Grumpier Old Men

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

Grumpier Old Men is a 1995 romantic comedy, directed by Howard Deutch. It was a sequel to a previous film Grumpy Old Men (1993).

Lifelong-rivals Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) and John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) are now reluctant friends, with their children engaged to each other. Anyway Gustafson is enjoying his still recent marriage to Ariel Truax (Ann Margret). Both aging men are looking forward to the opening of the fishing season in their native Wabasha, Minnesota, to engage in their annual hunt of the "Catfish Hunter", the lake's largest catfish. Learning to their disappointment that the only local bait shop is closing. Maria Ragetti (Sophia Loren), its new owner, is converting it to an Italian restaurant.

The two guys start trying to sabotage her efforts, hoping the establishment will remain a bait shop. But this enrages Ariel. Who forces her husband to apologize to Maria. Unfortunately, his idea of apologizing involves sharing a bottle of brandy with the lady. He ends up sleeping the entire night in the restaurant. With Ariel concluding he is having an affair. This also annoys Max who finds himself attracted to Maria. Maria herself is reluctant to have a new romance, she has had five failed marriages. She is not looking forward to a sixth failure. Meanwhile, the kids (Kevin Pollak and Daryl Hannah) have relationships problems of their own.

The film was a modest box office hit, earning $71,518,503 in the United States market. It was the 20th most successful film of its year. It was a swan song for actor Burgess Meredith (1907-1997) who was playing John's father. Meredith had to retire from acting due to the effects from Alzheimer's disease and had trouble even completing this film.


Tropes used in Grumpier Old Men include: