The Story of Us (1999)

Director:

Rob Reiner

Writers (WGA):

Alan Zweibel (written by) &
Jessie Nelson (written by)

Release Date:

15 October 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Can a marriage survive 15 years of marriage?

Plot:

Ben and Katie Jordan are a married couple who go through hard times in fifteen years of marriage.

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Friendship | Restaurant | Deception | Flashback

Awards:

3 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Mon. Jan. 11

10:00 AM

AMC

Cast

Bruce Willis	...	Ben Jordan
Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Katie Jordan
Colleen Rennison	...	Erin Jordan at Ten
Jake Sandvig	...	Josh Jordan at Twelve
Casey Boersma	...	Josh Jordan at Two and a Half
Tim Matheson	...	Marty
Rob Reiner	...	Stan
Julie Hagerty	...	Liza
Rita Wilson	...	Rachel
Dylan Boersma	...	Josh Jordan at Three
Ken Lerner	...	Dr. Rifkin
Victor Raider-Wexler	...	Dr. Hopkins
Albert Hague	...	Dr. Siegler
Jayne Meadows	...	Dot
Tom Poston	...	Harry
Betty White	...	Lillian Jordan
Red Buttons	...	Arnie Jordan
Daniel Henson	...	Josh Jordan at Seven
Tara Blanchard	...	Erin Jordan at Five
Adam Zweibel	...	Camper
Alan Zweibel	...	Uncle Shelly (credits) / Uncle Josh
Bill Kirchenbauer	...	Andy Kirby
Lucy Webb	...	Joanie Kirby
Jessie Nelson	...	Realtor
Tommy Tang	...	Cooking Teacher
Yaping	...	Store Clerk
James Ritz	...	Maitre d' (as James J. Ritz)
Ryan Townsend	...	Waiter
Michael Chapman	...	Waiter
Jordan Lund	...	Clergyman
Robert Alan Beuth	...	Obstetrician
Marci Rosenberg	...	Sonia
Art Evans	...	George
Renee Ridgeley	...	Sara (as Renée Ridgeley)
Matthew Moreno	...	Taxi Driver
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David C. Fisher	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Phil Hawn	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
John O'Hara	...	Camp Fire Boy (uncredited)
Paul Reiser	...	Dave, Ben's Literary Agent (uncredited)

Directed by
Rob Reiner

Writing credits (WGA)
Alan Zweibel		(written by) &
Jessie Nelson		(written by)

Produced by
Frank Capra III	....	executive producer
Tammy Glover	....	associate producer
Jessie Nelson	....	producer
Rob Reiner	....	producer
Jeffrey Stott	....	executive producer
Alan Zweibel	....	producer

Original Music by
Eric Clapton
Marc Shaiman

Cinematography by
Michael Chapman

Film Editing by
Alan Edward Bell
Robert Leighton

Casting by
Janet Hirshenson
Jane Jenkins

Production Design by
Lilly Kilvert

Art Direction by
Christopher Burian-Mohr		(as Chris Burian-Mohr)
Jess Gonchor

Set Decoration by
Sarah Jackson Burt
Kathy Lucas

Costume Design by
Shay Cunliffe

Makeup Department
Alan D'Angerio	....	hair stylist: Ms. Pfeiffer (as Alan Dangerio)
Deborah La Mia Denaver	....	makeup artist (as Deborah LaMia Denaver)
Jene Fielder	....	body makeup
Romy Fleming	....	hair stylist
Michael Germain	....	makeup department head
Mirella Ginnoto	....	hair stylist: Italy
Gina Lamendola	....	makeup artist: Ms. Wilson
Melanie Levitt	....	makeup artist
Candace Neal	....	head hair stylist
Bunny Parker	....	hair stylist: Mr. Willis
Vicky Phillips	....	hair stylist: Ms. Wilson
Gerald Quist	....	makeup artist: Mr. Willis
Carla Ruffert	....	hair stylist: Italy
Alessandra Sampaolo	....	makeup artist: Italy
Fabrizio Sforza	....	makeup artist: Italy
Ronnie Specter	....	makeup artist: Ms. Pfeiffer

