Rating: 
Summary: real/not real
Review: Bruce Willis was amazing in his role. Like any movie, "The Story of Us" makes you take a look at your own life and how you are in your own relationship. This movie exaggerated problems that people in long relationships have. They are still in love, but something is there that makes it imperfect. But, that's what being in love is. Putting up with the imperfections because you love someone. Most people in their lives experience that at one point. Some survive and others give up. Neither is right or wrong, but this movie was expressing that part of life. It may not have been exact to live, but it's a movie... and a good one at that.
Rating: 
Summary: way too sappy.
Review: The problem with the movie is it was about divorce without ever examining why their marriage wasn't working. I saw a similar movie that was much better called SHOOTING LILY on cable a while back, also about a couple going through divorce. Go check out that one instead.
Rating:
Summary: Looking to become depressed? Rent this one!
Review: Ah, I really should know better than to trust movie trailers. After being subjected to this one several times while sitting in a theater I actually looked forward to catching it on video. I was lead to believe it would be an emotional yet fun love story. Boy, was I ever mislead. Michelle Pfeiffer and Bruce Willis do a fantastic job of bringing to life two totally insufferable people. They are supposedly madly in love yet spend 98% of the movie hurting each other. This does not make for a pleasant viewing experience let me tell you. I felt drained and frustrated after 20 minutes of this and, sadly, it got far worse before it got better. These two needed to sit down and have one decent conversation but instead they spent the movie picking each other apart. Yes, I realize this is *reality* for most people but, really, who wants to spend their free time watching a couple (albeit a pretty couple) hash it out for an hour and half? Not I. My advice? Steer clear of this one unless you're desperate to become depressed.
Rating: 
Summary: The story of... what story?
Review: The worst movie I saw in 1999. The acting is at best average: Bruce Willis has one good scene and Michelle Pfeiffer has none. The rest of the cast is paper-thin. The story is not only lame; at times it is even painfully obnoxious. The ending is nauseating... I wish I had those two hours back.
Rating:
Summary: The worst film of 1999.......
Review: If your idea of an entertaining evening is spending two hours with an obnoxious, self-absorbed pair of dolts, you might consider this inexcusable film from Rob Reiner. Overacted, overbaked, and not for one moment convincing (the two are married only out of the script's necessity, not because they could ever realistically be in love), the film presents scene after scene of awkward dialogue and situations that literally go nowhere. It might be a portrait of modern marriage in that the participants are childish boors with little on their minds but "esteem" and "fulfillment," but Reiner fails to present their dilemma in an interesting way. And what about that final scene? Yes, here is another case of a spectacle that has to be seen to be believed. Both phony and over-the-top in its sentimentality, the closing speech rambles on for what seems like hours. The only saving grace? The lyrics to an Eric Clapton song that plays during the film: "I'm sorry, I hurt you," he says. Thank you Mr. Reiner, we accept your apology.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Film But Needed More Depth
Review: Any film by Ron Reiner is worth seeing, and while this was a worthwhile effort, it was not among his best--I agree that this coulda been a contender. The acting was up to the usual high standards of Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer, and I loved the technique of fleshing out the story in flashbacks. But the characterizations were too shallow--Michelle Pfeiffer's character was darker than the movie showed, the daughter of a destructive mother--played in a chilling brief clip by Jayne Meadows--who probably did far more damage than the film shows. Michelle's loving warmth as a mother did not match the character she played--any woman as perfectionistic, controlling and rigid would probably not have been so caring and emotionally available. It was hard to imagine why she was so dissatisfied with her husband, since he was portrayed as a pretty decent guy, and worth holding on to. Their conscientious devotion to their children also did not match the self-absorption of their characters. This film touched on issues universal to all long-married couples, but they seemed addressed in too superficial a manner, and the ending was painfully unresolved--Pfeiffer's character seemed to have learned nothing except that she was unwilling to change her circumstances, and Willis' character was oblivious to his wife's deeper problems. A replay of their troubles seems inevitable. This is worth seeing for the acting, but it never quite reflects the pain and bitterness of a disintegrating marriage. A breakup would have been far more believable.
Rating:
Summary: My wife really wanted to rent this video...and now I know wh
Review: Despite some protestations to the contrary, this is a chick flick with weak story line (okay acting, however). Hey guys, does Bruce Willis seem all that irresponsible in the movie? I think not. Do MP's feelings fly all over for 2 hours? Yep. The puzzle is the flashbacks seem reveal a pretty decent guy. Hence my confusion. I'd like to see a show of hands among the men. Ever known ANY woman that took consistent notice of the windshield washer fuild levels in a car? I thought not. Case rested.
