Chapter Two Reviews

To anyone who knows the story of Simon's life, it's obvious that this film was drawn from reality. Most of Simon's writing is. His older brother, Danny, is a comedy writer-director of some renown, and his relationship with Neil has been seen before in COME BLOW YOUR HORN. He was also the model for Felix in THE ODD COUPLE. Bologna plays Danny in this film--the most difficult and complex role in the picture, but he carries it off with aplomb. Caan is an author whose adored wife has passed away. He meets Mason (as Simon did in real life) and tries his best not to fall in love with her. The movie meanders for more than two hours as it details the comedy and drama of a lost love, then a found one. In the end, Caan and Mason do get together, as Simon and Mason did in real life. (What is not seen is the result of that marriage--a divorce.) Mason is radiant in her real-life role (she received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her work here, but she lost to Sally Field for NORMA RAE), and it's easy to see why the playwright fell in love with her. Bologna is superb, and so is Harper as Mason's friend. Harper jettisoned her sit-com mannerisms and showed she could play a serious comedy role on the big screen. The picture falls flat in the casting of Caan. He's been quoted as saying he hated the role and the making of the film, which is evident. Further, the man just isn't a comic actor who can deliver well-honed lines. He should stick to the macho roles and leave light comedy to those who can handle it.