My b'day movie review: 10 (1979)

Plot

This movie swoops into George Webber's life as he is turning 42. Webber, who is played by Dudley Moore, is a successful elevator music composer, and everything in his life is going his way. He has a wonderful girlfriend, a house by the ocean, and a succesful career. His girlfriend, played by Julie Andrews, is a marvelous singer named Samantha Taylor.

Webber had shown early signs that he was spoiled and unhappy with his life when you see him his telescope to peer at the nude young women his neighbor brings home.

He sees Jennifer Hanley, played by Bo Derek, at a traffic light and this unravels him. Hanley is on her way to be married, and this one glance at Hanley is the beginning of a steep downturn in Webber's life.

It is when Webber has a chance to make love with Hanley (during her honeymoon) that he realizes he is the type of person to find problems with anyone or any situation. He is even angered by the fact that Hanley has no major problems in her life.

Most Interesting Scene

There are several scenes that pull you into the story. Webber getting stung in the nose by a bee in a flower arrangement at Hanley's wedding. Webber at one point peers through his telescope to see his neighbor having a lewd party and angrily hits the telescope, which swings in a circle sending him tumbling down a hill.

There's also the scene where Webber goes to save Hanley's husband in Mexico who is asleep on a surf board, but he falls in the water and barely gets away from a hungry shark while pulling himself and the husband into the boat.

My absolute favorite scene is the last scene of the movie.

Webber and his neighbor have been peeping into each other's lives with their telescopes throughout the movie, and the director, Blake Edwards, has the vision to shoot the final scenes as though the viewer is watching a telescope.

The neighbor leaves the telescope before the final scene because he is angry to have only seen a 'PG' rated life when he has given him an 'R' rate life again and again.

In that final scene, weeks after Webber's girlfriend caught him at one of the neighbors lewd parties, he doesn't apologize for how he has treated her. Instead, he gives her exactly what she's asked for throughout the movie.

Most Interesting Character

The most interesting character is Webber. But Taylor, Webber's girlfriend, is a close second and possibly tied for best because of her scene after catching Webber peeping at his neighbors nude female visitor.

The scene gets hostile as Taylor thinks referring to women as broads is insulting, and Webber insists he used the word broad in a neutral way.

Her reasoning comes in a silent moment when Webber has turned off his TV.

First. I am getting a little fed up with referring to a sexually emancipated lady as a broad...

Second. I think the telescope pointed at anything other than the stars is an invasion of privacy...

Third. The first two really wouldn't bother me a bit if you would stop watching TV and paid attention to your bedroom guests.

She points to herself when she says, "This guest in particular."

Closing Thoughts

The movie emphasizes when a person doesn't value the good things in their life, they will not be able to appreciate anything.

Due to the amount of nudity scattered throughout the two hours of the film, this is not a show you would watch if any kids were nearby. But there are enough humorous parts that it would be great to see alone, with a significant other, or even with your favorite pet.

Details

Movie Released: October 5th, 1979
Starring: Dudley Moore, Julie Andrews, and Bo Derek
Length: 2:02:19
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Domestic Box Office: $52,134,699
Rotten Tomatoes (Critics): 71%
Video: iTunes, Amazon
Preview:

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