Renowned director Mike Nichols died of a heart attack on November 19th in his Manhattan apartment at age 83. If you're not familiar with his life's work, you should be, but at least you're reading this, which means that you're willing to learn. He's one of the most versatile filmmakers ever to grace the industry with the rare ability to alternate between comedy and drama. His movies were ABOUT people(what a novelty!) and their problems, and many of them championed women, that-all-too-often ignored demographic that only makes up half the Earth's population. The German-born renaissance man was among a small, select group of people to win an EGOT(Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). An honorable mention goes out to his 2003 miniseries "Angels in America", but this blog will focus on the sizeable cinematic contributions of a man whose fifty-plus year commitment to the arts will be sorely missed.
"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"(1966)
Nichols was perhaps the hottest director in the American theatre when he was given the chance to direct the film version of Edward Albee's celebrated Tony award-winning play, making him ideally suited to this claustrophobic story and it's verbal fireworks. Elizabeth Taylor may have been the most towering screen presence of the 1960s. For all the uneducated youngsters out there, the brunette bombshell succeeded Marilyn Monroe at the peak of a career that spanned five decades. A 33 year old Liz gained thirty pounds to play the frumpy, fifty-something year old Martha, and may have started the trend that would see some of the world's most desirable women trading their luscious looks for major critical acclaim. Her volatile relationship with real-life husband Richard Burton was deservedly selected for preservation by the Library of Congress in 2013.
The film was nominated for a staggering thirteen Academy Awards on top of it's financial success, with Taylor winning her second Best Actress Oscar(the first was for 1960's "Butterfield 8"). The late Sandy Dennis also took home Best Supporting Actress. I know that many people are allergic to older films, but there's some seriously good acting/writing on display here.
"The Graduate"(1967)
Is there a more iconic image in late '60s cinema? The answer is a definite 'no'. Mike Nichols' built his legacy off the back of this landmark coming-of-age comedy about a hapless college grad named Benjamin Braddock. He's played by Dustin Hoffman, one of the finest actors to ever step on a film set, and we have Nichols to thank for the discovery of this immense talent. Ya see, guys that look like Hoffman were rarely given the spotlight in the era of prototypical headliners like Marlon Brando and Paul Newman. Actually, they NEVER were, so Nichols must be credited for opening the floodgates for a whole crop of unconventional leading men. The late Anne Bancroft(only six years older than Hoffman!) will always be best known as the seductive, unhappily married Mrs. Robinson.
Simon & Garfunkel's soundtrack played no small part in this film's zeitgeist-shattering success. It's more than a movie, it's a cultural snapshot and Benjamin's melancholic malaise still resonates. That closing bus ride? Still one of the best endings of all time.
"Catch-22"(1970)
A 36 year old Alan Arkin leads a large, eclectic cast in this scattershot, episodic WWII-set comedy based on the Joseph Heller novel. There's a steady stream of mildly amusing gags in the first half until a tonal shift in the third act attempts to turn it into a more straightforward story of men at war. There's some fun to be had in pointing out the parade of big names from yesteryear that pop up in small roles- Martin Balsam, Jack Gilford, Art Garfunkel, Buck Henry, Bob Newhart, Martin Sheen, Jon Voight, Orson Welles, Bob Balaban, Norman Fell and Charles Grodin.
"Catch-22" was overlooked at the time of it's release, which would be a recurring theme in Nichols' career. "MASH" and "Patton" were both released the same year, receiving the majority of the critics' praise(the latter won Best Picture), but recent reappraisals of the film have been much more positive.
"Carnal Knowledge"(1971)
Nichols hooked up with another budding icon for this daring(at the time) examination of 20th century sexual politics. A brash Jack Nicholson seized the opportunity to stand at the forefront of Tinsel-town, unveiling the cavalier cocks-man persona that can be found in the DNA of nearly every characterization he's given us since his frank discussions about the opposite sex with timid best pal Art Garfunkel. Anne Margaret's Best Supporting Actress nomination as Nicholson's downtrodden girlfriend is proof that she was more than just a kittenish sex symbol, and proof that Nichols could bring out the best in any performer.
Men and women's attitudes towards each other really don't change all that much throughout the course of history. That's why I feel that "Knowledge" has a chance of getting passed down to unborn viewers in 2071.
