There are many roles and different actors who play them. Some roles are suited for them others, not. In this Isreal Horovitz's story, Arthur Hiller directs Al Pacino as a Broadway playwright, a role he should have passed. Despite all his great talent, this superb thespian barely attained credibility as Ivan Travalian. Here is a man who by his own admission, was an orphan. There too but for his own efforts, go his many children. Ivan is trying desperately to finish his latest play, while struggling to hold on to his philandering wife Gloria (Tuesday Weld). Personal struggles find him doing his best to understand his troubles, while knowing that what he is doing is the right thing. If that were not enough, with his wife leaving him, Ivan finds Solis in his choice for a leading lady Alice Detroit (Dyan Cannon) a woman who wants him, but not his mix of a family. The story is comedic in rendering, but serious in its nature. With the likes of a true comedy team like Bob and Ray and the late great Alan King, it becomes fascinating to await its outcome. A good story with an over-weight talent like Pacino is like trying to shoot a squirrel with a cannon. ***

Sometimes you just have to sit back and enjoy something for the incredible richness of it's characters the story and the backdrop! NYC circa 1982. That fact in itself added to Al Pacino, Dyan Cannon and a sweet funny script make it pretty cool. This movie is hard for me to watch because I am from NYC and was a teen at the time of the release of this movie and it brings back so many awesome memories it's kind of hard to handle. Anyway I love you guys, pardon my sugary delivery but I'm in a weird mood. Watch this movie, just saw it in HD for the very first time. Ps, Al Pacino is simply the best actor of our time, no matter what the role!

I caught this one on the TV and frankly speaking this is from Al Pacino's lean period in the eighties. The movie is enjoyable but I was astounded by the dysfunction inherent in the characters. Wow! This is kind of situation I never thought possible in anybody's life. Apparently I was wrong. At first I thought this was a script resulting from an epiphany of a humorous writer but catching shows like Oprah and Dr. Phil I realize there are families which are like the characters of this movie.OK! Al Pacino is this famous Broadway playwright who is writing a play whose opening day isn't far off given the fact that the play isn't even finished. He is this family man who lives with his beautiful wife (Tuesday Weld) and a bunch of kids who you at first assume to be his. Surprise! Surprise! These are an assortment of kids from Pacino's character's previous marriage, current marriage and most of them from his wife's previous unions. Curiously enough these kids are crazy about him and they love each other very much. The problem starts when Pacino's wife tells him that she is leaving him for another man leaving all the kids with him (they prefer to be with him anyway). After that starts this crazy comedy of errors where he tries to finish the play before its deadline, get his wife back, romances the lead actress of his play and send the kids to their actual fathers from where they run away back to him getting the law involved. Its outrageous and hilarious at the same time.Its funny but may not appeal to the funny side of many people (which may have decided it's box-office fate). What amazed me was how the children loved and sympathized with Pacino's character and even advised him against getting back with their mom. Weird! But funny and touching.Anyway many of you may not like it but I assure you that you will not be bored!

Some comments would have you believe that this movie is annoying and stupid. Don't believe that for a minute. It is an unfair assessment of what movies were like in the 80's (not 70's as was indicated in a previous comment).It seems pretty obvious that if you were old enough during the early 80's, goof-ball comedy and romantic comedy were at its peak (Check out some Neil Simon, Blake Edwards, Dudley Moore, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Dan Ackroyd, Harold Ramis, Goldie Hawn to name a few). The theme songs are soft and melodic. This movie is no exception. If you expect something much more, then you are in for a disappointment.Synopsis: Ivan Trevellan (Al Pacino), a playwright, has a deadline to finish his play. Along the way, he struggles to keep his marriage, provide support to five children (in which four of the five are his wife's from previous marriages) and deal with his demanding producer and director.