And So It Goes

In spite of its tired, formulaic story, stereotypical characters and overall “blah” execution, And So It Goes is tolerable thanks to Michael Douglas’ sharp wit and his chemistry with Diane Keaton. What is indisputably awful is this: the title. Just hearing it makes me think of old people preaching their way through old-timey stories.

Douglas is widower Oren Little, a realtor looking to sell his former home for $8.6 million, retire and move to Vermont.

In the meantime, Oren lives in Connecticut in a small apartment complex with four housing units. On the bottom floor are Oren and Leah (Keaton), and on the top floor are the token black family (Maurice Jones and Yaya DaCosta) and the righteous mom (Annie Parisse) with twin boy brats (Sawyer and Maxwell Simpkins). Oren is hated by all, rightfully so, and doesn’t care. Oren’s son Luke (Scott Shepherd) is a recovering junkie about to head off to jail, so he drops his daughter Sarah (Sterling Jerins) with Grandpa Oren for nine months. Fortunately for Sarah, Leah takes mercy on her and helps the otherwise inept Oren with caring for a nine year-old girl.

Writer Mark Andrus (As Good as It Gets) and director Rob Reiner’s (When Harry Met Sally) story plays out in predictable ways, so the onus falls on the dialogue and acting to spruce things up. They moderately succeed. Keaton doesn’t have much to work with for big laughs, essentially playing the straight person to Douglas’ ornery grump. As such Douglas is effective but not sensational, ably mixing funny one-liners with earnest sentiment in a way that never feels cloying. More importantly, Jerins plays Sarah as a cute girl who’s not annoying or whiny. In a movie like this, that deserves credit.

WHAT ULTIMATELY WINS US OVER IS DOUGLAS AND KEATON’S CHEMISTRY.

Hit-and-miss as the jokes are, what ultimately wins us over is Douglas and Keaton’s chemistry, and the way these Oscar-winning screen legends get us to root for their characters to be happy. For Keaton this is easy: She’s a struggling lounge singer widower who sees the good in people and doesn’t deserve to be alone, yet still mourns her deceased husband. So when we see the attraction build between Oren and Leah, we’re happy for her as long as Oren can get his act together and realize the catch that she is. This is easier said than done. It takes a while for Oren’s gruff, rude exterior to break down, and even when it does he’s still a bit too pigheaded to realize what’s in front of him. Underneath all his churlishness, it’s enjoyable to see Oren evolve.

And So It Goes is not something you’re going to remember five minutes after watching it, but that doesn’t dilute the smiles it offers as it plays out. It’s aimed at an older crowd, but likable for all.

AND SO IT GOES (2 1/2) • Directed by Rob Reiner • Starring Diane Keaton, Michael Douglas •Rated PG-13 •94 minutes • At Century Cinemas Del Monte, Lighthouse Cinemas, Maya Cinemas.