"THEY ALL LAUGHED"
DVD Review
by Rachel Buccicone
| MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) STARRING Ben Gazzara as JOHN RUSSO John Ritter as CHARLES RUTLEDGE Audrey Hepburn as ANGELA NIOTES Dorothy Stratten as DOLORES MARTIN Blaine Novak as ARTHUR BRODSKY Patti Hansen as SAM Colleen Camp as CHRISTY MILLER Rated PG Studio: HBO Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich Back to DVD Review Home |  |
In 1981, Peter Bogdanovich wrote and directed a picture with the late John Ritter, Dorothy Stratten, and Audrey Hepburn. That film was “They All Laughed” and is on DVD for the first time as a 25th Anniversary Edition.
In New York City, the Odyssey Detective Agency has three agents investigating two separate women whose husbands suspect their infidelity. Charles (John Ritter) and Arthur (Blaine Novak) are sent to investigate Dolores (Dorothy Stratten), while John (Ben Gazzara) follows Angela (Audrey Hepburn).
The story is a very complex love…octagon. Dolores is having an affair with her next door neighbor Jose (Sean Ferrer), but while tracking her, Charles can’t help but fall in love. John, on the other hand, first pisses off his girlfriend Christy (Colleen Camp) by going on a date with a cab driver he calls Sam (Patti Hansen). Once you understand that, it gets more complicated.
Christy, who is a well-known country singer, decides to pursue Charles, now that she has rid herself of John. So Charles drags her around the city, all the while spying on his subject and love interest, Dolores. The couple (Charles and Christy, that is) end up colliding with Dolores and her lover Jose and hitting it off. Later the couples go to Christy’s country venue where the lovers switch dates. Christy is now with Jose, and Dolores with Charles.
Meanwhile, John with Arthur has casually confronted Angela and her son in a toy store. Angela avoids John for now, but later Arthur, John, and John’s daughters find Angela again in a restaurant. From here, Arthur agrees to watch over the children (John’s girls and Angela’s son), while John and Angela go off together.
Charles and Arthur’s sloppy detective work leaves them relying on Christy for information she is slow to relate. All three of John’s women—Christy, Sam, and Angela—are keeping the secret until the secret decides to reveal itself. In the end, we have a couple engagements, a couple broken hearts, and a new romance or two.
Peter Bogdanovich (“Paper Moon”) has written a very complicated romance. Surprisingly, it is not too terrible to follow, despite what my summary may suggest. However, the story doesn’t seem the least bit likely. I find it puzzling that two of the three detectives dove head-first into romances with their subjects without any inhibition whatsoever. Also, it seems bothersome to me that the children in this film were so enthusiastic about their parent’s romantic indiscretion.
The acting is pretty entertaining. John Ritter (“Bad Santa”) plays a wonderful bumbling fool who is clumsily in love. Dorothy Stratten, whose tragic murder occurred before the release of the film and to whom the film is dedicated, is cute and terribly naïve as Dolores. Ben Gazzara (“Dogville”) downplays his character as playboy, Audrey Hepburn (“Breakfast at Tiffany’s”) is elegant as always, and Blaine Novak (“Good to Go”) is goofy with his curly, mop hairstyle. Audrey Hepburn’s son Sean Ferrer makes his acting debut and finale as Jose. Surely a bit of nepotism never hurt anyone, especially for a role with minimal lines.
We are treated to a nice soundtrack for this picture. Tracks from Johnny Cash, Louis Armstrong, and Frank Sinatra, who sings the title song, are welcome accompaniment. Also, the country songs of the Christy character fill in as background music on occasion.
The DVD makes for a nice anniversary edition. Not only are we treated to audio-commentary by Peter Bogdanovich, but the film also contains never-before-seen footage. Director Wes Anderson (“The Life Aquatic”) converses with Bogdanovich in a director to director interview as well.
The nice thing about old romance movies is that their plot is nothing like today’s staple chick flicks. Bogdanovich has certainly written a unique piece, it just may be a bit absurd. Certainly, Dorothy Stratten fans should own this DVD and the same may go for John Ritter fanatics. Audrey Hepburn fans wouldn’t lose out by skipping this one—it has minimal Audrey action. But for those independent of any fandom: if you like romance this one is cute and original; if you hate romance, skip it.
Specifications: English 2.0 Audio. Widescreen ratio 16:9. English Language track. French and Spanish Subtitles. Closed Captioned.
