His & Hers (1997 film)

Last updated
His & Hers
His & Hers poster.jpg
Directed by Hal Salwen
Written byHal Salwen
Produced by
Starring Liev Schreiber
Caroleen Feeney
Michael Rispoli
Cynthia Watros
Danny Hoch
N'Bushe Wright
Cinematography Claudia Raschke
Distributed byAlliance Independent Films
Release date
  • January 24, 1997 (1997-01-24)(U.S.)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited States
Language English

His & Hers is a 1997 American independent comedy film which premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. [1] Written and directed by Hal Salwen, it is a modern screwball comedy, the plot of which centers around the accidental amputation of a finger. [2] [3]

Contents

Plot

While chopping carrots in her suburban kitchen, a nervous housewife, Carol (Caroleen Feeney), accidentally chops off her husband Glenn's (Liev Schreiber) pinky, causing the detached finger to fly out the window and into the backyard. After chasing down the neighbor's dog, which has absconded with the errant digit, Carol eventually recovers it, But as the couple races to the hospital to have the finger reattached, Carol discovers that Glenn has been unfaithful. Indignant, she decides that she is not giving it back until Glenn confesses to the identity of his affair. After much hemming and hawing, Glenn eventually acknowledges that it is Pam (Cynthia Watros), who also just happens to be Carol's best friend. Incensed, Carol drives to Pam's house to confront her, only to raise the ire of Pam's husband, Nick (Michael Rispoli), who grabs the finger and runs off, planning to put it into a bank deposit machine.

Cast

Reception

Critical response

Film critic Emanuel Levy of Variety wrote in his review:"Hal Salwen’s His and Hers, a screwball comedy about marital squabbling, is a disappointing follow-up to his charming, critically acclaimed debut, Denise Calls Up ." [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Screwball comedy</span> Principally Hollywood genre of comedy film

Screwball comedy is a subgenre of the romantic comedy genre that became popular during the Great Depression, beginning in the early 1930s and thriving until the early 1940s, that satirizes the traditional love story. It has secondary characteristics similar to film noir, distinguished by a female character who dominates the relationship with the male central character, whose masculinity is challenged. The two engage in a humorous battle of the sexes, which was a new theme for Hollywood and audiences at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Goldman</span> American novelist, screenwriter and playwright

William Goldman was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He first came to prominence in the 1950s as a novelist before turning to screenwriting. He won Academy Awards for his screenplays Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and All the President's Men (1976).

<i>The Sunshine Boys</i>

The Sunshine Boys is an original two-act play written by Neil Simon that premiered December 20, 1972 on Broadway starring Jack Albertson as Willie Clark and Sam Levene as Al Lewis and later adapted for film and television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marisa Tomei</span> American actress (born 1964)

Marisa Tomei is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, in addition to nominations for a British Academy Film Award, a Daytime Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carol Burnett</span> American actress, comedian and singer

Carol Creighton Burnett is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. She is best known for her groundbreaking comedy variety show The Carol Burnett Show, which originally aired on CBS. It was one of the first of its kind to be hosted by a woman. She has achieved success on stage, television and film in varying genres including dramatic and comedic roles. She has received numerous accolades including six Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, a Grammy Award, and seven Golden Globe Awards. Burnett was awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2013 and the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naomi Watts</span> British actress (born 1968)

Naomi Ellen Watts is a British actress. After her family moved to Australia, she made her film debut there in the drama For Love Alone (1986) and then appeared in three television series, Hey Dad..! (1990), Brides of Christ (1991), and Home and Away (1991), and the film Flirting (1991). After moving to the United States, Watts initially struggled as an actress, taking roles in small-scale films until she starred in David Lynch's psychological thriller Mulholland Drive in 2001 as an aspiring actress. This role started her rise to international prominence.

Larenz Tate is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as O-Dog in Menace II Society and as Councilman Rashad Tate in Power. Tate's other films and television series include the films Dead Presidents, Love Jones, A Man Apart, Crash, Waist Deep, Ray and the television series Rush and Game of Silence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janet McTeer</span> English actress (born 1961)

Janet McTeer is an English actress. In 1997, she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play, the Olivier Award for Best Actress, and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play for her role as Nora in A Doll's House (1996–1997). She also won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Mary Jo Walker in the 1999 film Tumbleweeds, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Hubert Page in the 2011 film Albert Nobbs.