Production Management
Carl S. Griffin	....	production supervisor
Giovanni Lovatelli	....	production supervisor: Italy
Marco Olivieri	....	unit manager: Italy
Jeffrey Stott	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Capra III	....	first assistant director
Emanuela Minoli	....	second second assistant director: Italy
Todd Y. Murata	....	second assistant director
Boyana Sutic	....	second assistant director: Italy
Ken Wada	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Pasquale Avvisato	....	property master: Italy
Greg Benge	....	assistant property master (as Greg R. Benge)
Fabrizio Blanchi	....	swing gang: Italy
Tristan Paris Bourne	....	set dresser (as Tristan P. Bourne)
Len Brimfield	....	plaster foreman
Thomas E. Brown	....	paint supervisor
Jon J. Bush	....	set dresser (as Jon Bush)
Francesca Caccavale	....	set decorator: Italy
Patrick Cassidy	....	leadman
Francesco Chianese	....	art director: Italy
Gerrard Coffey	....	construction estimator
Michael Cutler	....	set dresser
Max Daly	....	art department assistant
Dave DeGaetano	....	construction coordinator
Marco Di Francesco	....	assistant props: Italy
Daren Dochterman	....	illustrator (as Daren R. Dochterman)
Elizabeth Flaherty	....	art department coordinator
Paul Ford	....	set dresser
Harry Frierson	....	set dresser (as Harry Frierson Jr.)
Yukion Frierson	....	set dresser
Trish Gallaher Glenn	....	property master
Nancy Garber	....	set dresser
John P. Goldsmith	....	set designer (as John Perry Goldsmith)
John K. Hill	....	labor foreman
Glenn Hoofman	....	plaster foreman
James Hurd	....	set dresser
Sergio Iacopelli	....	stand-by painter: Italy
Marino Ingrassia	....	assistant props: Italy
Ozzy Inguanzo	....	art department assistant
Martha Johnston	....	assistant art director
Richard Lambert	....	set dresser
Larry Laurent	....	paint foreman
Filippo Lovatelli	....	swing gang: Italy
Loren Lyons	....	on-set dresser (as Loren P. Lyons)
Randy Martens	....	key greens supervisor
E. Cedar McClure	....	assistant art department coordinator (as Cedar McClure)
Lisa Ozanne	....	set dresser (as Lisa M. Ozanne)
Anthony D. Parrillo	....	set designer
Francesco Postiglione	....	leadman: Italy
Gretchen Rau	....	supervising set decorator
Steven Rigamat	....	construction foreman (as Steven W. Rigamat)
Priscilla Rossi	....	assistant propmaster: Italy
David Saltzman	....	property assistant (as David E. Saltzman)
Tommy Samona	....	set dresser
Henry Schaub	....	stand-by painter (as Henry V. Schaub III)
Doug Sieck	....	set dresser (as Douglas Sieck)
Chris Villarreal	....	set dresser
Flavio De Simone	....	props assistant (uncredited)
Jack White	....	food stylist (uncredited)
Helen Wilson	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Tom Caton	....	boom operator
Barbara Delpuech	....	assistant sound editor (as Barbara Way Delpuech)
Yann Delpuech	....	sound effects editor
Robert Eber	....	sound mixer
Kira Edmunds	....	first assistant sound editor (as Kira Edmonds)
Jeff Gomillion	....	adr mixer
Robert Grieve	....	sound supervisor
Philip Harrelson	....	technical engineer
Kimberly Harris	....	supervising adr editor
Hanson Hsu	....	dubbing editor
Steve Jankowski	....	cable operator
Darren King	....	dialogue editor
Thomas Meloeny	....	adr mixer (as Tom Meloeny)
John Murray	....	foley supervisor
Kevin O'Connell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Fred Peck III	....	sound re-recordist
Greg P. Russell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dan Sharp	....	sound re-recordist
Billy Stewart	....	apprentice sound editor
Daniele Vallot	....	cableman: Italy
Steven D. Williams	....	foley editor (as Steve Williams)
Dan Yale	....	foley editor
Cody Dorkin	....	adr (uncredited)
E. Niles Klein	....	sound editorial support (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Steve Dearth	....	special effects technician
Joseph Langen	....	special effects technician
Paul J. Lombardi	....	special effects coordinator (as Paul Lombardi)
Louis Michael Nigro Jr.	....	special effects technician
David Peterson	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Kelly Bumbarger	....	digital compositor
Ron Frankel	....	pre-visualization animator
Charles Gibson	....	visual effects supervisor
Mark J. Olson	....	computer design consultant
Liz Radley	....	computer design supervisor
Jeffrey Castel De Oro	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Daniel Aristoteles Collins	....	systems/operations: Rhythm & Hues (uncredited)
Brandon Craig	....	render coordinator (uncredited)
Phil Holland	....	scanning & recording operator (uncredited)
Mike Leben	....	motion control operator (uncredited)
Rafael Macho	....	title designer (uncredited)
Chad Merriam	....	visual effects producer: Rhythm & Hues (uncredited)
Todd Sarsfield	....	scanning and recording operator (uncredited)
Craig Seitz	....	lead digital effects compositor: Rhythm & Hues (uncredited)

