SOUR GRAPES

US, 1998, 92 minutes, Colour.
Steven Weber, Craig Bierko, Viola Harris, Karen Sillas, Robyn Peterman.
Directed by Larry David.

Sour Grapes is a surprisingly watchable comedy. Its premise is that two cousins have been great friends, go to Atlantic City with their partners and one of them wins the jackpot. However, he had used coins given to him by his cousin. This sets up a tension between them with dire consequences. When one decides to play a very serious prank on the other, all kinds of dire things happen.

Steven Weber is very good as the rather uptight surgeon. Craig Bierko is particularly good as his loudmouthed exuberant cousin. Bierko wins the jackpot. Weber starts the deadly pranks.

The film shows the relationships of the two men with their girlfriends and their being alienated by the feud. Viola Harris is the doctor’s secretary.

As the film develops, it is quite amusing even in its presentation of rather black comic themes. There is also an irony with a vagrant man becoming involved, trying to frighten Bierko’s mother to death because he fears she couldn’t survive without him after his cousin tells him his illness is terminal. The vagrant invites all his friends into the mother’s house and they create mayhem – which actually does kill her. The money situation is resolved rather quickly – with both losing out.

Director Larry David was the co-creator of Seinfeld and wrote for the Gary Shandling Show.

1.Impact as a comedy? Situations, characters, the dialogue and the wit, the plot twists?

2.New York City, the workplaces, Atlantic City, the casinos?

3.The title, the credits image? Evan Maxwell and his sour grapes?

4.The prologue, the death, the affectionate mother, the boys growing up, cousins? Evan, his surgery, his patients, his assistant? Richie and his work? His life, his apartment, his possessive mother?

5.Evan at work, the assistant and her work, the patient who had a crush on her, turning him down? Evan’s relationship with Joan? Visiting his ex-wife and her husband, his love for his daughter?

6.Richie, visiting his mother, her character, dialogue, Jewish mother? Roberta and his relationship?

7.Going to the casino, playing, Evan lending Richie the quarters, Richie hitting the jackpot, the celebration? Richie and his largesse, the gift of the thousand dollars? Going in the limousine? Evan’s reaction, Roberta’s reaction, the limo driver’s reaction, his hitching a ride, his mother supporting him?

8.Evan, in the hotel room with Joan, going to visit Richie, the sour grapes, his being insulted by the thousand dollars, his mood swings?

9.Each of them talking to their friends and relations? The mother, Roberta? Roberta moving out? Evan’s assistant and her supporting him? Evan at the bars, telling people the story?

10.The effect, Evan becoming stubborn, his decision about Richie, the x‑rays? Richie told he was to die? His concern about his mother, not being able to live without him? Evan’s gift of the tracksuit, his giving it to the vagrant, Evan’s anger? Giving the key to the vagrant, his trying to frighten Richie’s mother, running away from the house, the witnesses and the police interrogation, their pursuit of Richie? Evan telling him it was a joke? Richie telling Evan about his mother in hospital? Evan and the operation, his putting the x-rays in backwards, the failure?

11.Richie’s mother in hospital, his visits, her need for an operation, his plea to Evan, Evan charging him half the money? Her going home, finding the vagrants and dropping dead?

12.The funeral, Richie’s grief, Evan’s delayed presence? Seeing the vagrant in the car? The landlord and his evicting Richie?

13.Danny, his friendship with Joan, the television show, talking with her, the discussion with Evan, his need for an operation, the operation itself, the aftermath, his voice, the TV episodes, his being fired, bringing the gun and threatening Evan, the gun being empty? Evan throwing the suitcase, its going over the balcony, landing in the vagrant’s lap? His buying the car and the house?

14.Evan and the bill for the operation, the fight with Danny, losing the case, Richie having to pay the bills for the damage to the house, no money?

15.The landlord, the vagrants, the mess, the bill? The poetic justice at the end? The moral of the story?