Living out loud is little more than “just another 90’s comedy slash drama”. Sure, it feels like it’s from the 90’s, in the kind of way only a 90’s movies can, but unlike some of the nonsense the 90’s Hollywood cranked out, I get the sense that the director (Richard LaGravenese) had some things to say, and those things boil down to a message of inspiration and a message of “life sucks, deal with it.” The film presents us with the somewhat parallel stores of Judith Moore, a recently divorced nurse, and Pat Francato, a retired gambler, now working as a doorman in Judith’s apartment building. These main characters are played by Holly Hunter and Danny DeVito, respectively. The two cross paths in an elevator, and reach out to each other forming a much-needed friendship.
It becomes rather obvious early on that despite the two main characters, this film is really about Judith. Pat’s story is touching, but it’s something we’ve all seen before: a person makes all the wrong decisions, and struggles to get back on their feet late in life. Judith’s story is by no means original, but her means of coping with her situation provide the audience with some interesting scenes. She goes through phases, starting with a sort-of mental breakdown followed by a rebellious period and finally coming to terms with who she really is. She realizes how much she changed and sacrificed for her marriage, and that becomes one of the most important messages in this film. Judith discovers this in a series of day-dreams, where she remembers the kind of person she once was and/or the kind of person she wants to be. Her unlikely friendship with nightclub performer Liz Bailey (Queen Latifah) becomes a catalyst that feeds her overall theme, “be true to one’s self.”
The film’s primary flaw resides in the awkward romantic relationship that begins between Pat and Judith. Critic James Berardinelli, however, finds the relationship appealing, "Obviously, the friendship is at the core of Living Out Loud. It's carefully developed never to go too far too fast, and both of the characters are intensely sympathetic." But in all actuality, this is a relationship that any unbiased third party would label “unrealistic,” which I find to be an interesting concept. Why is it so difficult to imagine these two people in a happy healthy relationship? Is it physical? Is it their backgrounds? Whatever the reasons, it causes the audience to be concerned with the outcome of that particular topic, and that takes away from the actual focus of the story. This film also boasts actors Queen Latifah and Danny DeVito, but in all actuality, they have rather minor roles in comparison to Holly Hunter. Perhaps if the director had chosen to make the roles more even to create more of an ensemble cast, it would have made a stronger film.
There isn’t much to say in terms of the actors’ performances. Holly Hunter certainly explored her character in great detail, but DeVito and Latifah didn’t have as much to work with, so their performances are less memorable. The music managed to elevate this mediocre film, as Michael Dequina states, "LaGravenese makes up for his occasional missteps with his musical choices. George Fenton composed the silky score, which effectively extends the mellow jazz/R&B sounds beyond the walls of the nightclub. The smooth, soothing soundtrack could not be a better fit." Looking at this film ten years after its release, I am not at all surprised with how it was received. Living Out Loud is not a bad film, but it’s not really a good film either. It probably attracted a following with some small demographic, but it wasn’t enough to call the film a success.
