Today’s Prayer Focus

And So It Goes

MPA Rating: PG-13-Rating (MPA) for some sexual references and drug elements.
Moral Rating: not reviewed
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience: Adults
Genre: Romance Comedy Drama
Length: 1 hr. 34 min.
Year of Release: 2014
USA Release: July 25, 2014 (wide—1,800+ theaters)
DVD: November 18, 2014
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Relevant Issues
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TRUE LOVE—What is true love and how do you know when you have found it? Answer

Featuring Michael DouglasOren Little
Diane KeatonLeah
Rob ReinerArtie
Frankie Valli … Club Owner
Yaya DaCosta … Kennedy (as Yaya Alafia)
Annie Parisse … Kate
Sterling Jerins … Sarah
Frances Sternhagen … Claire
Paloma Guzmán … Selena
See all »
Director Rob Reiner — “The Bucket List,” “The American President,” “A Few Good Men,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” “The Princess Bride
Producer ASIG Productions
Castle Rock Entertainment
Envision Entertainment
Foresight Unlimited
Distributor Clarius Entertainment

“There are a million reasons not to like Oren Little. Just ask everyone.”

Copyrighted, Clarius Entertainment

Here’s what the distributor says about their film: “A self-centered realtor enlists the help of his neighbor when he's suddenly left in charge of the granddaughter he never knew existed until his estranged son drops her off at his home.

There are a million reasons not to like realtor Oren Little (Michael Douglas), and that’s just the way he likes it. Willfully obnoxious to anyone who might cross his path, he wants nothing more than to sell one last house and retire in peace and quiet. His wife Sarah Beth passed away years ago, so while awaiting his big real estate break, he’s biding his time in the waterfront four-plex building he owns—“Little Shangri-La”—surrounded by neighbors who have formed a close-knit community that he mostly avoids when he’s not barking about how noisy their kids are or taking heat for hogging the whole driveway with his classic Mercedes Benz convertible. Even kindly Leah (Diane Keaton, who persists in inviting Oren to participate in mojito happy hour despite his cranky demeanor, gets rebuffed. His only real friend, fellow realtor Claire (Frances Sternhagen), gets a pass because of their decades-long history and the fact that she can dish out snark and sarcasm as well as he can even when he’s at his eye-rolling worst.

Oren’s life gets turned upside-down when his estranged son Luke (Scott Shepherd) appears out of the blue, asking him to temporarily care for the nine-year-old granddaughter (Sterling Jerins) Oren never knew existed. With Sarah (named after Oren’s late wife) literally being left on his doorstep, Oren grudgingly agrees to take her in but quickly pawns her off on Leah, who is too moved by Sarah’s sadness at being apart from her father to balk—at first—at Oren’s absurd expectation that she’ll just handle everything so he can resume his life uninterrupted. But Leah’s got her own path to figure out, trying to find her second act as a lounge singer—which might bring her more success if she could just get through a set without telling stories of her late husband and fleeing the stage in tears leaving her band, led by doting pianist Artie (Rob Reiner), to fend for themselves.

Over time, Sarah’s need for love and affection bring Oren and Leah closer and allow them to see different sides of one another. Initially solely consumed with the prospect of selling his family home to fund his retirement, Oren soon discovers Leah is more than an extra set of hands to help with Sarah. And Leah learns that Oren’s hardened exterior might be just that, with a humanity inside worth trying to break through to. Together, Oren and Leah tackle the funny, joyous, awkward and sometimes intense moments that have become their new reality. And little by little, Oren begins to open his heart—to his family, to Leah, and to life itself—in this uplifting comedy from acclaimed director Rob Reiner.”

Volunteer reviewer needed for this movie

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.


Viewer CommentsSend your comments
Positive
Positive—My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this movie! We are in significant disagreement with what the movie critics had to say, which we often find is the case… While there was some inappropriate language and innuendo of sexual relations outside of marriage, this wasn’t glorified and was merely a reflection of the all-to-common relational dysfunction in our society and what also occurred in some of the Bible stories.

One of the main characters transitioned from a bitter and self-centered individual, to that of a better and other-centered individual—who slowly developed and demonstrated a loving care and compassion for both his grand daughter and his redemptive son as the movie progressed. A really nice surprise which left us with a warm heart and a feel-good spirit.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3
Jeff Johnson, age 53 (USA)
Positive—This movie was adorable. I was worried it was going to be slow, but it wasn’t at all. It had so many different things going on that it kept my attention the whole time. It was funny and had a great message.

There are a few cuss words and, of course, as all of these movies, premarital sex (they don’t show it—just a small amount of kissing). And there was alcohol and reference to drugs. And some intense scenes with some junked out people on heroin (you didn’t see them using, you just know they were on it), but it really brought into perspective what they were dealing with. It’s a very good movie…
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Stephanie, age 40 (USA)
Movie Critics
…Pure schmaltz masquerading as life wisdom… [2/4]
Peter Howell, Toronto Star Newspapers
…“And So It Goes” is flat and uninspired far too often. It’s beneath the talents of its actors and director, and it leaves us wondering why artists of their caliber can’t find stronger material to better show off their established skills. …
Christian Hamaker, Crosswalk
…Weighed down by foul language, inappropriate talk and sexuality unconnected to marriage, “And So It Goes” is neither as beautiful or as wholesome as you might think it should be.
Paul Asay, Plugged In
…it’s too predictable and is marred by frequent lewd, crude references and language…
Ted Baehr, Movieguide
…Another blow to the rom-com genre…
Courtney Shea, The Globe and Mail
…Reiner’s “And So It Goes” goes nowhere… it is an embarrassment to almost everyone involved. …
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
…The enervated pace is like cinematic sedation; it’s a wonder the film found the strength to finish. Certain scenes play as if Reiner forgot to show up on the day of filming, so the actors and cameraman just winged it. … [1½/5]
Steve Davis, Austin Chronicle
…as bad as it gets… excruciating, mawkish and interminable… So terrible that I was embarrassed for everyone involved. … [0/4]
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
…adequate perhaps for a matinee on a dull weekday — but only if the senior discount applies.
Stephen Whitty, The Star-Ledger (New Jersey)

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