I'll Do Anything (1994) User Reviews

Enjoyable in a surprising way

[basit · 7/10 · 12 March 2000]

Just caught this flick on Cable by accident. lazy Sunday afternoon, and Contact was playing on TNT for the 50th 'premiere' time, so I figured, what the heck.

And actually, it's kinda interesting I thought. Nick Nolte and kids are always terminally cute for some reason (ref. Three Fugitives with Martin Short). He's like like a big St. Bernard dog.

Anyway, the story is OK, losta phony LA movie folks earnestly searching for themselves, blah, blah, blah. Somewhere in there, there is some genuine humor and heartfelt sentiment. Actually not all that mushy. Tracey Ullman is horrible as always, but apart from that an OK Sunday afternoon flick.

angry Nick Nolte not inherently funny

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 7 November 2013]

Matt Hobbs (Nick Nolte) is a working actor unable to get good gigs. His professional life is diminished by the likes of arrogant producer Burke Adler (Albert Brooks) who ropes him into being his driver. His wife leaves their daughter Jeannie (Whittni Wright) with him even thought he hasn't seen her in 2 years. He's attracted to like-minded production assistant Cathy Breslow (Joely Richardson).

Nick Nolte has an angry intensity. I think James L Brooks is looking for that odd couple with a gruff old guy and a little girl. I get it but it's the anger in him and quite frankly the little girl that makes it hard to laugh at. The little girl has a streak of meanness in her. She's not just the quintessential cute little girl. She's yelling for the first half of the movie. The duo has their cute moments but not any funny moments.

Albert Brooks has some funny moments but he doesn't really fit the stereotype of a Hollywood producer. He's a more bumbling character than that. It's hard to see him push anybody around.

Summation / Review

[vedder611 · 7/10 · 15 October 2006]

One of Nolte's best roles i'd say. Impressive debut by Whittni Wright. She apparently only made one other film (Van Damme's "sudden death" the following year). Can't believe that's all she's done since. I heard that the film was originally a musical. Later it was then chopped down to cut the musical numbers totally out aside from a short song by Whittni to her dad. Still works as a nice father daughter get to know each other story mixed with the chronicles of an on the cusp of fame actor. As they get to know each other the daughter shows a dramatic prowess that impresses her actor dad, and moves another character to nudge her into the business. Would love to see the missing musical numbers at some point. Is this summation long enough yet?. Is it ten lines? Not Yet? How bout now?

Irony Incarnate

[knightm7 · 3 December 2004]

This is a movie about making movies and standing up for your beliefs and not having to bow down under the pressures of audience expectations and studio involvements, and it had musical numbers which were cut and writers come in to dumb it down because of audience expectations and studio involvements.

But I found all that out after I first saw the movie and thought it was great entertainment. I love Nick Nolte, he's so grave and gruff and depressed that I hope he doesn't kill himself cause I really like everything he's done, even The Hulk, and especially Affliction and that Martin Short with a kid movie. Joely Richardson is gorgeous! Julie Kavner and James Brooks are great. I highly recommend this film, and hope to see it again soon on DVD with all of the deleted scenes.

A dance without a song

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 10 January 2014]

Writer & Director James L Brooks has a very sure touch when it comes to movies. I'll Do Anything was conceived as an old fashioned musical. A parody of actor's lifestyles and film clichés.

Test audiences were not impressed with the film and at the time musicals were out of fashion.

I presume the songs were actually rubbish which tends to be the case with a lot of musical films.

Re-cut and re-edited, this is now a straight story with Nick Nolte, playing Matt Hobbs, a once promising actor who has not managed to get a regular acting gig in some time. He ends up driving around an arrogant film producer (Albert Brooks.)

Things take a turn when his ex-wife dumps their daughter Jeannie on Matt for what he thinks is for a few weeks but turns out to be longer as she is off to jail.

Matt's daughter is used to getting her own way and he is not used to fatherhood.

Matt's career may have some brightness as he gets friendly with with an attractive production assistant (Joely Richardson) who has a script idea and thinks Matt could be the lead actor.

The film was hampered from the start with its production troubles. Nick Nolte does well as a down on his luck actor with a brat of a daughter and trying to bond with her while dealing with machinations of the film industry.

James L Brooks succeeded so well when he turned his eye on TV news with Broadcast News. The story here is not strong enough and although the actors try hard the film comes off as hollow.

