mrb1980 What do you end up with when you combine a Neil Simon script and two superstar leads (James Caan and Marsha Mason)? You should end up with a dynamite movie, but instead "Chapter Two" has almost no plot and listless direction. That it was a smashing financial success is attributable only to its stars.George Schneider (Caan) is a newly widowed man whose brother Leo (Joseph Bologna) sets him up with a newly divorced Jennie McLain (Marsha Mason). George and Jennie "meet cute", fall in love, quickly get married, then George starts missing his late wife. They almost break up, but reconcile in the end. That's it.Caan doesn't seem that interested in his role, Mason appears to want a better script, and the direction is pretty lame. Caan was on the downside of his 1970s superstar peak and has admitted that he took the role only for the money. Mason was a recent Academy Award winner, but she and Caan fail to generate much spark due to the pedestrian script, especially since Caan mumbles his way through most of his dialogue, as usual. Valerie Harper and especially Bologna add about the only zip to the movie as George's brother and Jennie's best friend. "Chapter Two" is pleasant, but in the end it really seems empty and pointless.

ajplex My first impression of this film was that it was..okay..., nothing to write home about. But on further viewings, I came to rate it as almost unwatchable. The plot is standard material, and presented fairly well, and Marsha Mason's acting, as usual, stands out (probably the only reason to watch). The problem is two-fold: First, James Caan's character is so unbelievable. He starts out as this light-hearted, earnest, easy-going guy trying to win Mason's affections. Once he does, though, as if someone flipped a switch, he suddenly turns dark, very dark, and drives Mason crazy. Why she puts up with his inexcusable behavior, I'll never know. The other problem is Caan the actor. Totally miscast. Perhaps a more versatile actor could have given more credence to his character.

mark.waltz Neil Simon takes a semi-autobiographical chapter from his own life and turns it into an incredibly kind tale of finding love after death and divorce. James Caan is a not so merry widow and Marsha Mason is a not so gay divorcée. They are both ironically leaving JFK around the same time, he coming in from a get-away to Europe and she returning from Reno. Not running into each other, they also miss seeing each other at a posh Manhattan restaurant, he on a date with an exotically dressed model and she with an incredibly tall man who wants to take her dancing. Thanks to his playboy brother (Joseph Bologna) and her best friend (Valarie Harper), they end up in several awkward phone conversations and she seems to think she's got a stalker on her hands. But they finally agree to a five minute meeting, and boy, when they do, sparks fly....The conflict in the relationship comes from each of their personality quirks, aspects of themselves that seem to bother them more than the other. He can't seem to forget his late wife, and she is gun-shy about another relationship. But the sudden rush into marriage, which brings out each of their insecurities while on a honeymoon where he once took his late wife, threatens to separate them due to these personality disorders, and it will take time apart for them to sort through these issues.The stars are both extremely attractive here, and after playing some not-so-nice roles on screen, Caan finally becomes a likable guy, one you truly root for. Mason, Mrs. Neil Simon in real life, seems to be playing a variation of herself, and is as usual, adorable and quirky. Bologna and Harper, both married to other partners (who seem to be conveniently out of town all the time), add into the mix, and are absolutely wonderful. Fresh from her long-running TV role of "Rhoda", Harper is a delight, providing some snappy lines like a modern day Eve Arden. Bologna is likable too in spite of his character's obvious insincerity, and that adds a lot of humor into the mix.A pretty musical score by Marvin Hamlish, a love theme sung by Marilyn McCoo and excellent location photography also add to the charm of Simon's simple but witty tale of two people in transition who find each other when they're really not looking for anybody to replace whom they've just lost. There's a very funny finale where Mason rushes through the streets of Manhattan trying to avoid running into restaurant patrons, a handyman spraying the sidewalk and a man on a unicycle. Only in New York from the mind of Neil Simon, who also throws in a hysterical sequence at the 42nd Street Library where a young girl groans at Mason and Caan for making too much noise. Only in 1979 New York, kids. Only in 1979 New York.

Isaac5855 CHAPTER TWO is a long and rambling film version of one of Neil Simon's best plays. Like BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS and BILOXI BLUES, this story is based on a part of Neil Simon's own life. James Caan plays George Schneider, a fictionalized Simon, a writer who has just returned from a trip around the world after the death of his wife. Sadly, George made the mistake of visiting all of the places he traveled with his late wife and it has apparently not aided his grieving process. At the urging of his brother, Leo (well-played by Joseph Bologna), George agrees to go on a blind date with an attractive divorcée named Jennie McLaine (Marsha Mason). Their first date is actually over the phone but they do eventually come face to face and move into a whirlwind romance which leads to a quick engagement and marriage...perhaps too quick because shortly into his new marriage, George realizes he really hasn't finished grieving over his first wife and begins to push Jennie away. Simon's first wife passed away and he eventually met and married Marsha Mason, so essentially, Mason is playing herself here and not surprisingly does it pretty effectively. However, in attempt to expand the play for the screen, it has become labored and way too long...the scenes of George and Jennie on their honeymoon go on way too long and bring the film to a dead halt. Another problem is James Cann's wooden performance as George. Caan never seems to grasp the rhythm of Simon's writing and makes George a little too melancholy. Bologna is solid, as always, as is an anorexic looking Valerie Harper, who appears as Jennie's best friend, Faye. If you're a Marsha Mason fan, it's worth checking out, others beware...