multiple Academy Awards. Another notable film is "Marriage Story" from 2019, which delves into custody battles and divorce lawyers. In this film, Ray Liotta's character suggests that if both parties start from a place of reasonable and the other starts from a place of crazy, they will settle somewhere between reasonable and crazy.
Interestingly, the topic of divorce in cinema isn't just a modern phenomenon. Films like "Divorce Italian Style" from 1961 and "Divorce American Style" from the 1960s offer unique perspectives on the subject. In the former, the only option for divorce in a Catholic country was killing one's spouse, while the latter took a more lighthearted approach, focusing on avoiding alimony and finding a new partner for one's ex.
Returning to "The Roses," the film features Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch as a troubled couple seeking couples therapy. The movie starts out feeling like a romantic comedy but gets darker later. However, critics feel it needed more thorns to truly embody the complexities of a failing marriage. Despite this, "The Roses" offers a gentler take compared to the original, directed by Danny DeVito, which ended with the characters hating each other.
For Mondello, movies about divorce are personal. His parents, who were together for 36 years, were not happy together and did not ask their children if they wanted them to stay together. This personal connection adds depth to his analysis of these films, providing insight into the human side of divorce that goes beyond the silver screen.
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