Master Class assignment

[Intermissionman_ · 7/10 · 21 June 2021]

This Story has defined Intention and Obstacle, Matt (Nolte) wants to be more successful actor but 6 year old Daughter dropped off by estranged Wife who has to serve a Prison sentence, makes it tough to do . I was inspired to Buy and Watch this Film again by a Podcast I listened to with James L Brooks who Wrote Directed and Produced this Movie. Just like most all Nick Nolte Films back then, I saw this at theatre. He is really Good , as are the supporting Cast. Mr Nolte makes his character(MATT) real easy to jump into his shoes and feel the ups and downs of being a struggling Actor and Dad. The Little Girl is effectively annoying but sweetens up towards the End. Joely Richardson Radiant ! Albert Brooks plays Mob Like Movie Mogul. Not sure why this did not do better at the Box Office ? Check out the Trailer on Amazon. Might spark some memories from 1994.

Wrong actor

[steinw · 3/10 · 19 August 2002]

When I watched this movie I had two questions in my head:

1) Where have I seen her (Joely Richardson) before? 2) Why is Nick Nolte doing this part, and not Ted Danson?

The answer to Q1) is not so very interesting, but it is 101 Dalmatians.

The answer to Q2) is more interesting. It seemed like Nick Nolte was trying to look and act like Ted Danson, especially in the beginning (when the character was young). And normally the original is better than the copy.

Besides those two questions I think the movie was OK entertainment, but not more than that. The film is not trying to tell us something. If they wanted they could have made much more out of the issue "How is it to be a child actor?", but they didn't. Fair enough.

Don't spend your money buying this film, but watch it if it gets aired on a TV.

yes

[abdelrahmanbobnoureldein · 3/10 · 28 December 2021]

I get it but it's the anger in him and quite frankly the little girl that makes it hard to laugh at. The little girl has a streak of meanness in her. She's not just the quintessential cute little girl. She's yelling for the first half of the movie. The duo has their cute moments but not any funny moments. Albert Brooks has some funny moments but he doesn't really fit the stereotype of a Hollywood producer. He's a more bumbling character than that. It's hard to see him push anybody around.

Typical James L. Brooks

[PeterJackson · 8/10 · 14 July 2000]

This movie has really got the "Brooks Touch" and that's a very good thing. I can't understand why this has got such a low ratings on the IMDB, or why it is so little known. Like AS GOOD AS IT GETS and the even better, but overall largely underrated TERMS OF ENDEARMENT, this again is a wonderful story about real people. And when Brooks is in the director's seat, you know this film isn't going to take the easy way. I can only recommend this movie, especially because of the many lovely moments and the excellent dialogue. My only complaint is that some of the dialogue is a bit too smart for its own good and that it doesn't always ring true. The actors are very good too, especially Nick Nolte, Joely Richardson and the young Whittni Wright(who is wonderful). They're not the really big names, like in the two aforementioned movies, but they did a very good job. Also look out for the character played by Albert Brooks, which is very familiar with Jack Nicholson's character in AS GOOD AS IT GETS. It almost seems a trademark of James L. Brooks, who keeps delivering the goods with his original and always fresh romantic comedies. Don't miss this one! 8/10

Brooks' Bosses Decide To Not Do `Anything'

[tedg · 19 July 2002]

Spoilers herein.

There's a remarkably intelligent film hidden in here. I love watching old Welles films and trying to imagine the parts that the studios hacked out. And so here. The original idea was to have a deeply self-aware film, moreso than `The Player.' It was to have leveraged the shift inherent in a film musical : at some times, the audience is invited to see the story as representative of life, and at other times as representative of a show. Brooks puts tons of this stuff in `The Simpsons' and one can see the notion in his other TeeVee projects as well.

But as I gather, this was actually supposed to be intelligent. Prince at this point was into self-referential songs and apparently increased the folding of an already baroque structure of who's looking at who. But (as with Welles), the studio financiers thought the paying audience was too dumb for all that, so brought in script doctor Elaine May (She of `Ishtar,' but nonetheless famously valuable as an invisible fixer).

She straightened this film out so that a moron could understand it. Now it is not about the film business, but an ordinary sop about a dad discovering his precocious daughter. But you can see the joints where clever stuff might have been and the notion that parenting is a performance.

They have kept one memorable Nolte moment. He is preparing to transform to a role. Watch how he changes, and also plays the meta-actor managing that change, and at the same time plays Nolte creating all three. It is his finest moment on film. I wonder if we will ever see the original version?