"The Day of the Dolphin"(1973)
As skilled as Nichols was in the director's chair, he wasn't infallible. Nobody is. Spielberg made "1941", and Mike Nichols made a 'serious' movie about talking dolphins to begin his inevitable cooling-off period. The late George C. Scott stars as a brilliant scientist that trains dolphins to communicate with humans. He's soon fending off shady government types that want to use his magnificent mammals to assassinate the President. A lighter touch may have made these proceedings more digestible. Instead this is a strangely somber, downbeat film livened occasionally by an Oscar-nominated musical score and some admittedly nice underwater footage.
"Dolphin" swam into theaters ONE week before that seminal shocker known as "The Exorcist", and the ticket-buying masses predictably picked Satan as the safer entertainment option in December of 1973. However, George C. Scott and/or dolphin enthusiasts might like it.
"The Fortune"(1975)
Nichols produced back-to-back losers with "Dolphin" and this frantic farce that must have sounded much better on paper. Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty are dimwitted 1920s con men who go to outrageous lengths to bilk a wealthy young heiress(Stockard Channing in her breakout role). With all due respect to these two legendary lotharios, they are NOT comedians and their desperate mugging is often painful to watch. I guess Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon were too busy. The scant 84 minute running time could only mean one thing- an embarrassed Nichols sat in the editing room and realized that the movie just doesn't work.
"The Fortune" sure didn't make one in the summer of "Jaws", and will go down as a lowlight for everyone except Channing(Nicholson has never discussed it despite his loyalty to Nichols). The director found solace in theatre and television in the late '70s-early '80s, with his future in feature films in serious doubt.
"Silkwood"(1983)
Nichols returned to the movie biz after an eight year sabbatical, and it took a headline-grabbing, real-life tragedy and the best actress in the world(as she was fast becoming known) to get him back behind the lens. Meryl Streep more than did justice to the memory and legacy of Karen Silkwood, a chemical technician and labor union activist who died mysteriously in 1974 after raising concerns about the health and safety of workers in an Oklahoma nuclear facility. History tends to forget that Cher was once a rather prominent actress during this period. Her Oscar-nominated turn as Streep's sullen sister signaled a temporary career change for the pop icon, while Kurt Russell furthered his cred as her blue-collar boyfriend.
"Silkwood" is easily one of the top ten films of 1983. MN painted an authentic portrait of working-class, small town drudgery to end a lengthy hiatus that put him back on the shortlist of Hollywood's most dependable directors.
"Heartburn"(1986)
Is it even possible to make a bad movie that stars the two most nominated actors in history? That being said, neither of this dynamic duo's combined 31 Academy Award nods came courtesy of this middle-aged meet-cute comedy/drama based on an early Nora Ephron screenplay. Jack and Meryl get married in the first act after a whirlwind courtship that begins at a mutual friend's wedding, and it isn't long before she's pregnant and he's renovating a Washington townhouse. But this union doesn't stay as sunny and upbeat as the opening scenes suggest. This film is based on Ephron's own stormy 1970s marriage to reporter Carl Bernstein of Watergate fame. Did she accept his lying and philandering for the sake of the kids and his enviable social status?
Nicholson and Streep are always watchable, but this is a curiously flat and disappointing effort from a trio we'd come to expect much more from over the years. Audiences were in the tight grip of populist entertainment at the time(James Cameron's super sequel "Aliens" crushed it at the box office) and to make matters worse, the critics weren't even enthused(50% approval rating on RT). Only Carly Simon's soundtrack contribution "Coming Around Again" had any real staying power.
"Biloxi Blues"(1988)
Mathew Broderick squares off with Christopher Walken in this upbeat film version of the middle chapter in playwright extraordinaire Neil Simon's semi-autobiographical stage trilogy("Brighton Beach Memoirs" and "Broadway Bound" are the bookends if anyone cares). It's easy to see why Nichols was attracted to the buoyant Benjamin Braddock-like journey of 20 year old Eugene Morris Jerome, and Broderick has never been this appealing outside of Bueller as the journalistic Army recruit whisked away to a life-altering boot camp in 1945 Mississippi. Walken has a well-earned reputation for being uniquely intimidating and his humorously hard-assed drill sergeant certainly bolsters it.
"Blues" doesn't break any new ground, but it won't leave you singing them either. It was a minor hit, well-received at the time, yet ignored today whenever 1980s cinema is discussed. There was simply too much giant franchise-friendly entertainment filling up the multiplex for more modest films to leave a lasting impression. However, you're about to meet one that did...
