Yes, I know the concept of a woman having an affair with a married man (even if it is her ex-husband) is not a really moral or spiritual event, but then again, a lot of the things that happen to us in this world aren't. To make myself absolutely clear, I don't approve of affairs or deceitful activities similar to them. But with that caveat, let me go on to say that this is a REAL funny movie. My wife and I, and our friend Susie, did not stop laughing through most of the film. I mean, with Meryl Streep (Jane), Steve Martin (Adam), and Alec Baldwin (Jake) how could it not be funny?

At best, most other critics have given It's Complicated a B- or worse. But I have to disagree. If you are looking for a fun and entertaining time, this is a great movie. Besides being worn out from laughing, I came away with some thoughts on the redeeming values of the film. Don't get me wrong; this was not an intellectual masterpiece to give you insight to some deeper meaning, but it did give me a few thoughts to ponder.

I think what garnered many of the poorer reviews was the fact that many critics felt the film was not very realistic, or as one critic called the film, a "menopausal romantic comedy"; or as Rolling Stone says, director Nancy Meyers "panders to another popular fem fantasy: conspicuous consumption." It amazes me that some people think the idea of people over 50 having sex is a joke. And that if people of that age haven't got it all figured out then they are total losers. I can tell you that people over 50 having sex is no joke and that most people of that age are still trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives. The director/producer/screenwriter, Nancy Meyers (What Women Want, Somethings Gotta Give, and The Holiday), tells a story about a contemporary woman who finds herself in a not uncommon situation of being divorced and trying to get her life together (after the kids leave the nest). The story is loosely based upon Nancy's own life experiences. Not that she had an affair with her ex-husband—at least I don't think so—but about post-divorce relationships. Being divorced myself I could easily relate to having to share my children's life with my ex-wife: having to attend graduations, running into each other at (almost always) awkward times, and having to balance a life where I have moved on with a life of still having to have a relationship with my ex.

I have met a number of women like Jane (played by Streep) in my life who have gotten their lives together after divorce. Many times they have focused on their children and that has helped them get things in order. But when the kids are gone, then the whole process has to start again. For many couples it is a matter of getting to know each other again and sometimes they have a greater love for each other than they did when children were in the house. For a divorced woman, and to a lesser degree for the man, you don't have this "rekindling of the relationship." So to me it is very realistic that Jane could be charmed back into the arms of her ex, someone she loved and shared a past life with. Whether female or male, we all long for companionship and someone to not only love us but to know us. And after divorce, while we can move forward, there is almost always doubt and fear, along with the resentment and anger.

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