Consenting Adults (1992)

“Most people will never know what it’s like to drive a boat at 100 miles per hour. Go to Jamaica for the weekend see the Grand Canyon from a hot air balloon. See what I’m saying, without money, you shrivel up. ” – Eddy Otis

Number of Times Seen – Twice (Theater in 1992 and 14 Jan 2018)

Brief Synopsis – A happily married couple’s lives are changed for the better when new neighbors move in next door.

My Take on it – I recall seeing this film in the theater when it came out in ’92 and it wasn’t that memorable so I only retained minor information in my mind as to what happened.

Kevin Kline is great in this film (just like he always is) and no matter what his character is accused of doing, we still feel the charm and want to constantly root for him.

One of the things that makes the first half of this film work so well is the chemistry that Kline has with the then unknown Kevin Spacey.

Shier characters quickly become best friends and it’s easy to feel that that budding relationship is real and genuine.

The problem here is that what starts off as a film about friendship, turns deadly and things just go completely downhill from there.

This film has so much wasted potential in its story and cast and I would have hoped for so much more than what they give us.

They turn on the 90’s thriller mode and let things cruise from there and it’s never able to recover from the spin.

Too much of the second half of the story feels like it’s following a template and loses all credibility quite quickly.

Bottom Line – Kline is great in this film as always and keeps us rooting for his the whole time. His chemistry with the up and coming Spacey works really well and their fast budding friendship feels quite genuine. The story gets a bit murky at around the mid point when it turns into a thriller and loses much of the appeal and potential that it seemed to have before that mark.  From that point on, the story becomes quite a mess and moves into normal 90’s thriller mode.

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – One of a cycle of thrillers made during the early 1990s which were set around husband and wife characters. The films include Malice (1993), Deceived (1991), Shattered (1991), Mortal Thoughts (1991), Unlawful Entry (1992), Presumed Innocent (1990), Guilty as Sin (1993), Sleeping with the Enemy (1991), and A Kiss Before Dying (1991). (From IMDB)

Rating – BAFTA Worthy

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