You know the line "You had me at Hello"? Well, this movie had me at "The Geffen Company Presents..." There's just something so endearing about this quirky comedy. Sorry for the clichés, but I think just about everyone could find something about themselves in this story, even if they've never experienced depression. Some of my favorite movies mix comedy and drama, and this is a prime example (slightly more on the comedic side, but it's debatable). I also thought this was my first exposure to Kathy Bates, but I didn't realize until much later that I had already seen her in "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean Jimmy Dean" and in a bit part in "Two of a Kind". She's a chameleon; I still didn't recognize her 11 months later in "Misery." Cusack has an even better chance to shine. And as for Lange, for someone playing a character so weary, she's luminous. There's also an appearance by a woman who was semi-famous as a quirky waitress in Miracle Whip commercials ("How'd they know turquoise was mah color?") in this. She hilariously plays a musician here. But the real find was Charlie Korsmo (also in "Dick Tracy" later the same year), eleven years old at the time of filming but looking younger. Like Shirley Temple, I know he's an adult now, but I don't want to see him grown up. His performance is the heart and soul of "Men Don't Leave." I don't own a copy of it, because I'm afraid I might watch it every day. You either love it or you don't get it.
Review of Men Don't Leave