Ted's Rating -- 2 of 4: Has some interesting elements.

I LOVED THIS MOVIE

[renaldo and clara · 9/10 · 7 September 2000]

This is one of those 'greater than the sum of its parts' movie, where you can't quite put your finger on why it's so great, but it just is.

The set of this movie must've motivated these actors to beyond their usual performances..........maybe because the script is so great(they all get their shots at character development..... I can think of 5.)

There's Nick Nolte, I've never DISliked him, but his physique combined with his sweet fatherly attitude makes for the perfect combination; it makes him very attractive. Joely Richardson I've only seen in one other movie, but she keeps you interested in her character all the way through, however quirky, weird, or whimsical. Nolte's daughter (Wright) is SO believable as the spoiled little rich girl, brought up by man-hater Tracy Ullman (!)'s character as mom. The two other characters are supporting; one is that lady who does Marge Simpson's voice, and her love interest. All these characters develop and learn.

This film also ironically gives insight into the film industry, and how truly unglamorous Hollywood can be. Nick Nolte must cry in a room full of people withOUT the director even being there, a group of ladies who work in casting are asked, when deciding yay-or nay on this actor, if they would sleep with him.

But in the end, it stays true to its source, meaning it doesn't look completely down at Hollywood or anything else. It's just a really adorable feel-good movie.



Did I mention adorable?



-Sep

Nick Nolte and THAT KID are terrific!

[aussiejane_ · 8/10 · 1 November 2000]

Although I found the movie a bit frenetic, it seemed to have a ring of truth about how things work in Hollywood (especially the "Would you sleep with him?" scene). Nick Nolte keeps everything going, as usual, with his marvelous acting. Is there any other "big guy" actor who can cry believably (well, maybe Harrison Ford)? He was just terrific, so believable as the father who didn't know what to do with his spoiled brat daughter. And wasn't Whittni Wright amazing? I can only hope that was acting, as I've seen plenty of kids just like her. The supporting cast was terrific. It was hard to pinpoint what there was about this movie that made it not quite so good as it could have been. Perhaps it was that it really was an "in-house" film, one that anyone who has been through what the various characters have could identify with, but perhaps not us out in the hinterlands (coming from Wyoming to Australia, I'm definitely hinterland!). Kudos to actors and director for keeping this film together. With lesser talent, it could have fallen flat on its face.

Good One!

[jc-curtis · 9/10 · 21 August 2005]

I saw this movie recently on cable TV and liked it a lot . I was looking for something other than the usual action/shootout/special effect types and ended up selecting this one. I'm glad I did. The supporting actors were excellent and Nick Nolte & Whittni Wright were outstanding in their roles. It was refreshing to see Nolti do this type of thing, although I'm not surprised that he did it well. He's an actor who has, over time, honed his skills to an art form. I'm not sure that he is appreciated as much as he should be. Anyway, in my opinion, "I'll do Anything" is underrated here. I give this flick a high mark and hope that my participation in the "vote" will raise the average score of this fine movie. For those who have had their fill of movies that focus on violence, try this delightful James L Brooks production for a change of pace. Or if you simply want to watch a movie that entertains... go for this one.

A gem, despite its shortcomings - *possible spoilers*

[MeinFuhrerICanWalk · 1 September 2003]

This is one of those movies that I have grown to love almost inspite of itself. Yes, it's haphazard and kind of all over the place, and yet I am compelled to watch it through to the end whenever it plays on the telly. I can't quite figure out how well the characters are actually written, but they are played so beautifully that it really doesn't matter. I've always liked Nick Nolte but he's never been one of my 'favourites'. When I saw this film though, he completely won me over: he's selfish yet tender, brusque yet warm - just a wonderful, brave performance. Whitni Wright as Jeannie is remarkable - for any age. She is so utterly natural and believable, capturing the exasperating but ultimately disarming precociousness of childhood perfectly. It's a pity she has stopped acting, I think she would be amazing. It's also great to see Julie 'Marge Simpson' Kavner on the screen, she's severely underused by Hollywood - a great talent (remember 'Radio Days'?) And by the way, the film is about much more than an errant father mending his ways and changing his attitude toward his neglected kid, it's about a man unsure of his own worth finally changing his attitude toward HIMSELF. All in all, a gem despite its shortcomings.