Stunts
Terry Jackson	....	stunt double: Bruce Willis
Dick Ziker	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
James Alden	....	rigging grip
Marco Alzetta	....	grip: Italy
Werner Bacciu	....	grip: Italy
Tommaso Baratto	....	grip: Italy
Reynaldo Barrera	....	lamp operator
Chad C. Barrow	....	rigging grip
Regis Benedettelli	....	grip: Italy
Rick A. Benedetto	....	rigging gaffer
Stefano Biscaro	....	grip: Italy
Alessio Bramucci	....	electrician: Italy
Brink Brydon	....	assistant rigging gaffer (as Brink S. Brydon)
Rick Colosimo	....	grip
Steven Cueva	....	camera loader
Gary Cyr	....	grip
Valter De Filippis	....	generator operator: Italy (as Walter De Filippis)
Massimiliano Dessena	....	best boy grip: Italy (as Massimilliano Dessena)
Dean 'Gator' Dowling	....	rigging electrician (as Dean Dowling)
Chris Franco	....	rigging electrician
Giovanni Gebbia	....	Steadicam operator: Italy
Giovanni Gebbia	....	camera operator: "b" camera, Italy
Cristiano Giavedoni	....	electrician: Italy
Daniel C. Gold	....	camera operator (as Daniel Gold)
David Hayball	....	rigging electrician
Tony Hibbard	....	lamp operator
William T. Jones	....	rigging grip (as Wm. T. Jones)
David Katz	....	video playback operator
Tommy Klines	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Lonnie Leslie	....	best boy grip
Mitchell Lookabaugh	....	dolly grip
Gregory Lundsgaard	....	Steadicam operator
Gregory Lundsgaard	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Duccio Maccari	....	clapper loader: "b" camera, Italy
Melton Maxwell	....	gaffer (as Melton C. Maxwell)
Jeff McGrath	....	lamp operator
Tommaso Mele	....	key grip: Italy
Jody Miller	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Mike Mueller	....	rigging grip (as Mike Muller)
Michele Nassuato	....	clapper loader: "a" camera, Italy
Ralph Nelson	....	still photographer
Elvis Pasqual	....	electrician: Italy
Patrick G. Ralston	....	rigging electrician (as Patrick Ralston)
Angelo Russo	....	electrician: Italy
Fabiomassimo Sargenti	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera, Italy
Chuck Sharp	....	assistant lighting technician (as Charles W. Sharp)
Donald A. Spadoni	....	rigging grip best boy (as Don Spadoni)
Don Steinberg	....	second assistant camera (as Donny Steinberg)
Michael Strong	....	rigging grip
Michele Turchetto	....	electrician: Italy
Chuck Turner	....	rigging grip
Zoran Veselic	....	first assistant camera
C.L. Wielkiewicz	....	rigging electrician
Paul David Williams	....	grip
Sandy Williams	....	key grip
Scott C. Williman	....	lamp operator (as Scott Williman)
Ignacio Woolfolk	....	rigging grip
John Armstrong	....	generator operator (uncredited)
Fabiomassimo Sargenti	....	focus puller: Italy (uncredited)
Chuck Sharp	....	best boy electric (uncredited)
Scott C. Williman	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Suzanne Anaya	....	extras casting
Leigh French	....	voice casting
Amy Kloetzel	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cheryl Beasley Blackwell	....	costume supervisor
Vanessa Crane	....	assistant wardrobe supervisor: Italy
Jennifer Morrison Holyfield	....	costumer: Ms. Pfeiffer
Jennifer Lax	....	key costumer (as Jenny Lax)
Amanda Blythe Linder	....	wardrobe production assistant
Lidia Marusa	....	seamstress: Italy
Austin Myers	....	costumer
Shizuko Omachi	....	assistant wardrobe supervisor: Italy
Amy Elise Roberts	....	costumer
Paolo Scalabrino	....	wardrobe supervisor: Italy
Lori Stilson	....	costumer: Mr. Willis (as Lori Stilson-Armstrong)

