Fan Rant: Why Can't Hollywood Give Us Couples Like Nick and Nora?
No, I'm not talking about infinite playlists. This post will require you to go back 74 years.
An entire lifetime ago, Hollywood presented The Thin Man. Based on the Dashiell Hammett novel, the film starred William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles. Nick was a retired private detective who gave up the life when he married his rich, socialite wife, Nora. There was a mystery to bring it all together, but all of that is almost inconsequential to the banter and chemistry between the irresistible leads.
They're often drunk or tipsy, and they each hunker down in their own solitary beds when the lights go out, but Nick and Nora are a couple that put today's Hollywood pairs to shame. Their communication is laced with quick-witted banter, which thrives not just because of its cleverness, but because of their relationship. Nick and Nora are at peace with each other. They know where they stand. They know how to communicate honestly. They don't take trivial matters too seriously. They are, for lack of a better word, solid.
It's a shame that watching a film from 74 years ago could inspire such awe and respect laced with such modern disappointment. This is an Oscar-nominated film with a number of sequels and an undeniable fan following. The audience is there, yet what have we received since then?
Bickering couples who don't trust each other.
Ridiculous misunderstandings that breed turmoil and drama.
Distrust.
Must Hollywood be so lazy? Time and time again, we've been given these trite and overused storylines as if they are necessary for plot development and humor. Two characters from 7 decades ago shouldn't out-modernize the couples we get today. I shouldn't be so shocked and overjoyed when Nora walks in on a woman embracing Nick, and all she does is make a silly face at him.
Can't we have plots that don't rely on tenuous relationships and films that display other ways a relationship can manifest?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-11-2008 @ 4:57PM
BondsBabe said...
My sister absolutely loves The Thin Man, more so the novel, but she adores the film as well. They certainly don't make 'em like that anymore and it's a shame.
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11-11-2008 @ 5:18PM
Joseph J. Finn said...
Sadly, and I say this as a huge fan of Nick, Nora and Asta (world's greatest movie dog), if you made it these days you'd have people clamoring for the filmmakers to cut down on the drinking. For instance, at Nora's fabulous entrance:
Nora Charles: How many drinks have you had?
Nick Charles: This will make six Martinis.
Nora Charles: [to the waiter] All right. Will you bring me five more Martinis, Leo? Line them right up here.
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11-11-2008 @ 8:28PM
YouFaceTheTick said...
Great movies. Sharp, hilarious and just so much fun.
BTW, Clooney's made a few films that have elements of these films. Out of Sight may not be as clean as Nick and Nora but it had the sharp banter, the sexy leads and a crackerjack plot.
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11-11-2008 @ 8:37PM
Ron anderson said...
apparently, no one knows how to write witty movies with a plot anymore. i don't go to movies much anymore because all i find playing are violent slasher movies or sex crazed teenagers whose potty mouths would make a sailor blush. i am so pleased when a movie comes out that has a great plot, great acting and keeps your attention. there was a time when you felt uplifted after leaving the theater but now it seems we celebrate the dark side.
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11-11-2008 @ 11:40PM
Wings said...
Wow, well written and well said!
I would so love to see a modern couple as smart, witty and (as you said) solid as Nick and Nora.
Not every couple has to be angsty and pissed off and annoying! People CAN be happy together.
Thank you for writing this. It definitely needed to be said.
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11-12-2008 @ 8:17AM
david e said...
The answer to the question is, because Hollywood can't. Not modern Hollywood at least. The Nick and Nora era of Hollywood -- of America and the world for that matter -- was a time that didn't have to compete with television, or video games, or the constant need for on-screen action. The 1930s moviegoer wasn't a demographic, it was people, an audience who was to be entertained and not pandered to. Writers of that era studied literature and theatre, they didn't take weekend screenwriting seminars and walk around with copies of Syd Field in their satchels.
The reason isn't that Hollywood is lazy, its that it doesn't care. As long as the box office is there for vapid entertainment -- and they're put up their numbers on explosions versus intelligent comedies to prove they're giving the people what they want -- there is no incentive to bring to the screen a modern Nick and Nora.
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11-12-2008 @ 11:53AM
Wendy said...
I agree wholeheartedly, nothing before or since I saw The Thin Man has shown me the solid foundation made of clever humour, trust and attachment that Nick and Nora gave. I would be astounded if I ever did.
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11-12-2008 @ 11:17PM
Samantha said...
The major reason why we don't see any films with couples like Nick and Nora Charles is that in today's Hollywood, there is no such thing as a long term loving relationship between married couples. In film and on television, no one can actually have a happy marriage. If they do, one the spouses are doomed to die a gruesome death.
Besides, we certainly don't have the caliber of actors and actresses they did then. The current crop sucks in comparison with those of Hollywood's Golden age.
Oh for more intelligent, entertaining films such as the Thin Man. It'll never happen.
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11-16-2008 @ 7:18PM
Joanna said...
I had never seen The Thin Man before this great post, and now I have you to thank for showing me something I should have watched long ago! I wholeheartedly agree on everything you said. I wonder, if Nick and Nora were adapted today, who could play them so well as Powell and Loy?
I cannot wait to watch the rest!
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1-09-2009 @ 4:03PM
Sarah said...
I agree. Good comments. I adore old movies. They have a certain glow and smooth, classy quality about them that new movies lack, and try to make up for in explosions and crude jokes.
For the person who just saw the Thin Man, if you liked that, I would also recommend Cary Grant's early films. While some of his relationships in his films weren't quite as "solid" as Nick and Nora's, they abound with wit and banter. Some of my favorites being:
The Awful Truth
Mr. Lucky
I Was a Male War Bride
His Girl Friday
1-12-2009 @ 4:15PM
Joanna said...
Thank you, Sarah! I will have to add them all to my Netflix queue right away. I love me some good old fashioned banter!