"Heart Burn" (1986)

The low sway 80’s style theme song, warbling out of Carly Simon was very prevalent back in those days. “At Close Range” “Vision Quest” and the like ALL had this odd re-tread theme run throughout their movies. It is dated, but I still appreciate it. It’s the little things.

Anyway, this movie was advertised as a comedy back when it first came out. It’s not funny. It’s probably woman funny, but it’s not man funny. It’s a bitter autobiographical angry movie vented by Nora Ephron, presumably after an ugly issue with spousal infidelity.

Meryl Streep plays Rachel, a food writer (who never really writes about food at all in this movie) who tries again at marriage with a Washington D.C. columnist, Mark played by a very subdued Jack Nicholson.

There’s a really lingering part of this movie that seems to care more about the ambience of a relationship. They’re dull as fuck. And director Mike Nichols seems to lens the hell out of…the mundane nature of relationships. There’s nothing remotely charming about a car wreck. And that’s all we see with Nora Ephron’s story. The caustic nature of her and her father’s relationship played with brutal honesty. He’s a narcissist incapable of closeness with his own daughter. There is no safe harbor in this Rachel’s life. Constantly suffering one disappointment after another. Even in the simple joy of parenting, flushed through a gauze of anger (which…if we’re talking honest, the byproduct being a daughter who writes a movie portraying you as a self-absorbed half-assed parent).

It is interesting though, the depiction of everyone involved paints Rachel..er…Nora…er…as a strong woman, even though she makes the same mistake twice. Feminist would most likely spotlight her strength of independence. Having a job, being successful and determined single parent as an accomplishment. No one in this day would ever admit the obvious. She’s a terrible judge of character, with a weak constitution towards charming men.

I detest that Mark is shown more at the edge of frame, even though it’s a marquee act like Nicholson. Worst, that he is a one dimensional character. We know less about him at the beginning than at the end. This feels like a two-hander which quickly deteriorates into a solo act. Can’t blame people for wanting to hang with Streep. Though, Streep as Nora Ephron is difficult to stomach.