A Little Sex (1982) Universal/Comedy RT: 95 minutes Rated R (nudity, language, mature themes) Director: Bruce Paltrow Screenplay: Bob DeLaurentis Music: Georges Delerue Cinematography: Ralf D. Bode Release date: April 2, 1982 (US) Cast: Tim Matheson, Kate Capshaw, Edward Herrmann, John Glover, Joan Copeland, Susanna Dalton, Wendie Malick, Wallace Shawn. Box Office: $2.3M (US)
Rating: ** ½
Rarely has a movie been so up front in its title about its sexual content as A Little Sex, an adult comedy from Bruce Paltrow (yes, Gwyneth’s dad!) about marriage and infidelity. There is very little sex in A Little Sex despite its main character being a womanizer. It’s talked about, suggested, hinted at and even joked about but never shown. It’s not explored beyond a superficial level either which I guess is okay since the characters are pretty superficial themselves.
There were a lot of adult-oriented comedies like A Little Sex in the late 70s/early 80s period. You know the ones I mean, the ones dealing with marriage, sex and adultery. They’re the movies our parents went to see while we stayed home with a babysitter or the grandparents. I can probably come up with a dozen examples on the spot but I’ll refrain since I trust that you can do the same. One thing I’m sure of, we’re all thinking of Blake Edwards’ 10. Tell me I’m wrong and I’ll show you the way to Macho Grande.
I tried to watch A Little Sex when it premiered on cable in April ’83, but never made it all the way through. At 15, I thought it was boring. I never even thought about trying again until recently when I came across a copy and thought “Why not?” All I could remember about it was the burning cigarette in the opening credits sequence- but NOT the Melissa Manchester song “Your Place or Mine” on the soundtrack- and the scene where the central couple is buying a new bed. Beyond that, I had nothing so it was kind of like seeing it for the first time…. again.
Michael (Matheson, Animal House) asks his girlfriend Katherine (Capshaw, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) to marry him after dating for two years and living together for ten months of it. They’re a nice enough couple. He directs TV commercials; she teaches at an all-girls Catholic grade school. They live in the version of New York you only see in romantic comedies, one where everybody is friendly and muggers aren’t hiding in every alley. It’s a place where it’s okay to play harmless jokes on little old ladies at the fruit stands that seem to be on every corner.
Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Michael thinks they ought to get married because it’s time. There’s just one problem. He’s a big time womanizer. He’s irresistible to women especially the young attractive sort. They come on to him constantly. He doesn’t seem to know the word “no”. However, he’s confident that marriage will cure him of his weakness. He even makes a bet with his wise older brother Tommy (Hermann, Reds) that he can remain faithful to Katherine once they’re married. Of course, it doesn’t work out that way and she leaves him. He spends the rest of the movie trying to win her back.
Now that I’ve seen A Little Sex in its entirety, I can make an informed opinion on it. It’s not terrific or terrible; it’s slightly above mediocre. I’m giving it a wee bit of leeway because frankly, it’s better than much of the crappola that passes for comedy today. I laughed- not hard, mind you- at a few scenes like the one I mentioned earlier about buying a new bed. The salesgirl tells Katherine it’s okay to lay on it to fully check the comfort level. Michael, in the guise of a stranger, comes along and asks if he can lie next to her. After an “intro” and some small talk, they decide to take the bed for a (fake) test run. They get under the covers and proceed to simulate sex while the salesgirl stands there horrified. It’s hardly the behavior you expect in a real adult comedy- i.e. a comedy about real adults as opposed to teens in their 30s- but it’s still amusing.
Strangely, A Little Sex is rather refreshing in that it doesn’t feel the need to be mean-spirited. If it was made today, it would likely have the scorned wife getting even with her unfaithful husband by sabotaging his life as well as that of his mistress. The humor would be cruel, spiteful and probably involve bodily fluids. That wasn’t the usual scenario back when A Little Sex was made. When Katherine learns of Michael’s infidelity, she reacts like a normal adult. She walks out on him. She goes through all the usual stages- e.g. anger, not speaking to him, yelling at him and tears. She doesn’t vandalize his car, ruin his career or lace his food with bodily substances. It’s a nice change of pace although I doubt young people share this opinion.
Matheson is actually quite good in A Little Sex even if he is playing a cheater who doesn’t (or won’t) understand the impact of his actions until it’s (almost) too late. Aside from that one huge character flaw, he’s a nice guy. In his spare time at work, he makes videos where he read naptime stories for his wife’s first-graders (I think) dressed as “The Sandman”. In one scene, he comforts a little girl injured during a field hockey game (Katherine’s the coach). There’s a sweetness to A Little Sex largely absent in modern comedies.
Capshaw is also good as the wronged wife who moves in with her ex, a classical musician played by John Glover (52 Pick-Up), until things are sorted out. It’s her first film role following a stint on the soap opera The Edge of Night. She has nice chemistry with Matheson. Hermann does solid work as the brother imparting his wisdom to his younger sibling. The cast also includes Wallace Shaw as a work friend of Michael’s. He gives his usual fine performance, but did he ever have hair? Although younger, he doesn’t look too much different.
In any event, I like A Little Sex. That is to say, I don’t dislike it. It’s simplistic and predictable. It has nothing new to say about infidelity. It isn’t fall-down funny or hilarious. It’s amusing at best. It has likable actors who aren’t given much to work with. It’s like a made-for-TV movie with a little bad language and a little sex, TOO little sex if you ask me.
