Grumpy Old Men

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Grumpy Old Men

PG-13,

1993,

1h 44m,

Comedy

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Watchlist

66%

44 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

100,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

66%

Tomatometer

44 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) are two curmudgeonly neighbors who have been at each other's throats for years. The rivalry of the former friends intensifies when Ariel (Ann-Margret) comes along and provides a love interest for both of them. When Max finds out that John is experiencing family troubles and financial ruin, however, he steps in to help. Their bond is further cemented when John has a health scare and Max makes the ultimate sacrifice for his friend.

Critics Consensus

Grumpy Old Men's stars are better than the material they're given -- but their comedic chemistry is so strong that whenever they share the screen, it hardly matters.

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Simon Rose

Empire Magazine

Aug 5, 2020

2/5

Watching Matthau and Lemmon in this vehicle is sometimes hard to stomach after knowing that they are worthy of so much more.

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Michael Wilmington

Chicago Tribune

Aug 5, 2020

2.5/4

They're two saints of sarcasm. And they work their magic here with only the flimsiest sitcom structure to support them.

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Adam Mars-Jones

Independent (UK)

Nov 15, 2017

In their prime, the by-play of these two (Lemmon and Matthau) was like an entertainingly bad marriage, but time has made their antagonism seem perfunctory, and the rapport that underlies it somehow smug.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Apr 6, 2025

3/4

...a slightly overlong yet predominantly affable comedy...

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Rob Lowing

The Sun-Herald (Australia)

Feb 28, 2024

2.5/4

This is formula comedy all the way but somehow the skimpy plot and rehashed situations prove amusing in a leisurely not irritating way.

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Cory Woodroof

615 Film

Jan 15, 2023

Oh, to have been a senior citizen at the height of the Grumpy Old Men films. What dreams may come.

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Finn G

Apr 3, 2019

Grumpy Old Men is still one of my favourite past time movies. The teaming of Matthau and Lemmon was never a problem, it was the story and filmmaker at the helm. This film is harmless and it has a lot of good intentions. The support cast are only there to service the plot, but are very one dimensional. Lemmon's character has a daughter who's husband is attempting to sort out his life, but that gets two minutes. A good film and one you can watch time to time without the over complicated storylines. The two lead characters are fun and play well together, it's just a shame the sequel failed to recapture the essence of the first film. 03/04/2019

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Feb 1, 2019

The best comedy movie ever made!

Poe W

Jan 29, 2019

Truly a classic and one of my favorite films. It's like the Odd Couple Movie, but the retired version! Matthau and Lemmon go great together in this timely classic! Also Ann-Margret with her wit and charm!

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Albus P

Jan 28, 2019

Look, it's funny. It's about the grumpiest elderly life you could imagine.

Dec 23, 2018

Grew up watching the movies of Lemon and Matthau. This is one of my favorites.

Leia G

Dec 19, 2018

Lemmon and Matthau's chemistry makes one of the best on screen comedy duos

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Donald Petrie

Director

Jack Lemmon

John Gustafson

Walter Matthau

Max Goldman

Ann-Margret

Ariel Truax

Daryl Hannah

Melanie

Buck Henry

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Synopsis

John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) are two curmudgeonly neighbors who have been at each other's throats for years. The rivalry of the former friends intensifies when Ariel (Ann-Margret) comes along and provides a love interest for both of them. When Max finds out that John is experiencing family troubles and financial ruin, however, he steps in to help. Their bond is further cemented when John has a health scare and Max makes the ultimate sacrifice for his friend.

Director: Donald Petrie
Producer: Richard C. Berman, John Davis
Screenwriter: Mark Steven Johnson
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Home Vídeo
Production Co: John Davis, Warner Brothers
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 1993, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 24, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $69.3M
Runtime: 1h 44m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo, Dolby
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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