Customer Reviews

A New Life [VHS]

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

 

 

Alan Alda,the star of the hit TV sitcom M*A*S*H,wrote,dircted and starred in this romantic comedy where his character Steve Giardino never wanted a divorce. Steve's wife Jackie(Ann-Margret) decided to call it quits. Jackie studied for a degree in special education. Steve,a stocktrader on Wall Street,finds a new love,his doctor Kay Hutton(Veronica Hamel). Steve is referred to Kay after falling ill during a tennis game. Steve receives advice from his buddy Mel(Hal Linden) how to score with women. Steve colors his hair and beard and buys some new clothes and shoes. The clothes and shoes are stolen by a male robber in drag whom Steve meets in a bar. Jackie meets a sculptor who goes by the name "Doc"(John Shea) at a party that she and Steve both attend. Of course,Jackie and Steve have an argument after they leave the party. Also,the Giardinos' daughter Judy(Beatrice Alda,Alan's daughter) gives birth to their grandchild. Steve and Kay,after falling in love,get married and Kay becomes pregnant despite Steve's belief he's too old to become a father again. In one scene,Steve and Kay are taking a shower together and Kay removes the black dye from Steve's hair and beard(the hair is permed),revealing the natural gray and white combo with little remaining black. In another scene,Mel meets the robber in drag,"Sybill", in the same bar that Steve was at in an earlier scene. This film received mixed reviews. It was not a major hit nor a flop. Personally,I loved it.

Maybe Alan Alda has yet to have success in the movies that would rival his television popularity, but it can't be from lack of quality work. A NEW LIFE is perhaps as good as any film he's made outside of his roles in Woody Allen's flicks.

One reason A NEW LIFE stands out is Alda's will to let others steal scenes. Hal Linden proves up to the task, playing a dead-honest happily divorced middle-ager dating women half his age in this comedy about life on the romantic rebound.

Portraying Alda's ex-wife, Ann-Margaret stands out in A NEW LIFE. I don't want to spoil the story, but as her woman-who-loves-too-much character realizes her problem, you will be rooting for her to find herself.

As for Alan Alda, who wrote and directed A NEW LIFE, he has the courage to portray someone as flawed as, well, the rest of us. He deserves even more applause for creating an engrossing, funny film without resorting to nudity (A NUDE LIFE?) and profanity (A RUDE LIFE?). See A NEW LIFE!

I cant get enough of this movie. I've lost count how many times I've watched this movie. This was my first clean romance movie that I've watched when I was in my teens. I laughed, I cried and I sighed when watching this movie. It is touching. It is never to late to fall in love and you are never to old to start life anew. love knows no age.

It reminds me of Danielle Steeles movie "heartbeat".

Great film, very funny. Hal Linden steals the show. Sweet Liberty and The Four Seasons have made it to DVD, this should be next. I am waiting patiently to see it arrive.

There is a feeling among film critics that Alan Alda is somehow weak or lightweight as an actor and even more so as a director. I can't see it myself. After spending some of his best years in the M*A*S*H ensemble cast, but being more of a leading man than any other player, Alda re-defined himself with this story of middle-aged people finding love and taking their lives in new directions. Although he seems to be trying to be Woody Allen, but Alda succeeds in his own right and the result is a good performance in an enjoyable, romantic movie.
As always Ann-Margret defies all the natural laws of ageing and looks so beautiful here you wonder how she can be the same age as Alda, here attempting to turn the clock back with a dreadful perm!