Rating:
Summary: Everyone's marriage nightmare come true
Review: This is a disturbing, bittersweet romantic comedy about two people whose 15 year marriage is unraveling. Actually, it is more of a romantic tragedy than a comedy. Ben and Katie Jordan (Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer) are two mismatched people in the marriage that never should have been. He is spontaneous, romantic and impulsive, with low frustration tolerance and an explosive hair trigger temper. She is pragmatic, a compulsive perfectionist with unrealistic expectations, and a high need for control. She takes everything personally and never forgives or forgets a slight. They both blame each other for their disappointments. The pattern is clear. He doesn't meet her standards so she snipes, he explodes and then she accuses him of not listening. She then throws up every mistake he's ever made and every fault he's ever had. This goes on ad nauseam as their romantic obsession with one another continues to get the best of any sense they might have to call it quits. Like moths to a flame, they keep returning for another scorching. This film is thought provoking in that it portrays marital difficulties that are all too familiar in our society. The problem is that it tries to give every problem known to man (with the exception of wife beating) to this couple and relies on the single strand of a long forgotten romance to be the only chance of keeping them together. In watching the behind the scenes featurette on this film, Rob Reiner and writers Alan Zweibel and Jessie Nelson discuss how the story evolved. As it turns out, it was a montage of all their own marital problems. So the film was, in essence cathartic dumping ground for the writers and director. As filmmaking, it was terrific. Rob Reiner weaves the story together expertly, creating a stark contrast between the joy of the romance and the reality of the relationship. The film was punctuated by numerous funny and sweet moments that make the viewer smile and glow with delight. Michelle Pfeiffer gives a splendid performance of a very emotionally complex and neurotic character. It took a lot of courage for her to take this part because she was playing the least likeable character in the film, something of a departure for her. Bruce Willis was as good as one could have expected considering the fact that nobody was blowing anything up. Actually, he was quite good as the impulsive, childlike romantic, but when it came to the arguments and the serious displays of resentment, he played the scenes too harshly, almost commando style. Reiner does good camera work and puts together some good rapid fire scenes that have impact and give great insight into the relationship. He also took the film on location in Venice to add a little romantic interlude, and somehow got Eric Clapton to write a great theme song. The problem is the story. Reiner stated in the featurette that he intended this to be a realistic bittersweet look at the real problems relationships face. But he tried to do too much and made this film a grossly exaggerated caricature of a relationship in crisis. It is really "The War of The Roses" lite only it takes itself too seriously. No one I know who saw this could believe that this couple could possibly have stayed married for 15 weeks, no less 15 years. The result is a noxious marathon of petty arguments that get under the viewers' skin after a while. It is about as entertaining as watching your best friends have a niggling argument in a public restaurant. The whole thing leaves you very uncomfortable and you don't go home feeling like you've had a nice evening. So, while it succeeds as filmmaking, it fails as a film. I gave this film a 6/10. There were so many good elements to it that I can't see trashing it. But the story is one that requires a level of emotional endurance that few viewers will be willing or able to invest to get any enjoyment out of it.
Rating:
Summary: Good performances; Passable story
Review: Overall, the story is okay, but it's performances by Willis andPfeiffer save this from being a total loss. They have so much energythat I never had seen before in their other films. I can relate to the story because my parents went through a period of screaming and shouting when I was younger. They never talked about divorce though. It's what every couple goes through. No relationship is perfect. It's how you handle that rough spots that counts. Trying to keep it together rather than giving up is what matters. The Eric Clapton music is also a bright spot in the film. I laughed on many spots throughout the film, but the one I really enjoyed was when Willis and Pfeiffer are playing Hangman under a table while listen to the very irratating Kirby's (played hilarously by TV sitcom stars Bill Kirchenbauer and Lucy Webb). The key thing is to not try to give up on something that has taken time to build. Be patient and understand your partner's limitations. The Story of Us doesn't break any ground in movies, it is just a nicely wrapped movie that has been done before. No surprises, just a good movie to watch on a Tuesday night.
Rating:
Summary: What a waste of money!
Review: I thought this movie would've been really good because of the caliber of the stars involved (Pfeiffer & Willis). But I was sadly mistaken. The movie was awful. Not only was it long and boring - but extremely profain! There was no need for the profanity used in this film! It was a great disappointment. Don't waste your time seeing this movie, folks!
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