Opposite Sex & How to Live With Them - Relationship Guide for Couples | Dating Advice, Marriage Tips & Communication Strategies for Happy Relationships

The Opposite Sex and How To Live With Them was not The Opposite OF Sex with Christina Ricci (emphasis editor's), but the title was close enough that I picked up the video. The Opposite of Sex is one that's on my list of interesting films that I am looking for. However, TOSAHTLWT is not on any list nor should it be, but I saw that Courteney Cox was in it. I wondered how she was before "Friends" and now "Cougar Town." Of the six main friends, I sometimes keep tabs on them, in a kind of sweepstakes to see which friends are most successful in their subsequent careers: Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc, Perry, and Schwimmer.The movie is not very good, and they could have spent a little more on Miss Cox's make up and lighting, but she was OK in this light comedy about the new phases of courtship: picking up women in bars, moving in with them, and finally, as a last resort, getting married.While watching it, I was struck by how much it resembled About Last Night which was based on a play by David Mamet. Even though the director watered it down a bit to make it more palatable to the masses as a romantic comedy, it was still much better written than TOSAHTLWT. In About Last Night there was one montage scene showing Danny and Debbie adjusting to living together while a pop hit of the 80's played. I was thinking: Did David Mamet write a montage scene, or was that the screenwriters, producers, or the director who threw that in? In TOSAHTLWT a montage scene would have raised the level of discourse. It was kind of cartoonish, with little or no attempt to keep a conventional narrative afloat, but more like a series of sketches on different topics you'd encounter while trying to keep a relationship going--as seen on Laugh In. They were separated by animations showing sports diagrams, the kind sportscasters are fond of drawing while explaining various football strategies. I have made a chart of my own showing how TOSAHTLWT compares to and contrasts with About Last Night:Arye Gross ... David Crown = Rob Lowe ... Danny MartinCourteney Cox ... Carrie Davenport = Demi Moore ... DebbieKevin Pollak ... Eli = James Belushi ... Bernie LitgoJulie Brown ... Zoe = Elizabeth Perkins ... JoanBoston = ChicagoArye Gross is no Rob Lowe, that's for sure. Rob's prob was just that he was too good looking to be a convincing working class restaurant supplies salesman, but he pulled that off. Arye Gross is more of a character actor, and I don't see him as a lead, let alone a romantic lead.Demi Moore certainly outdid Courteney--looks-wise, and acting-wise, but I have one thought: Courteney Cox is now the star of Cougar Town, but Demi Moore is the Queen of All Cougars. So, there.As for Pollak Vs. James Belushi, in the boorishness smack down, they were pretty well matched, but Pollak would probably do better at stand up, and of course, he is a master impressionist. He didn't get to tell any Pollak jokes, and at one point he was heard at the tail end of a joke about King Kong and Ping Pong balls that was supposed to show that his character, Eli, was not nearly as funny as he thought he was. Belushi, with better material, in a better over-all film, came out on top. Belushi, as always, has more trouble being in his brother John's shadow. Though Jim was in the cast of the play the film was based on, there was talk of casting John Belushi, and Dan Aykroyd in the Rob Lowe role. Jim didn't want John to do it, as he didn't want to be compared to him any more than he always was every time he tried to do anything.Finally, Julie Brown (not Downtown Julie Brown, if you even care) and Elizabeth Perkins, as the friends were both adequate, but Elizabeth Perkins, as Joan, again with better material in a better over-all film, was a stronger performance.The Bottom Line is that TOSAHTLWT was not that good, but it would be too easy to trash it. Where is the sport in that? It had pretty low ambitions, and viewed in that light, was perhaps successful. It was not very funny, but it did at least attempt to deal with the issue of how do you make a relationship work between guys who want to party all night long, and girls who do, too. Why should the guys buy the cow when they are already getting the milk free? Instead of getting married, they just live together, and then when the honeymoon is over and ye old disillusionment sets in, all it takes is one fight and his clothes are scattered over the sidewalk. Then they both start to miss each other, so they get married and live happily ever after, with a few detours along the way. I don't think this movie ever even came out on DVD, and lets keep it that way. If you want to see it, though I can't for the life of me figure out why, go to your local Goodwill and get it on video. If you can't quell the urge, but don't even own a VHS player, just watch About Last Night instead.Minority Report (Widescreen Edition) (2002) Arye Gross was Howard Marks3000 Miles to Graceland (2001) Kevin Pollak was Damitry; Courteney Cox was Cybil WaingrowThe Whole Nine Yards (2000) Kevin Pollak was Janni Pytor GogolakShe's All That (1999) Kevin Pollak was Wayne BoggsClueless (1995) Julie Brown was Ms. StoegerAce Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) Courteney Cox was Melissa RobinsonA Few Good Men (1992) Kevin Pollak was Lt. Sam WeinbergShakes the Clown (1991) Julie Brown was JudyEarth Girls Are Easy (1988) Julie Brown was CandySoul Man (1986) Arye Gross was Gordon BloomfeldWhat is the opposite of a good movie?