Walking and Talking Review

I think everyone who loves witty, funny, 90's movies should see this cult classic:

Walking and Talking is a 1996 cult classic directed by Nicole Holofcener and stars Catherine Keener as a witty, humorously self-deprecating singleton, and Anne Heche as her clever, unsatisfied engaged best friend. The movie revolves around these two best friends as they attempt to navigate through the cynical world of love and relationships. The women talk about things that all women talk about (clothing and men) but the movie takes the traditional romantic comedy and turns it upside down by creating realistic, slightly acidic female characters who leap off the screen and leave an indelible impression on viewers minds, thus making it an instant cult classic.
The film follows Keener’s character Amelia as she attempts to find love, deal with a sick cat, a mooching ex boyfriend named Andrew (Liev Schreiber, who gives the character and sort of charming shamefulness), and a best friend (Heche) who has forgotten about her, and is so desperate for a boyfriend that she dates a video store clerk whom she has dubbed “Ugly Guy.” Amelia deals with all of these situations with wit, humor and tenderness. Anne Heche’s Laura is dealing with her own issues--she has recently become engaged to her live-in boyfriend Frank (Todd Field, who gives the character maturity and drollness) and is overcome with such overanxious premarital jitters that her relationship is almost ended. The plot is fairly formulaic dealing with relationships and finding love is hard, but the terrific performances given by the lead actors set this film apart from other films in the same genre. Catherine Keener adds sincerity and the right amount of quirk to the character of Amelia. Anne Heche’s natural charm saves Laura from being annoyingly neurotic and instead the character comes off as relatable and amusing. The men are particularly impressive--Todd Field gives Frank levelheadedness and humor as he patiently deals with Laura’s neuroses and humor as he makes fun of the women’s taste in music. Liev Schreiber takes Andrew’s mooching, sleazy personality and makes the character likable and ultimately tender. This movie is a must see for anyone who likes quirky, offbeat comedies and witty, neurotic 90’s dialogue.