SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Glucedee It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Tobias Burrows It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

FlashCallahan Ben and Katie married fifteen years ago and gifted with two children. They stay together but their hearts had separated long ago. After the kids are send to summer camp, they both start living separately and eventually preparing to break news of their separation to the kids. But being alone in each one's own world makes them to think about the other. When the day comes Katie and Ben stick together for the good of their children, and maybe there is still a spark there.....I'm a sucker for these types of movies, Reiner is a master of these films, having talking heads and flashing back to better times, whilst the toe main characters begin to pine for each other, then meet up for dinner, argue, and then fall for each other all over again.There's nothing new here, Willis has his group of friends with their ideals, as does Pfeiffer, and there are no prizes for guessing how the film ends.Willis and Pfeiffer have wonderful chemistry, and despite some 'tense' moments of mild altercations, it's a pretty safe film that ticks every romantic comedy box..But the maker forgot about Forget Paris, five years earlier. It's literally the same storey and narrative.

gc-36 OK, its not amazing. BUT don't let that put you off. Its a great break from the normal 'repeat' movie with the same old plot line and a few different actors. If you watch it and stick at it, it pays off in the end. I would say it was a chick flick...... but the story line doesn't frame the wife well.... so it might even offend some women (doubtful). But she seems to be the main problem (is that a spoiler... nah I don't think so!) but then thats a male view.... maybe a women would see it the other way.If I had to criticize it I'd say the fundamental problem with the marriage was a bit old hat and there are a few too American stereotypes in it.Watch it.... i don't think you'll regret it. I could think of worse ways to spend a night in.I've read reviews from people who didn't rate the film.... sadly a lot of them don't actually seem to have understood the film...

Craig Hamrick Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer are great actors; there's no denying that. But even the best actors in the world can't breathe believable life into dialog that is overly flowery and complex. And this script is full of tongue-twisting speeches that Pfeiffer and Willis just can't overcome.In a way, the writing is actually pretty beautiful -- certainly it's far better than the tripe in most movies (and it's the only thing that elevates this much above a "Lifetime, made-for TV" flick). But it simply isn't the way that people talk. The dialog -- especially Pfeiffer's mouth- full-of-a-monologue at the end of the film -- is filled with unnecessarily big and non- conversational words and long, complex sentences that don't exactly trip of the tongue. Overall, that final scene was pretty touching, and the meaning of what Katie is saying is deep and important -- and ultimately, it's the only thing that makes the movie worth sitting through. But nobody talks like that. And then there are the scenes where the Ben and Katie talk to the camera, narrating the story. Again, if it was writing in a book -- "prose" as opposed to "dialog" -- I'd consider it quite good writing. But clunkers like "...maybe it was the stuff of life..." (that separated us) are so distracting that they ruin the flow of the movie. The ultimate point of Katie's final speech, and I guess of the whole movie, is that you should choose to be with someone because of the quality of his or her character. Amen. But neither of these people really exhibited a depth of character to make them endearing to viewers or to each other. And even if someone has a sterling character, would you want to waste your life with a person who can't stop yelling at you? Though the movie doesn't take sides, I personally found Katie far more annoying than Ben -- and her rigidity, coldness, and inability to really communicate made it pretty unbelievable that Ben would want to stay with her. Life is too short to stay with someone you bicker that much with, in my opinion. It's true that sometimes you can find yourself in love with someone who really pushes your buttons. But there was never really a sense of these characters being in love, so I certainly didn't find myself rooting for them to work things out.One might make the point that parents should stay together "for the children," but as the child of parents who argued a lot when I was young, and who now (divorced) say they stayed together for the kids, I strongly believe that parents don't do their children favors by doing that. I'll admit that maybe watching this sort of story was upsetting for me to endure because of that personal history. But from reading other readers' comments, it seems that not many people found this an enjoyable film to watch. (I'm not saying that every movie should make you laugh out loud, or feel better, or whatever ... but a movie like this is such a downer that it makes you want your two hours back.)I absolutely can't recommend this film if you have any other alternatives. If it's a choice between this and a rerun of "Full House," I guess you could give this a try. But if there's some way you can just watch the last 10 or 15 minutes, that's about the only part worth watching.

Catherine_Grace_Zeh THE STORY OF US, in my opinion, is a very sweet, touching, romantic, and kind of heartbreaking drama about the affect bickering can have on a married couple's children. Anytime Ben (Bruce Willis) and Katie (Michelle Pfeiffer) bickered, I felt really touched. It's hard for me to explain why. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say, "If you ask me, THE STORY OF US really shows you how kids can be affected by their parents bickering. " Now, in conclusion, I recommend this very sweet, touching, romantic, and kind of heartbreaking drama about the affect bickering can have on a married couple's children to all you Bruce Willis or Michelle Pfeiffer fans who have not seen it. You're in for some tears and a good time, so, go to the video store, rent it or buy it, kick back with a friend, and watch it.