Editorial Department
Matt Boatright-Simon	....	editorial assistant
Andrew Dickler	....	first assistant editor
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Kindra Marra	....	apprentice editor
Stephen R. Sheridan	....	color timer (as Steve Sheridan)
Mark Yoshikawa	....	assistant editor
Pete Hentrich	....	additional editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Jeff Atmajian	....	conductor
Jeff Atmajian	....	orchestrator
Tim Boyle	....	music mixer
Tim Boyle	....	music recordist
Eric Clapton	....	music producer
Sandy DeCrescent	....	music contractor (as Sandy De Crescent)
David De Palo	....	scoring assistant
Arlene Fishbach	....	music consultant
Marc Shaiman	....	music producer
Scott Stambler	....	music editor
Nick Vidar	....	music programmer

Transportation Department
John Armstrong	....	production driver
Marco Baccicalupi	....	driver: Italy
Joe Baker	....	production driver (as Joe E. Baker)
Kane Barnett	....	production driver
Tracy Bennett	....	production driver
Kathy Brumby	....	production driver
Marco Di Francesco	....	driver: property, Italy
Mark Eads	....	production driver
Antonio Eletti	....	driver: Italy
Billy Grace	....	production driver
Peter Hackett	....	picture car coordinator
Robert Hunter Jr.	....	transportation coordinator
Jeffrey F. Jones	....	production driver
Brian Kahn	....	production driver
Reid Kamitono	....	production driver
Don Levinski	....	transportation captain (as Donald L. Levinski)
Fabrizio Libertini	....	driver: Italy
Riccardo Nicolini	....	driver: Italy
Marco A. Orozco	....	production driver
Harold Peacock	....	production driver (as Harold Peacock Esq.)
Enrico Pini	....	transportation captain: Italy
Robert Poto	....	production driver
Junior T. Puluti	....	production driver
Scott W. Ramsey	....	transportation captain
Sandra Roach	....	transportation office assistant
Paolo Rosada	....	assistant to transportation captain: Italy
Marvin LaRoy Sanders	....	production driver
Ted Schambers	....	production driver
Duane L. Sirna	....	production driver
Cesar Solis	....	production driver
Bret Stewart	....	production driver
Paul Thomas	....	production driver
Wilbert Tolliver	....	production driver (as W. Lee Tolliver)
Steve D. Weinmuller	....	production driver
Bob White	....	production driver (as Robert White)
John Willoth	....	production driver
Harold L. Woods	....	production driver
Marshall Yaji	....	production driver
Anthony Zahn Jr.	....	production driver
Robert aaron Brown	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Dwayne Abernathy	....	assistant craft service
Lori A. Balton	....	location manager (as Lori Balton)
Bostic Beard	....	assistant: Mr. Reiner
Riccardo Bianchi	....	set production assistant: Italy
David Bittner	....	office runner: Italy
Jack Blessing	....	adr loop group
Jason Bogard	....	production accountant
Vanna Bonta	....	adr loop group (as Vanna Bonita)
Giacomo Brasolin	....	office runner: Italy
Kayce Brown	....	key set production assistant
Lorenzo Caccialanza	....	adr loop group
William Calvert	....	adr loop group
Giorgio Catalano	....	production accountant: Italy
Nicola Catullo	....	set production assistant: Italy
Matthew B. Chamberlin	....	assistant location manager
June Christopher	....	adr loop group
Kyle Cooper	....	title producer: main title sequence
Tommaso Dabala	....	location assistant: Italy (as Tommaso Dabalá)
Jeff Dash	....	first assistant accountant
Linda E. Degus	....	production secretary
Alfonso De Rose	....	adr loop group (as Alfonzo De Rose)
Gabriella Di Santo	....	production coordinator: Italy
Cody Dorkin	....	adr loop group
Stephen J. Eads	....	assistant: Mr. Willis (as Stephen Eads)
Chad Einbinder	....	adr loop group
Nehme Fadlallah	....	set production assistant
Duke Faeger	....	stand-in: Mr. Willis (as Dusan Fager)
Sabrina Falcioni	....	office runner: Italy
Daniela Foà	....	crowd marshall: Italy (as Daniela Foa)
Robert George	....	second assistant accountant
Nicholas Guest	....	adr loop group
Ken Haber	....	location manager
Andrew Hall	....	set production assistant
Matthew Howard	....	adr loop group
Myisha Jimerson	....	production intern
Julie Jones	....	production controller
Pam Jones	....	assistant: Mr. Reiner
Caren Kaplow	....	assistant: Ms. Pfeiffer
Alice S. Kim	....	assistant: Mr. Zweibel
Joy E. Kopaloff	....	unit publicist
Marilena La Ferrara	....	accounting assistant: Italy
Tim Lamprose	....	first aid (as Timothy Lampros)
Brie Larson	....	adr loop group
Steven S. Lee	....	assistant location manager
Luisa Leschin	....	adr loop group
Lindze Letherman	....	adr loop group
Salvatore Magnisi	....	payroll accountant: Italy
Samantha McElroy	....	adr loop group
Kerry Lyn McKissick	....	script supervisor
Christie Mellor	....	adr loop group
Nicola Minghetti	....	crowd marshall: Italy
Ivo Minorello	....	office runner: Italy
Daniel T. Mitchell	....	assistant: Ms. Nelson (as Daniel Mitchell)
Danny Morris	....	assistant craft service
Mimi Munn	....	stand-in: Ms. Pfeiffer
Jonathan Nichols	....	adr loop group
Martitia Palmer	....	adr loop group (as Martita Palmer)
Liz Probst	....	payroll accountant
Phil Proctor	....	adr loop group
Willie Radcliff	....	craft service
Richard Read	....	assistant: Marc Shaiman
Brian Relyea	....	key set production assistant
Rosanna Roditi	....	location supervisor: Italy
Janna Rykova	....	cashier: Italy
Lorenzo Salvan	....	set security: Italy
Wendy Schaal	....	adr loop group
Paul Schreiber	....	assistant location manager
Simona Sciannimanico	....	assistant production coordinator: Italy
Anne Scott	....	post-production accountant
Ruth Silveira	....	adr loop group
Jo Ann Smith	....	studio teacher (as Jo Ann M. Smith)
Peter M. Starkman	....	caterer
Jennifer Stephens	....	assistant production coordinator
Janet Stone	....	set production assistant
Lloyd Thomas	....	caterer
Anita Tomaselli	....	location coordinator: Venice
Tiziana Tortarolo	....	set production assistant: Italy
Mark Trapenberg	....	set production assistant
Arnold F. Turner	....	adr loop group (as Arnold Turner)
Gigi Vorgan	....	adr loop group
Diane Ward	....	production coordinator
Louise Weber	....	assistant: Mr. Willis (as Louise M. Weber)
Christopher Winsor	....	adr loop group
Jonathan Auzenne	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Courtney Dane	....	production assistant (uncredited)
André Devantier	....	caterer (uncredited)
Gary C. Ferraro	....	caterer (uncredited)
Cris Graves	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Jeff 'Doc' Porter	....	construction medic (uncredited)

