How bad was this movie?

I have seen HEARTBURN and while I would not say it was a bad movie, I did think it could have been better. For one thing, it was very slow moving and there were some scenes I could have done without such as the take-off to "Masterpiece Theatre." Also, there were some scenes that were good but were never followed through. For one, there is a scene where Rachel (Meryl Streep) says to Mark (Jack Nicholson), after he continues seeing his mistress, that she (Rachel)will get into a gossip column all the dirt about the mistress. The best scene, I felt, was near the end of the movie where Rachel shoves a key lime pie in Mark's face while at a dinner party. As for HEARTBURN, one of the complaints I had when I first saw it was that the movie "just ended" with no follow-through. True, we know that Rachel left Mark and that they were going to get divorced. However, I would have wanted to see them get divorced and see whether Rachel had any regrets and/or if Mark had any regrets. In all fairness, I have read that Carl Bernstein (who Jack Nicholson's character was loosely based on) was furious that Nora Ephron (his ex-wife and writer of the film and who Meryl Streep's character was loosely based on) was making a movie based on their marriage and did everything in his control to downplay the bad behavior of his supposed character in HEARTBURN. Personally, I think HEARTBURN may have been a better film had Carl Bernstein not interfered with the project. I did read somewhere though that Meryl Streep considers HEARTBURN as a favorite of hers.

I agree with Adrian although its slow paced it shows a brilliant relationship and how realtionships change through infidelity, children and marriage.

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I ABSOLUTELY ADORED THIS MOVIE, WHAT YOU ALL TALKIN' ABOUT?!?! WHEN I FIRST GOT IT ON DVD, ONLY A FEW WEEKS AGO ACTUALLY (!) WATCHED IT 5 TIMES IN SAME WEEK ... S-A-D MAYBE, BUT HEY, I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT!!! JACK AND MERYL ARE SOOOOO FABULOUS TOGETHER!!!!!

granted, though, it was more like a made for tv movie, but i still loved it!

"in china they have to eat this *beep* everyday."
"wait a minute; what if he ... is a girl?"

"you know my husband, you know, the one i married at the wedding?"
"itsy bitsy spider went up the water spout-" insert spider-man bit "down came the goblin and knocked the spider out!"

I'm reading these negative comments and thinking the opposite! I love this movie too, one of my favorite Meryl movies, Silkwood too. A Nora Ephron doc is on now, I knew she wrote When Harry Met Sally but didn't know she also wrote Silkwood.

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Every few years, I can watch this film and just love it. That's because I have the need to live vicariously through the main character, Rachel, who is so unbelievably narcissistic that in person, faced with such a personality, I would have to give her a slap.
She lives as though she were the embodiment of some chick-lit novel. Obsessing about little things, big things, stupid things - all the time so steadily that you have to tune her out. Her husband did and while he is not a very sympathetic character in the movie, I do understand his reactions.
She just adores her kids - when the maid isn't taking care of them. When she visits her dad and camps out in his apartment, the first thing she does is get the maid to take her child while she goes out to talk, talk, talk about her tragic life.
Her group actually listens to her and doesn't gang up on her and gag her with her scarf.
I so enjoy imagining that somewhere in the world there is such a woman and people actually put up with her. Her editor actually listens to her and doesn't tell her to 'grow up, Rachel!'
She reminds me of the characters Jill Clayburgh used to play.
These comments may sound negative because Rachel is such a narcissistic dork and I keep coming back to the movie just to enjoy her dorkiness. Well, that's what the movies are for...

'hmmm...i bet you must be a young boy, and didn't quite understand the film.'
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ummmm.
Is Roger Ebert a young boy who didn't quite understand the film? He thought is was fair. Actually, assuming one is s young boy for their review is acting like a young boy.

>>> hmmm...i bet you must be a young boy, and didn't quite understand the film.

Only *beep* post comments like this.

It should be against the law to use 'LOL'; unless you really did LOL!

I so agree with you PapaT 86. I really like this film and think it has one of Meryl's strongest performances (allthough all her performances are strong)!
I really enjoy watching this movie.
The story isn't thin or weak at all, neither is the film slow paced.

I know, it's no Sleepless in Seattle. And allthough I love that movie as well, Heartburn is so much more realistic and better!

About the so called over-use of Carly Simon's Coming Around Again. That song was the 'love-theme' (or whatever you want to call it) of this movie.
You only hear Carly sing it once I think.
What about Titanic? I think you heard an instrumental version of My Heart... every 10 minutes or so.

Its not that bad. The story and characters are not exactly riveting, but the acting and wonderful Carly Simon score make it watchable.