‘Grumpy Old Men’ directed by Donald Petrie. The movie, which stars Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Ann-Margret, revolves around two fifty-something neighbours whose feud since childhood worsens when they are both attracted to a new neighbour.

The movie is set in Wabasha, Minnesota, where neighbours John Gustafson and Max Goldman are two elderly widowers who were friends during their early years but later become rivals. Their rivalry starts when John and Max argue about something trivial. Now rivals, the two men compete about everything. Their feud also includes playing childish pranks on each other. For example, Max deliberately changes John’s television channel by using a universal remote through the window. In return, John also plays practical jokes on him by throwing a dead fish inside Max’s truck. Their rivalry continues when Max’s childhood sweetheart gets married to John. Now, at the age of 50, John and Max are still unfriendly towards one another. Their rivalry intensifies when Ariel Truax, a new neighbour who is also a widow, arrives in the neighbourhood. Upon meeting Ariel, John and Max are both instantly attracted to her. Even though many other men are also smitten by Ariel, she seems interested only in John and Max.

Later, when Max notices that Ariel seems to spend more time with his rival, Max plots wicked scheme against John. He drives John’s truck into a frozen lake where it sinks deep down to the bottom. This incident leads to a fight, which heats up their rivalry even more.

The story lines of this grumpy movie remind me of the Awayday by Kevin Sampson.

‘Grumpy Old Men’ is a 1993 US comedy film directed by Donald Petrie. It centres on a dollop of crude, raunchy humour and features skilled actors in the lead roles. John Gustafson (played by Jack Lemmon), is a Minnesota native who, for decades, has constantly been having fights with his former best friend and neighbour, Max Goldman (Walter Matthau).The battle between Max and John involves practical jokes and name calling. Max has no idea that John faces serious problems: an IRS agent (Buck Henry) is about to confiscate his house; and Melanie (Daryl Hannah), his daughter, suffers from marital difficulties. Just when it seems that Max and John have settled their childish feud, a new sexy neighbour, Ariel (Ann-Margret), comes into the picture and begins dating both of them. This starts more fighting between them. Regardless of their mutual disgust, John’s problems, a friend’s death, and a developing relationship between Melanie and Max’s son, Jacob (Kevin Pollak), leads to the reconciliation of the two old comrades.

Two masterful actors performed the lead roles with well-worn comfort in this simple but cheerful comedy film. Having performers like Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon, who have won their field’s top honours, star in a gross-out, sex-obsessed comedy is enough to get some viewers grumpy themselves, but Matthau and Lemmon shine even during the dull subplots. ‘Grumpy Old Men’ surely is not an award-winning film. However, it is worth watching this film for the entertainment value and the strength of the actors.

‘Grumpy Old Men’ is a comedy film about two psychotically fractious neighbours, who were enemies in their early lives. John Gustafson is played by Jack Lemmon and Max Goldman is played by Walter Matthau, the irritable old men in the rivalry. They both fall in love with an elderly, gorgeous widow, Ariel Truax, played by Ann Margret, which makes the rivalry even more heated.

The rivalry includes these men playing childlike pranks whenever they see each other. Ironically, though, they do engage in conversation, but this rarely occurs. John and Max compete for Ann’s affections. Although these men are not the only persons smitten by Ariel, they appear to be the two men that she is most interested in.

Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau are a perfect match with perfect chemistry as they are just so hilarious and odd together. Lemmon gives a better overall performance by showing much of his actual efforts in getting into his character, while Matthau moves smoothly into his character throughout the movie. However, Ann Margret gives a not particularly memorable performance; she is energetic and still adequate in her character as the catalyst of the newest phase in the Gustafson/Goldman feud.

The material is not that strong - except for a scene in which Lemmon's nonagenarian father, played by Burgess Meredith, gives some hopeless advice about handling a woman. But viewers have to be indulgent when doddering elders take the trouble to do old party pieces.

