Living Out Loud

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Living Out Loud ★★ 1998 (R)

Judith (Hunter) is dumped by her cardiologist husband for a younger women and spirals downward into depression. Of course, this leads to dramatic self-discovery, and Judith opens her eyes to the world around her, including the nice-guy elevator operator (DeVito) in her building. The two wallow in their respective personal loss and form an unlikely friendship, which teeters on becoming something more. Screenwriter LaGravanese tries his hand at directing but delivers a choppy, hard-to-believe tale of female independence and self-fulfillment. The reliable Hunter seems miscast; she's just too intense and jittery to appear sullen and reflective. DeVito gives his usual excellent performance, but also appears miscast as the debt-ridden gambler who catches Judith's refined eye. Significant events take place off-screen and the audience is left to fill in the blanks. 102m/C VHS, DVD . Holly Hunter, Danny DeVito, Queen Latifah, Martin Donovan, Elias Koteas, Richard Schiff; D: Richard LaGravenese; W: Richard LaGravenese; C: John Bailey; M: George Fenton.