Phil is surprised when his wife Jessica tells him she wants a divorce, but he accepts it and moves out to try to restart his life somewhere else. While visiting his brother Mickey, he is set up on a blind date with Marilyn, a pre-school teacher. At first reluctant, Phil and Marilyn get to know each other, and eventually start a relationship, realizing they like each other. After Jessica has a hit song as a singer, she returns to visit Phil, and eventually they end up together again, which disappoints Marilyn. However, Phil still leaves Jessica and returns to Marilyn, realizing he loves her.
The first film for which the legendary James L. Brooks wrote a script, "Starting Over" is a good, noble, touching, albeit rather meagre first step towards his cinematic career, without the author's higher inspiration found in his later, more refined films ("Terms of Endearment", "As Good as It Gets"). Burt Reynolds delivers a surprisingly humble, solemn and gentle performance as Phil, a man stuck in a limbo between his ex-wife (his past) and possible future new girlfriend (his future), yet Alan J. Pakula seems to have been the wrong choice for a director, since he does not seem to have the same humanistic sensibilities as Brooks. Too much empty walk hinders the story, lacking more great scenes, yet Brooks' trademark handwriting can be found in the opening sequence in which Jessica and Phil decide to get a divorce, yet he still thanks her for the good years they spent together. In another good moments, Phil and Jessica have a neat exchange ("How do I look, anyway?" - "As good as you want to be."), whereas the typical shrill humor can be found in only one, but great little scene (while Marilyn is taking a shower, Phil mischiveously makes a photo of her under the curtain). The three main actors are well fleshed-out characters, it's just that the movie is below their standards cinematically since it is bland at times.
Grade:++
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