Plot
Ben and Katie Jordan are a married couple who go through hard times in fifteen years of marriage.
Release Year: 1999
Rating: 5.7/10 (12,524 voted)
Critic's Score: 37/100
Director:
Rob Reiner
Stars: Bruce Willis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Colleen Rennison
Storyline Two jilted lovers spend fifteen years of marriage together, only to find that they might no longer love each other. In this time they have two children and go through the various (dramatic and comical) events that take place in an average marriage.
Writers: Alan Zweibel, Jessie Nelson
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
Taglines:
Can a marriage survive 15 years of marriage?
Filming Locations: Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $50,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $9,673,080
(USA)
(17 October 1999)
(2164 Screens)
Gross: $27,067,160
(USA)
(28 November 1999)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
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: Ben:
And you can take that bread and shove it up the tops of your legs!
User Review
Did you not SEE it?
Rating:
When "The Story of Us" opened in 1999, the critical disdain was so
overwhelming, that my fiancee and I opted not to see it. After all, the
ads
focussed on its romantic comedy aspects, directed by Rob Reiner (When Harry
Met Sally), and starred Bruce Willis (who had just undergone a public
divorce).
In retrospect, it's easy to assume why it got panned... this is NOT a
romantic comedy, although there are comedic elements. Those expecting a
Harry/Sally II would be clearly be disappointed. Those expecting some
insight to Bruce Willis' marriage, too, would be disappointed. The film is
neither of those things.
Of course, had the associations not existed, and the ad campaign refocussed
its efforts, the film would be far better respected. That's why time will
be very kind to this film.
Not everything works. Some scenes, like the language of the women, are too
profanity-laced to sound like real women (making David Mamet's writing seem
like Jane Austen by comparison). There's a terrible scene with Willis in a
restaurant--unrealistic, unfunny.
Why then recommend the film? Because the agony, the depth of painful
emotions, are real. Find a better acting job by Willis or Pfieffer. Find
one!!! Can't be done.
Do you not see it? Do you not recognize that this film has one foot firmly
planted in the light comedy world, and another foot firmly planted in the
incredible realism (almost too realistic) angst of a failing marriage? Do
you not see it? Do you not hear Reiner's concerns projected in the scene
where Willis requests to Reiser his dream of writing a book on his
grandmother--is this not Reiner saying that he WOULD go further with the
serious story here, but the audience, too set by his own past achievements,
will not let him? Is this not exactly what happened, when _Story of Us_
was
released?
Don't be fooled. This is one serious movie. It should be required viewing
for all engaged couples. It's a fantastic wake-up call. The circumstances
that lead up to the arguments are simplified, but the emotions are raw. I
repeat, time will be very kind to this movie.
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