"Working Girl"(1988)
Remember when Melanie Griffith was supposed to be big deal? That idea didn't last long, but the baby-voiced blonde has Nichols to thank for her short stay on the A-list that began with this minor classic, the most successful of the women-in-the-workplace comedies produced during Reagan's run in the White House. Carly Simon and that chill-inducing opening shot of the Manhattan skyline sets the tone as Griffith's Staten Island secretary simultaneously unseats Sigourney Weaver's Wall Street witch and makes breathy banter with Harrison Ford's handsome hotshot. She starts up with the 1980s premier leading man after kicking Alec Baldwin's unfaithful ass to the curb. Melanie must wish it was still 1988 every single day.
This film received six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Director. Unfortunately for Nichols and company, "Rain Man" also came out in '88 and Dustin Hoffman's lovable, card-counting idiot savant just wouldn't be denied the top prizes at the Shrine Auditorium that year(which MN was partially responsible for in an EXTREMELY roundabout way). Nevertheless, "Girl" is about to be released on Blu-ray rather coincidentally, and if you can get past Joan Cusack's hair, it remains a pleasing affair.
"Postcards from the Edge"(1990)
Meryl Streep headlines her third Mike Nichols production, atoning for "Heartburn" with her lightest and loosest performance circa 1990, a refreshing break from her usual Oscar baiting(that could be the reason she DID get nominated for the ninth time and deservedly so). Carrie Fisher will never be as famous for her writing as she is for her gold bikini and hulking hair buns, but she did do a lot of it, starting with the semi-autobiographical novel from which this film is based, chronicling the downward spiral of a drug-addled actress and the love/hate relationship with her showbiz veteran mother. Shirley MacLaine ably fills that role with an affectionate send-up of Debbie Reynolds. Most of the situations are played for laughs, as Nichols resists the urge to explore the darker implications of the material which could have left us with a heavy-handed drama. Those tend to go either way.
"Postcards" is a polished showcase for the critically-lauded ladies pictured above, thanks to the deft writing/direction that makes it more than worthy of a revisit. Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman and Richard Dreyfus appear briefly in supporting roles.
"Regarding Henry"(1991)
Harrison Ford reunited with Nichols for this would-be tearjerker about a NYC lawyer struggling to regain his memory and mobility after narrowly surviving a bullet to the head from John Leguizamo. No, he doesn't scour the streets, seeking revenge. He does, however, learn how to love(and read)all over again in cloying fashion. Ford was still in the process of proving that he could do more than just duke it out with Nazis and Stormtroopers, and he wanted an Oscar worse than Indy wanted that golden idol at the beginning of "Raiders". Sadly, it was not to be. The action icon seemingly gave up on that quest after this film's underwhelming critical and commercial reception and quickly went back to doing what he does best(running, jumping, fighting, falling) as Jack Ryan and Dr. Richard Kimble.
This may sound like a really negative review, but "Henry" does have it's merits. As awards bait, it fails, but I'll bet your Mom loved it. Mine did. We can't completely disregard the opinions of all the Moms out there. The perennially underrated Annette Bening continued her quiet ascent as Ford's long-suffering wife, and here's a fun fact- future "Star Wars" director J.J. Abrams wrote the screenplay.
"Wolf"(1994)
There was a brief period where top tier directors were taking a stab at horror(think "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and "Interview with the Vampire"). You only need to take one look at today's offerings to see that those days are long over. Jack Nicholson, surpassing Streep as Nichols' most frequent collaborator, is effectively subdued as an aging Manhattan book editor whose life dramatically improves after a snowy drive through Vermont puts him on the receiving end of a werewolf bite. The ever-alluring Michelle Pfeiffer makes the most of her aloof love interest role, and James Spader can play a back-stabbing corporate creep in his sleep. The violent third act may resort to genre conventions, but this is an otherwise intelligent and sophisticated take on the vaunted werewolf mythology.
"Wolf" had the misfortune of getting released the same day as O.J. Simpson's infamous white bronco ride, a television event that curtailed it's opening weekend. Then Tom Hanks' magnus opus "Forrest Gump" arrived, killing it's box office chances in July. But film is forever, and the hairy Will Randle found a permanent home in the cable TV afterlife.
