Plot summary: Danny (played by Rob Lowe) and Debbie (Demi Moore) are two young Chicagoans who try to turn their one-night stand into a full relationship. They run into a number of obstacles, including the strong disapproval of best friends Bernie (Jim Belushi) and Joan (Elizabeth Perkins) and the fear that they might not have anything in common after all.
Warning: Spoilers below!
Liked:
- Rob Lowe and Demi Moore certainly made for a good-looking couple. And the Bernie character was right when he said that Lowe’s looks were too intimidating for women. He was one gorgeous young man!
- Single life in a big city like Chicago was fairly accurately portrayed. While I didn’t navigate the dating scene in the mid-’80s, I did so in the ’90s and things were pretty much the same.
- Danny and Debbie’s relationship seemed pretty realistic as well. Is there anything worse than realizing you and this person you’re living with are basically strangers? What happens when there’s no communication in the relationship? There were several scenes that nicely captured these feelings.
Disliked:
- Bernie was loud and annoying. I know that was the whole point of his character, but it wasn’t fun or funny at all. I wanted to hit the “skip” button every time he appeared on screen.
- The opening scene with that never-ending sexcapade tale was simply excruciating. There was ZERO payoff to it, which made the whole thing seem like a huge waste of time. And what story takes that long to tell anyway???
- I’m surprised this film clocked in at 1hr and 53mins long, especially since 25 years ago 90 minutes was the norm. It probably would have been improved if it was 20 minutes shorter.
- The Joan character had her moments, but she felt like mostly dead weight as well. It’s interesting to see how much more developed these “best friend” roles are in today’s rom-coms. It really makes a difference to have likable secondary characters.
Rating:
While the themes of About Last Night are still relevant today, the film itself is hard to watch. The adaptation isn’t very good, IMO, so it feels very much like a stage play unfolding on screen (not a good thing). With more likable minor characters, more open dialogue between Danny and Debbie, and fewer montages, this film would have been great. As it is, though, I give it 2 stars out of 5.