Humorous movie with Excellent characters

[wmadavis · 10/10 · 15 April 2001]

This is an excellent movie with interesting, well-drawn characters, especially that of complicated little girl. Nolte gives one of his great performances as the sensitive actor-father. This movie didn't get the attention it deserved when it came out, because it had become known that it was originally planned as a musical, but the musical numbers were cut out after audience testing -- which was ironic, since the movie had many references to audience-testing movies. They could have turned all that on its ear by having a closing-credits sequence with the producers audience testing the movie and deciding to PUT IN musical numbers, and then running excerpts of the excised musical numbers. The critics would have been confused as to whether it had really ever been planned to be a musical in the first place, and it would have brilliantly augmented the subject-matter of the movie.

Enjoyed

[Paritai · 9/10 · 11 January 1999]

We enjoyed this movie. It was nicely paced, the plight of the single barely-employed father suddenly faced with the daughter he had not seen for 2 years and must now care for was credible, and the several sub-plots were well done, in places quite witty. The acting was first-rate. We were grateful to be spared car chases, shootings, fires, mutilations, and 130 dB explosions. All in all, a very pleasant evening's entertainment.

Improv feel to this delightful film

[alrodbel · 10/10 · 8 February 2008]

This film could have been shot in a month, since everything in it had a freshness and spontaneity that can only come when nothing is labored. I don't know the film world, but this seemed genuine, with the characters each with their own struggles.

Nick Nolte's relation with his "difficult" daughter was something to enjoy. When his hopes were raised to get the big role, only to find out it wasn't going to happen, devastation, closing the door and crying in the bathroom, was what could be expected.

We only get so many chances in life, and when we miss one that very well could be our last, our life is altered irretrievable. Nothing could be more real, whether it is getting a movie part or a promotion to manager at Walmart.

And the six year old who played his daughter, recruited from a clogging class in Georgia from a working class family. She was just a normal little girl, not a child actress, but someone who fit perfectly. And she went back to Georgia and then on to a local College to study Business Administration.

Somehow, this film received a low rating here and apparently was a box office failure, yet every written comment was of the vein of this one, laudatory. Perhaps that was the subplot of the film exemplified by its lack of success.

Brooks producer character made his films with loud explosions and tested it as a product to satisfy an audience. Artistry had nothing to do with what he was manufacturing. This film was a rare treat, but would never been made by Brooks, or anyone else apparently.

But this one got through, and is a pleasure for those who can appreciate it.

Excellent Fillm, Nolte at His Best

[thedurable1 · 8/10 · 3 August 2006]

I've been a Nick Nolte fan ever since his "Rich Man Poor Man" days. "I'll Do Anything" is a big studio film with a sensitvity and quality OF performance I usually expect only in "art house" films.

It's a character study of a struggling actor (Nolte) forced to come to grips with his life, career, and destiny after many factors like children/responsibility, age (mid-life crisis), relationships and values come to an intersection, and Nolte's character is forced to re-evaluate the way he lives in order to keep his sanity. The story is fueled by the insane film industry against which it is set. It's a crazy story presented with great warmth.

People who would love it: couples or groups of women especially, but anyone looking for a heart breaking comedy. Lots to discuss after the film such as plot, performances, values that affect the characters' livessuch as kids vs career, career vs romance, art vs material success, responsibility vs dreams, and on and on.

Have a party. Pop some corn, Have a great time. Laugh. Cry.

Child actress should have become a star; great story

[morrisonhimself · 9/10 · 3 April 2011]

Not usually a fan of Nick Nolte, I thought he was great in this.

Even more, Julie Kavner was GREAT in this. She was so charming, so eye- catching, so ear-catching, she would have been considered the movie- stealer if little Whittni Wright hadn't been there.

That child was absolutely astonishing. With no previous movie experience, she carried out her role as if she had done it a hundred times. I hope she changes her (still young) mind and returns to film.

Albert Brooks is one of my entertainment heroes, and his role here is different for him -- and he too is great.

There is a sweetness -- and I don't mean sugariness -- in this film that could make it worth watching even with a lesser cast, but with such a strong and lovable bunch, it is an almost perfect movie.

Cute

[CrystalSparkles4 · 10/10 · 24 November 2005]

I probably wouldn't be able to find one other person that I know that has seen this movie. But that doesn't say anything about the film, which I think is obnoxiously cute. The little girl Jeanie is SO wise in her youth, she's this typical spoiled, wild child that is left with this man (Nick Nolte) that she doesn't know and acts the way she should (which is mostly why I like the movies so much) It's realistic in it's portrayal of her. It's one of those movies that I only see when it comes on UPN Sunday mornings (which I believe another commented on ha-ha) but it's true. That's the only that that anyone will probably ever see it. Don't look for too much to happen during it, it's a flat plot but full of really good characters and nice crying scenes for the girls ha-ha.

