This is a really fun and nontraditional holiday movie that has a very surreal feel to it (very likeable, but VERY eccentric characters and many contrasts between traditional holiday images and Christmas as depicted in LA). It also has a GREAT soundtrack PACKED w/ an interesting mix of holiday music. If you like the acting styles of Steve Martin and Adam Sandler (and have the ability to suspend reality for about 90 minutes) I highly recommend you watch this movie. Phillip (Martin) is the well-intentioned, but rather disorganized leader of Life Savers, a Venice Beach based suicide prevention hotline. It is Christmas Eve and a series of... well... WACKY events unfold that lead him and his staff (that includes Madeline Kahn) and thier friends (including Sandler and Juliette Lewis) on a wild goose chase that ends up revealing the identiy of the infamous seaside strangler, who has been the subject of concern of many of thier hotline callers... Although it is all quite by accident...Read full review
Great Christmas Holiday Film! Lots of big actors! Well done!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Let's face it, setting a comedy at a suicide prevention hotline center smacks of some truly tasteless humor. Nora Ephron did a wonderful job taking something as tragic as a Suicide Hotline on Christmas Eve and turning it into something... almost uplifting. It actually makes the normal holiday blues seem not nearly as bad when you compare them to some of the problems that these characters encounter... and still they're able to find the true meaning of the holiday and have a happy Christmas. Yes, it's outrageous and silly, but with the likes of Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn (hysterically convincing as the uptight Mrs. Munchnick), Adam Sandler, Robert Klein Juliette Lewis, Anthony Lapaglia, Rob Reiner, Garry Shandling, Rita Wilson and Liev Schreiber (delightful in drag) all together in one movie . . . what would you expect? Clearly anyone who has felt the tragedy of suicide in their lives won't take to this one bit. However, that being said... "Mixed Nuts" is a TRULY hysterical film. The hijinks revolve around a suicide prevention hotline ("Lifesavers"!) run by a not particularly stable crew. The center itself is in danger of bankruptcy and all its staff are in fear of the "seaside strangler" (the local serial killer on a rampage). Following the Christmas fruitcake around throughout the film is a subtly wicked stab at the traditional unwanted gift. Seeing Madeline Kahn stuck in the elevator trying to rap on an electronic keyboard is, alone, worth the price of admission! There are so many funny moments in this film; even the soundtrack is exceptional. The upbeat, funky "White Christmas" at the opening, with views of a sunny beach and a snowman made of sand set the tone for this wacky and delightful film. If you're looking for an outrageous, truly hysterical comedy and don't have easily offended friends, then this movie will make you a hit this Christmas season!Read full review
This is one of my all time favorite Steve Martin movies! The cast is awesome and play their roles well. It's a comedy, it's a drama, it's a thriller, it's just plain fun!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Writer-director Nora Ephron hit a low point with this disappointingly dreary comedy set in a suicide clinic on Christmas Eve. The joke is supposed to be that all of the crisis counselors are themselves a pack of lovable losers, led by a badly toupeed Steve Martin. But it's a short step from lovable loser to annoying dweeb and most of the people in this movie cross that line very quickly. It's too bad, because the cast includes Madeline Kahn, Robert Klein, Rob Reiner, Garry Shandling, and Adam Sandler. Somehow, Ephron manages to restrain this lineup from doing anything funny
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