Customer Reviews

He Said, She Said

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The title of this movie is literally what it is: he said, she said. If you look closely at the credits the movie has two directors and two writers as well as two leads for a reason.

Basically the movie is two mini-films telling the same story of a couple meeting, competing, coupling, and spliting twice. The first half centering on Kevin Bacon was written and directed by men and the second half, centering on Elizabeth Perkins was written and directed by women. Not only do they use the same basic plot, but they use the same scenes, each shown not only from the POV of a different character, but a different gender.

Each mini-film alone would be a passible romantic comedy, but what makes the movie really work is the contrast. After seeing his side: what was important, what was stupid, what was good, what was bad we see hers and realize how something that is absolutely nothing to one is the most important thing in the world to the other. Most importantly the differences reflect generally common wisdom on the topic. Once has to ask if this is intentional or the natural byproduct of the differences between men and women.

Bacon is, as usual, himself (Kevin Bacon, much like John Wayne, plays himself in most movies and certainly the ones where he is at his best). However, the everyman Bacon is the perfect choice for this role. Perkins is very good as the self-assured but still vulnerable woman from the first generation of post-feminist revolution career women who has feet in both the feminist (career) and pre-feminist (marriage and family) world. She is as fully realized as her later sisters such as Ally McBeal and Bridget Jones.

Add in Sharon Stone as the tramp (and a more interesting one than Basic Instinct for my money) who realized she was in love but too late, Nathan Lane as the perfect mix of caring boss, and stir in good writing in pacing and the result is a funny and insightful romantic comedy and an above average movie.

What I can say about this lovely movie is that it was a very original idea to show the two points of view (male and female) about the developing of their relationship. Full of tiny delicious details, both stories are perfectly credible in real life, and at the same time show moments of comic fantasy as metaphors of the way people interpret facts in real life (the narrative resource that makes the Ally McBeal's tv serie rocks!). I think the audience could identify themselves in the main characters, and that the main concept of the movie was cristal clear at the end of the movie, that, no matter the whole bunch diferences between the two stories, and between them, they loved each other. Two ways to see it, but one and only true feeling: LOVE.
AND THAT'S THE WAY I SEE IT!!

Very cute movie ...Doris Day, Rock Hudson type romantic comedy. I loved it ..Elizabeth Perkins is very sexy ....

Bacon plays the perfect bachelor -- committed to his errant ways and happy to play the field. Elizabeth Perkins is the self-assured single woman, suspicious of field-playing men. Together they forge a new life, but with mixed results. When the relationship blows up, each tells their story from their own viewpoint. And, of course, the finer details differ greatly in each story, particularly when it comes to who was to blame for their problems.

It's a winning idea, and it's creatively delivered. However, the chemistry between Bacon and Perkins never quite gels. Part of me almost wants to tell Bacon to run off with Sharon Stone halfway through the movie. The script was a bit uneven, leaving several low-points throughout the film during which I was able to fetch a snack or two without missing much. However, the payoff is romantic and sweet enough to make "He Said, She Said" a good-enough movie that I wouldn't mind seeing again.

I wrote a review eleven months ago after buying a video tape of this 1991 movie and was wondering why they hadn't released a DVD version with director's commentaries + cast & crew interviews etc... Now the DVD finally came out and did feature the commentaries but not the interviews. That's a waste, although I totally enjoyed watching the movie again. After 10 years, I still haven't seen any better romantic comedy, something that got me laugh so hard and made me melt so tenderly. Of course Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, and (most recently) Ashley Judd prove to be great in this category as well, but none of them has surpassed Elizabeth Perkins in "Big" and "He Said She Said". Only Perkins could be so charming and so vulnerable at the same time. Maybe that's what made her the loveliest and most unforgettable of them all.

This movie is one the best for both of these fine actors. To me, the Bacon/Perkins 1980's chemistry is what Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan had in the 1990's. They play off each other so well and the comedic timing is second to none.

Bacon and Perkins play freelance journalists that are going out for the same editorial newspaper job. They both get the job in a scheme that has them going head to head on issues. What one says, the other disagrees with. They end up getting a spot in TV news to air their opinions in a love broadcast and also fall in love despite the professional differences. Once they get the TV job, the movie really takes off!

One of my favorite things about the movie is how the relationship between the two of them is broken up into "his side of the story" and "her side of the story" with the first half being how Bacon saw their relationship and the second half being how Perkins saw it. Nathan Lane as the TV producer is also a fantastic role.

Don't pass on this classic romantic comedy! To see it on DVD is a great pleasure and will only enhance the film more.

Men and women look at things differently. These differences are significant enough that the world is thereby gifted with multitudinous opportunities for comedy. This movie takes advantage of many of those opportunities. It is a riot.

The story centers around a pair of young journalists. They are competing with each other for a newspaper column. In an act of spineless cravenness, the editors decide to run both columns and treat the pair as rivals. The formula works well for the newspaper and for the young writers. It also brings them closer together.

To begin with, they did not much like each other. As they spend time together, however, they fall in love. This is a big step for both of them. For his part, he willingly gives up having sex with every hottie in town. For her part, she needs to trust him and not push him too hard. Each tires very hard and but each has a talent for pushing the other's buttons and hacking the other off.

The film opens at the point where the newspaper has metamorphed into a TV spot. Right after he gives his opinion, she beans him with her coffer cup. The rest of the movie is a series of flashbacks as they each relieve their memories. Being a man and woman, they have very different memories of the same events. It is absolutely hilarious.

Check it out. Better yet, buy it.

ya nice movie did not have any problem's with it great era shame it's gone don't know what's next war messes up every thing

Bright, spirited film with little value except for early Bacon. Chick flick from the word go. Service was quick and efficient.

This movie should be on every list of classic late 80s early 90s movies. The characters are fun and it has a great story line. I highly reccomend it!