Fast Fiction

A few months ago I was reading some list somewhere of the best movies you’ve never seen. On it was a film called “The Awful Truth” starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. I ordered it up on Netflix and watched it last night.

I’m sorry. I’m not sure what’s so fabulous about this film.

I think there is a kernel of something wonderful in there, but either the writing or the directing leave something to be desired.

The story is of a couple who divorce. He lies to her about something that could be improper in his behavior but when she’s caught in something that appears to be improper (she comes home after being out all night with another man and a story of being stranded with car trouble). The couple fights and then decides to get divorced. They go through the proceedings and fight over custody of their delightful dog.

Okay, this is where I have to say that this is probably the first movie to ever portray the love and friendship of a dog accurately ... it’s a great dog.

The wife gets the dog and the husband gets visitation. The wife moves in with her aunt and starts dating a fellow from across the hallway. Of course the husband finds out and is terribly unhappy about this and does his best to destroy the relationship. The same happens when he starts dating. The final event takes place when he starts seriously dating a wonderful girl and on the night that the divorce is to be final, the new girlfriend calls and finds the soon-to-be-ex in his apartment. He lies and says that it’s his sister. The girlfriend says bring her along to dinner, he says no. He shows up and later the ex shows up with all sorts of weird stories that shock the family and girlfriend.

The husband goes to drive the ex home (still pretending she’s his sister) and she gets them pulled over by the cops, then gets him tested for driving drunk, crashes the car (they’re not in it) and then takes him back to her aunt’s cabin where they realize, while staying in adjoining rooms that they’re meant to be together.

Sigh.

I don’t know if I’ve done it justice or not.

It’s a nice idea, and the cast is fab, but there’s some sort of spark or pep missing to the whole thing. It’s no “Lady Eve.”