Nick Nolte when you could still understand what he was saying

[robert-temple-1 · 8/10 · 29 April 2023]

It is always a pleasure to see Julie Kavner have a major role in a film. Her Woody Allen films (HANNAH AND HER SISTERS, 1986, RADIO DAYS, 1987, NEW YORK STORIES, 1989, ALICE, 1990, and SHADOWS AND FOG, 1991) established her as an irresistibly endearing character actress. (I have never seen her in any of the Simpsons productions, as I don't watch them.) So here she is, doing a great job again, and adding a lot to the film. The lead in the film is Nick Nolte. Amazingly, you can understand every word he says. I had forgotten that he was once able to speak. In his later years he has become Chief Mumbler, with a low voice which is semi-audible. He must have listened to some voice coach who told him the fallacious doctrine that the less people can understand of what you are saying, the more intently they will listen to and notice you. So many young actors now do this that it has become a plague. I call it Bubonic Mumbling. And not only can you understand what he is saying, but Nolte does a very good job of acting as well. There is one terrible performance in this film, and it is by the otherwise highly talented Tracey Ullman. Here she overacts and shouts and gets everything wrong, proving that there was no directorial guidance offered to her to calm her down and lower her voice please. But fortunately she only appears in the beginning of the film and then goes off to serve her time in prison, where all people who over-act should go for correction and punishment. Having trashed Ullman, I now praise Joely Richardson. She had a very tough job to do. She had to pretend to be spontaneously and uncontrollably in love with Nick Nolte. OMG! The reason this was unconvincing was not due to any acting deficiency on her part, but because she was simply too beautiful, lively, and delightful, whereas Nolte was a bit dreary to say the very least. So 'boy did she have to struggle', as they say in America, to try to make us believe she could not control her passion every time she set eyes on Nolte. So, full marks to Joely Richardson for forcing us to believe her, against all the evidence of our senses. Another excellent performance in this film, and frankly the leading lady (!), was delivered by the wildly talented child actress Whittni Wright, aged seven, who plays Nolte's daughter. (Wright did one more film the next year and then retired from the screen aged 8. Eleven years later she came back, making two more films in 2006 and 2008, both times uncredited. Whittni, please come back, we need you!) She has the most tremendous acting range, and can go from the most violent screaming brat tantrum to the softest and gentlest lovey dovey cuddly stuff. And what is more, she can flip from one to another in a split second. The story of the film is that Nolte is an unsuccessful struggling AC-TOR whose wife (Ullman) left him with their tiny daughter a few years earlier. Suddenly he is summoned to collect the daughter for a visit with her father, which is not entirely true, as Ullman is in custody of a federal marshal who as soon as the child is removed he handcuffs and takes off to prison for several years. In other words, Nolte is suddenly stuck with this temperamental but very bright daughter whom he barely knows, and of course he has no job and no money. And so we go on from there. The film is very amusing and often harrowing, but I consider it a conspicuous success. It was directed by James L. Brooks, one of the writers for THE SIMPSONS and for Tracey Ullman, hence Ullman and Kavner being in this film. Brooks wrote and directed TERMS OF ENDEARMENT (1983), a huge hit, and other films of note.

Kind of flat comedy... or drama?

[Wizard-8 · 19 June 2017]

It would be very interesting to see the original cut of this movie, which was a musical but had its songs cut out after a test audience indicated that the songs in the movie were terrible. (I'm surprised that not even a bootleg of this cut has leaked out.) I will entertain the possibility that the songs were indeed bad and that the movie was improved by the reworking. But as it is, the movie isn't particularly successful. It does have some interesting behind- the-scenes moments that show the working of the Hollywood machine behind the curtains, and the performances aren't that bad. However, the movie can't seem to make up its mind whether it is a comedy or a drama. It might have been possible to mix those two genres, but as it is here, the two extremes don't seem to fit together. Also, the key relationship in the movie - between the Nick Nolte character and his daughter - seems for the most part not very in-depth, so much so that the emotional ending doesn't seem deserved. The kind of slow pace of the movie as well as its length (almost two hours) doesn't help matters. It's not actively bad, but there's not much that will stick in your mind after watching it.