# Living Out Loud (1998)

### reviewed by
Michael Redman

    Living painful but real

    Living Out Loud
    A Film Review By Michael Redman
    Copyright 1998 By Michael Redman

Middle-aged Judith Nelson (Holly Hunter) is finally discovering what life is about. Until this point, she's been sheltered by her own choices. "At least I'm married. At least I'm safe." Now that her cardiologist husband has left her for a younger woman, she's on her own and it's frightening.

Like many others in life-changing situations, she becomes numbed. Confused as to what to do, she sits alone in her apartment watching television and eating dinners for one. When she ventures out to a jazz club and is accidentally kissed by a total stranger, she awakens to the world around her.

On returning to her building, she notices elevator operator Pat (Danny DeVito) for the first time. He's not her type, but they become close friends: two lonely people huddled together for comfort.

Pat's unrequited lover for Judith is painful to watch. He's willing to do anything for her although he realizes that there is little chance that she will ever return his affections. You'll cringe as she sends for a buffed-up "masseuse" who promises to deliver extra services and Pat has to let him in and out of the building.

Judith experiments with her new world. She returns to the club in search of that perfect stranger. She never re-connects with him but does form a friendship with singer Liz Bailey (Queen Latifah), a woman she would never have met previously. Later she takes an unidentified drug (probably XTC) and can't resist briefly touching Pat, giving him false hope. Then she heads out to a lesbian disco with Liz. She's alive for the first time, but she's not sure where she's going.

Pat is DeVito's best role to date. Understated, he is a real person: desperate but not blind. Hunter comes across as a three-dimensional woman. Unfortunately she's also something of an irritating character and not nearly as easy to warm up to as DeVito. Queen Latifah is a surprisingly impressive actress.

First-time director Richard LaGravenese has had extraordinary success as a scriptwriter with "The Fisher King", "The Horse Whisperer" and "Bridges Of Madison County". He can add this tale of forlorn people in the early stages of coming alive to the list.

[This appeared in the 11/12/98 "Bloomington Independent", Bloomington, Indiana. Michael Redman can be contacted at Redman@indepen.com.]

-- mailto:redman@indepen.com This week's film review at http://www.indepen.com/ Film reviews archive at http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Michael%20Redman

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