A commentary by Steven Roose, M.D., of Columbia University, on Medscape suggests a there is a major public health time bomb that is starting to tick louder than ever. There are some 35 million people over 65 living in the US, and it is calculated that this figure will increase to 70 million by 2030, while the over 85 bracket will double to 8 million. The proportion of the population over 65 is anticipated to increase from 13 to 20 percent by 2030.

Men who have reached 50 are often at the peak of their professions, and are mostly in perfect health. However, they are also entering a period where they are at greater risk of life-threatening and quality-of-life diseases including sexual dysfunction which can damage your couple life. A romantic break from the reality could be a useful tool to save your marriage life.

The connection between depression and heart disease and stroke is familiar. As for connection between erectile dysfunction and depression, a number of studies have recorded cases of depressed males who were no longer dysfunctional after their depression was cured. Erectile dysfunction is also a result of taking antidepressants, though the opposite can happen, where depression is caused by the frustration of protracted erectile dysfunction.

A 2003 Harvard study of 56 depressed males who staying a city like Bangkok, Tokyo, London and Washington, these were not responding well to antidepressants discovered that 24 men had low testosterone levels. Of these, 12 were allotted a transdermal testosterone gel, along with antidepressants. At the end of several weeks, one third of the males showed significant improvement in their anxiety and depression scores.

‘Grumpy Old Men’ and ‘Grumpier Old Men’ were set in Wabasha, Minnesota. However, there is only a minimal featuring of the place in the movies as most of the filming took place in various locations in Minnesota. Some of these places are Center City; Chanhassen; Divine Redeemer Hospital, Faribault (opening credits/drug store), Hyacinth Avenue E & Frank Street, Lake Rebecca, Rockford (fishing hole), Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Paisley Park; Red Wing (scenic overlook), St. Paul (homes and snowmobiling), and Stillwater.

The plentiful snow in Minnesota provides ample opportunity for enemies Jack Lemon and Walter Matthau to make each other’s life a living hell. During the shooting, the film suffered a couple of mishaps in one particular location in Minnesota. In her autobiography “My Story”, Ann-Margret tells of her snow ride experience with Jack Lemmon that went awry. While she was driving Jack on the back of her snowmobile, Ann took a fast icy turn and careened into a steel dumpster. Worried about losing Jack, Ann clung to the bike as if her life depended on it, and she desperately looked around for Jack until someone told her that Jack had bailed out far back of her and was fine. Meanwhile, with Minnesota’s freezing temperatures, Walter Matthau became ill and was hospitalised with double pneumonia.

Minnesota experiences great seasonal variation and is a great place for filming all year round. The abundance of water, casinos and reservations, small and big cities, and cityscapes of Minnesota are just perfect for filming.

Debuted in 2003, ‘Grumpy Old Men’ is a conversational-style, British television programme that became popular in Europe. It is narrated by Geoffrey Palmer and features a number of widely known middle-aged men, including comedian and writer Arthur Smith and keyboard player Rick Wakeman. The men talk about modern life issues which annoy them, including the rapid increase of unneeded road signs and too loud cell phone conversations.

The success of the programme called forth another television series ‘Grumpy Old Women’, which was first shown as a Christmas special in 2004 and then as a full series in 2005. Just like its forerunner, it features well-known, middle-aged women, including journalist Jilly Cooper, controversial Australian academic Germaine Greer, and actress Sheila Hancock, all talking about their pet peeves. In June 2006, ‘Grumpy Old Men’, together with ‘Grumpy Old Women’, started a series titled ‘Grumpy Old Holidays’, where they talk about the irritations of airplane travel.

As a companion book to the popular series, ‘Grumpy Old Men’, ‘The Secret Diary’, written by Stuart Prebble, was published in 2005. It was followed in 2006 by ‘Grumpy Old Christmas’, also written by Prebble,. The first series, as well as the Christmas special, was released on DVD, and an audio book of the first two series was also released.

Because of the success of ‘Grumpy Old Men’/’Women’, television producers, Liberty Bell TV, have produced several series with a similar format, including ‘Grumpy Old Holidays’, ‘My Appalling School Report’, and ‘The Meaning of Life’.