Thanks
Harold Randall	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Castle Rock Entertainment

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1999) (USA) (theatrical)
• Polygram Filmed Entertainment (1999) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2000) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2000) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2000) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2000) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2000) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2000) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (2000) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (200?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Net5 (2003) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• Warner Home Video Española S.A. (2000) (Spain) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Rhythm and Hues (visual effects) (uncredited)

Other Companies

• CNN Image Source  thanks
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Classic Images  thanks
• For Stars Catering  catering
• Harper Collins Publishers  Charlotte's Web used by permission of
• Hoffman Travel  travel services
• Imaginary Forces  main title design and production
• Jo Anne Kane Music Services  music preparation
• Los Angeles World Airports  thanks
• Major League Baseball Properties  major league baseball trademarks licensed by
• Movie Movers  cast trailers
• Movie Movers  hair and make-up trailers
• Movie Movers  school room trailer
• Movie Movers  star trailers
• Newman Scoring Stage, Twentieth Century Fox Studios, The  score recorded at
• One Step Up  foley recorded at
• Pacific Title/Mirage  titles and opticals
• Paramount Pictures Scoring Stage M  score recorded at
• Preferred Craft Service  craft service
• Product Co-Stars  thanks
• Reprise Records  soundtrack
• Signet Soundelux Studios  score recorded at
• Sony, Cary Grant Theatre  re-recording facility
• TBS Casting  extras casting

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | New Zealand:M | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Spain:13 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

The last full length feature film of Red Buttons.