<i>The Dean Martin Show</i>

The Dean Martin Show, not to be confused with the Dean Martin Variety Show (1959–1960), is a TV variety-comedy series that ran from 1965 to 1974 for 264 episodes. It was broadcast by NBC and hosted by Dean Martin. The theme song to the series was his 1964 hit "Everybody Loves Somebody."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erika Alexander</span> American actress

Erika Rose Alexander is an American actress, writer, producer, entrepreneur and activist best known for her roles as Pam Tucker on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show (1990–1992), and Maxine Shaw on the FOX sitcom Living Single (1993–1998). She has won numerous awards for her work on Living Single, including two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. Her film credits include The Long Walk Home (1990), 30 Years to Life (2001), Déjà Vu (2006) and Get Out (2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lola Falana</span> American singer, dancer, and actress

Loletha Elayne Falana or Loletha Elaine Falana, better known by her stage name Lola Falana, is an American singer, dancer, and actress.

Robert DoQui was an American actor who starred in film and on television. He is best known for his roles as King George in the 1973 film Coffy, starring Pam Grier; as Wade in Robert Altman's 1975 film Nashville; and as Sgt. Warren Reed in the 1987 science fiction film RoboCop, the 1990 sequel RoboCop 2, and the 1993 sequel RoboCop 3. He starred on television and is also known for his voice as Pablo Robertson on the cartoon series Harlem Globetrotters from 1970 to 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Brady</span> American actor

Scott Brady was an American film and television actor best known for his roles in western films and as a ubiquitous television presence. He played the title role in the television series Shotgun Slade (1959-1961).

<i>November</i> (2004 film) 2004 American film

November is a 2004 American psychological thriller film first screened at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. It stars Courteney Cox as Sophie, a photographer whose life begins to unravel following a traumatic incident on November 7 that involved her boyfriend, played by James LeGros. The film co-stars Michael Ealy, Nora Dunn, Anne Archer, Nick Offerman, and Matthew Carey.

<i>Denise Calls Up</i> 1995 film

Denise Calls Up is a 1995 American comedy released by Sony Pictures Classics in 1996. Written and directed by Hal Salwen, it has an ensemble cast which includes Liev Schreiber, Timothy Daly, and Alanna Ubach. The plot revolves around a group of friends in New York City who, while working at their PCs and laptops and keeping in touch by phone and fax, never seem to be able to get together.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hal Salwen</span> American film director

Hal Salwen is an American film director, producer, and writer. His films have received numerous awards and nominations, with Denise Calls Up notable for being the only American film to win an award at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival. With the premiere of his second film, "His & Hers", at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, Salwen was named by Daily Variety as one of its "Top Ten Filmmakers To Watch" along with Mary Harron, Wes Anderson, and Alfonso Cuaron, among others.

Conrad Dunn is an American actor. He began his screen career with the role of Francis "Psycho" Soyer in Stripes (1981). Working for some ten years under the name George Jenesky, he achieved soap-opera stardom in Days of Our Lives as Nick Corelli, a misogynistic pimp who evolved from bad guy to romantic lead. He returned to the name Conrad Dunn and began working extensively in Canadian as well as U.S. film and television. He excels as a villain, and has found depth in such TV films as We the Jury (1996) and the miniseries The Last Don (1997–1998). For two seasons he portrayed the freelance detective Saul Panzer in the A&E TV series Nero Wolfe (2001–2002).

<i>Wish You Were Here</i> (musical)

Wish You Were Here is a musical with a book by Arthur Kober and Joshua Logan and music and lyrics by Harold Rome. The musical was adapted from Kober's 1937 play, Having Wonderful Time, and revolves around a summer camp for adults.

Fitz Houston aka Fitzhugh G. Houston was born June 9, 1953 and is an actor, musician, author and pastor. As an actor, he played the part of Principal Gordon in Sister, Sister. He appeared in an episode of Sugar and Spice, also The Reverse Peephole, which was an episode of Seinfield and Trust No 1 which was an episode of The X-Files.

References

Citations

  1. Sundance Film Festival 1997
  2. "His & Hers". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . New York City: Baseline & All Movie Guide . Retrieved March 29, 2020. Archived 10 July 2012
  3. Rottentomatoes.com
  4. Berry & Berry 2009, p. 367.
  5. Berry & Berry 2015, p. 378.
  6. Levy, Emanuel (January 26, 1997). "His and Hers". Variety . United States: Variety Media, LLC. (Penske Media Corporation). Retrieved March 29, 2020.

Sources