"The Birdcage"(1996)
As we all know, the late, great Robin Williams left our mortal coil a mere three months before Nichols, so I get to kill two birds with one stone here. Williams' energy and comedic abilities were unquestionable, but he was wise enough to play the straight man(no pun intended) and allow Nathan Lane to take center-stage in this boisterous and witty remake of "La Cage aux Follies". Robin's restraint, aside from THAT trailer-friendly outburst, was a pleasant surprise during his '90s heyday and Lane's queen is indeed a scream. Gene Hackman(his obits can't be far off) and Dianne Wiest add a touch of class to the proceedings as the gay duo's ultra-conservative future in-laws.
This film has fun with gay AND straight stereotypes, and it's $124 million domestic box office haul definitely furthered the mainstreaming of homosexuality in entertainment. That has to be considered a victory.
"Primary Colors"(1998)
John Travolta, still bathed in his post-"Pulp Fiction"/pre-"Battlefield Earth" glow, does his best Bill Clinton impersonation in this topical drama based loosely on the rise of the charismatic Southern Democratic who moved into the White House in 1993. The film came off as a backhanded tribute to our 42nd President in the wake of the burgeoning Lewinsky scandal, but it does contain some involving insights into backstage political life. Kathy Bates is the standout in a supporting cast that includes Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton and Maura Tierney.
Unfortunately for Nichols and company, "Titanic" was in the midst of it's monumental box office run in March of '98(damn that James Cameron!) and the voter turnout was soft for JT's would-be Commander and Chief(sound familiar?). But the public has a history of ignoring politically-themed projects anyway, so I can't say that things would have turned out much different otherwise.
"What Planet Are You From?"(2000)
Every noteworthy director has one or two black marks on their resume, and this broad supernatural sex comedy sticks out like a sore thumb in the Nichols oeuvre("Dolphin" and "The Fortune" were forgotten by all but hardcore movie buffs by this time). Garry Shandling, who also wrote the screenplay, stars as a socially awkward alien sent to Phoenix, Arizona to mate with an Earth woman. Annette Bening(God bless her) may be the sole saving grace in this silly set-up, while other talented players like Ben Kingsley, Greg Kinnear and John Goodman all look as if they realized halfway through that the movie was doomed.
"Planet" produces a few cheap laughs and I didn't find it an altogether excruciating experience, but it bombed with a capital B only a few short months into the new millennium with a $14 million gross on a budget of $60 million.
"Closer"(2004)
Nichols rebounded by returning to his roots for this brutal relationship drama based on an award-winning play. He's clearly right at home in "Virginia Woolf?/Carnal Knowledge" territory of small scale drama that focuses entirely on a select group of characters. This is the kind of movie that few mainstream directors have the guts to make nowadays. God forbid an audience is made to feel uncomfortable. Jude Law was definitely the flavor of the month(six movies in 2004!) which put him in intimate contact with Julia Roberts and Natalie Portman. Clive Owen takes part in the emotional warfare, landing his breakout role as Jude's Brit rival for the affections of these two lovely Oscar winners.
You might not be able to take your eyes off Portman who is better here than she is in any "Star Wars" prequel filmed around the same time(way to go, George Lucas). Her and Owen were both nominated in the Supporting categories, furthering Nichols' rep as the ultimate actor's director.
"Charlie Wilson's War"(2007)
Only a director of Nichols' caliber could get Tom Hanks in a hot tub with a bevy of topless beauties. 'The Nicest Guy In Hollywood' enjoys a bit of depravity as the randy Texas Congressman drawn to the plight of the Afghan people during their war with the Soviets in 1980. I doubt Julia Roberts needed much convincing to play the Texas socialite who supports his newfound nobility. It takes quite a performer to steal the screen away from two megastars, but that's exactly what the recently departed Philip Seymour Hoffman does in his Oscar-nominated role as a nervy American spy whose had people trying to kill him for 24 years. People that know how(how much do we miss this guy?). From Hoffman to Hoffman, Mike Nichols employed some of the best actors in the world for nearly half a century.
How many filmmakers can boast of a forty-year career behind the camera? Charlie Wilson was overshadowed by Anton Chigurh and Daniel Plainview during the '07 awards season, but this was a fitting farewell that deserves another look. I know I've said that more than once on here. R.I.P. Mike.
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