And So It Goes Synopsis: A self-absorbed realtor enlists the help of his neighbor when he’s suddenly left in charge of the granddaughter he never knew existed until his estranged son drops her off at his home.
Oren Little (Michael Douglas) is a widower attempting to sell his home for the inflated price of $8.6 million. He’s also lacking in empathy and tact and has alienated his neighbors at a tiny apartment complex that he owns. When his estranged son Luke, a recovering addict, arrives to tell Oren he’s going to prison for nine months, he asks Oren to watch his daughter, Oren’s granddaughter, Sarah.
Oren has never met the girl, who is almost ten years old. Oren refuses, but without anywhere else for her to go, Luke brings her to Oren’s apartment. Oren’s next-door neighbor, Leah (Diane Keaton), immediately takes to Sarah and agrees to help keep her safe while Luke is in prison. While trying to find Sarah’s birth mom, Oren grows closer to his granddaughter and Leah, and his life starts to change for the better.
Rob Reiner is a director who has been behind the camera for a lot of fantastic movies (When Harry Met Sally, Misery), so I was a little surprised when I came across And So It Goes on Hulu, a movie I had never heard of before. With Reiner at the helm and a cast that included Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton, it made perfect sense that I would watch it.
Unfortunately, despite the talented cast, And So It Goes didn’t live up to Reiner’s former projects. That’s not to say it was a terrible movie because it wasn’t. it was more a run-of-the-mill story that felt like maybe it was trying to relive the success and charm of Something’s Gotta Give but came across as a generic copycat instead.
Diane Keaton and Michael Douglas are great together, and their blossoming romance while caring for Oren’s granddaughter is enjoyable to watch. Much like her character in Something’s Gotta Give, Keaton spends some time crying in And So It Goes as well. I probably shouldn’t find it as amusing as I do, but she knows how to interject humor into grief because I could not stop laughing every time she began to wail.
There are some poignant moments between Sarah and Oren, as well as Oren and his son as he begins to let people into his life, and some genuinely funny moments as well.
While I thought the romantic angle of the movie was lovely, thanks to Keaton and Douglas, it felt like something was missing from And So It Goes. That Rob Reiner spark. I didn’t sense any of his talents in this movie at all, except for the very small role he has playing Leah’s piano player. I enjoyed it enough but felt it could have been so much better. This is not one I’ll watch again, but I would recommend it if you’re a fan of Diane Keaton because she’s absolutely wonderful and has become one of my favorite actresses.
Watched: 12/30/2020
Notable Song: The Shadow Of Your Smile by Diane Keaton