Goofs:

Continuity: On the drive to pick up the kids from camp Ben has his head turned toward Katie, but in the reverse angle Ben is looking straight ahead then turns toward Katie.

Quotes:

Rachel: [to Katie] But that's Ben - that's who you fell in love with. Katie, you are at 80 who you are at 8. People don't *change*!
[following scene]
Rachel: [to Ben] People *change* over time - you've got to expect that. Ben, the only way a relationship works is if people grow and change together!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (1999-10-16)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Adagio From Concerto in D for Trumpet & Orchestra

Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer make the perfect romantic couple, but the story is a mess. **1/2 out of ****

THE STORY OF US (1999) **1/2

Starring: Bruce Willis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rob Reiner, Rita Wilson, and Paul Reiser Director: Rob Reiner Running Time: 95 minutes Rated R (for language, thematic elements, and sex-related material)

By Blake French:

Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer make the perfect romantic couple; they're cute, cuddly and warm. Their smiles and joyful expressions make one wonder why no other casting director has come up with the idea of having the two of them star in a romantic comedy before. Unfortunately, Rob Reiner's "The Story of Us," isn't about marriage, love at first sight, or happy times, but about an unhappy couple's divorce procedures and how two people can fall out of love in a matter of time.

How depressing, indeed. The film consists of dozens of unorganized flashbacks explaining to us the up's and many down's of a married life in America, as well as the two past love birds, Ben and Katie Jordan's, attempts to keep their marital problems from their two young children.

The individual scenes featuring Ben and Katie either bonding or fighting are at times quite powerful and involving, as well as some emotionally on target moments along with some funny humor present--but all the good sequences are brief and chopped-up. The story is so uneven it's very hard to become intrigued with anything going on. There is a nice sequence that takes place in Italy where Ben and Katie try to escape from their problems and jump start their love--what they don't realize is that their good old selves will be waiting on the front porch when they return home. The problem with the film's singular scenes being effective is that they do not all fit together like they should, not to mention the heartache to develop and introduce the main characters through the flashbacks. That is not an easy thing to do, and "The Story of Us" is not a smart enough movie to figure out how to do those things properly.

The characters are acutely quite the treat. They are wonderfully played by top notch actors, some not commonly known for such roles as these, including Bruce Willis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rob Reiner, Rita Wilson, and even "Mad About You's" Paul Reiser. There's much charming romantic chemistry between Willis and Pfeiffer, but like I said, all the characters do is argue and swear at the other. The kids aren't detailed enough to care about, thus we don't care about the turning point in the middle of the film. Pfeiffer's performance at the very end of the movie, where it should be serious and intense, comes off as whiny, sissified, and annoying. I can't figure out how she screwed this one up. She's a good actress, right?

The structure in "The Story of Us," is anything but ordinary. Author Thomas Pope once said that there is such a justification in the extremely rare case of a movie being about life: the structure called life. There are certain incidences here that have a first act, second act, then conclusion, but no outright formula. But in this rare exception, the structure's material is fitting. Life has no structure to it, and for this movie to contain such realism, it must also not. This makes the story believable, engaging, and realistic; this reminds me of what many couples go through in present day in America.

"The Story of Us," contains such a flawed motive it's hard to imagine how this project could have worked. While I won't reveal the film's ending, I will say that the filmmakers throw their preparation for a depressing finale out the window and give us a conventional, but satisfying, conclusion. Perhaps if the writers would have used the flashbacks in sequence order, or taken a completely different view at the events, maybe through the eyes of the kids, possibly then the movie would have been a success. It is hard to tell, really. I personally think this film was doomed before it got the green light. It isn't the actors' faults, nor necessarily the director, Rob Reiner. It's just everything combined in a negative way.

There is a scene in "The Story of Us" where the meaning of the message in this movie flashes before our eyes. It is a sequence present in the film's trailers, and is made up of Katie's brief, intercut flashbacks reflecting back on all the good and bad times of the their 15 year marriage. The scene works in every way possible. And in some ways, it makes a long story short for us, summing up the entire film's existence. I don't know why this scene is so effective, but I do know one thing: if the entire movie was as focused and meaningful as that, we may have had something here.

Brought to you by Universal Pictures.