First Monday in October | | Cast : | Walter Matthau, Jill Clayburgh | | Director : | Ronald Neame | | Studio : | Paramount Home Video | | Format : | Color, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | August 21, 1981 | | DVD Released Date : | July 06, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 02, 2005 | | Summary | See the Lysol Lady of Orange County | Content
 | Long before Sandra Day O'Conner (In 1981 President Reagan appointed her to the U.S. Supreme Court) there was a play about the first woman on the Supreme Court.
This movie "First Monday in October" (1981) chronicles the potential problems of allowing such a radical act to happen. It involves momentum engines and cabals. This is a great supporting cast; try to remember where you saw them before.
Justice Dan Snow (Walter Matthau) and Justice Ruth Hagadorn Loomis (Jill Clayburgh) play off each other as they are politically polarized (not necessarily left vs. right) over several subjects. While banding around they come to realize that they have more in common personally than differences. The story shows how they learn from each other and cope with adversity. We have fun in the meantime watching the interaction.
Be sure to look for blue birds and cherry blossoms.
You may notice that we are also introduced to a large dose of Handle's Water Music. Most Walter Matthau chooses many classical pieces of music for his movies. This music was also played in the Charles and Camilla at the religious blessing.
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| Rating | | | Date | April 07, 2005 | | Summary | Worth watching but fails to live up to its potential | Content
| Matthau was a veteran actor and Clayburgh was a rising star in Hollywood when this movie was made. This is a lightweight comedy-drama. There is some great verbal sparring between the two and you expect the movie to put them in situations that can take advantage of it but unfortunately the plot is not up to the standard of the actors.
Clayburgh plays the first woman to be appointed to the US Supreme Court. Mathhau is one of the current Justices, a crusty veteran who doesn't get along with anyone else. The plot calls for Clayburgh to beconservative and Matthau a liberal. This helps get the verbal sparring going early.
Unfortunately the plot starts to bog down and is a disappointment after the initial promise shown. The writers create some sexual tension between the two as Clayburgh and Matthau's characters get to know each other and understand where the other is coming from, each develops a deeper appreciation of the other while still disagreeing with the other's viewpoint. Unfortunately this tension is never released as nothing ever happens between the two.
The plot really starts to sag when we find out that Clayburgh's ex-husband's company is implicated in a case that casts aspersions on Clayburgh's professional ethics. There are some elements of the real-life Whitewater case so perhaps the writers ran out of ideas and borrowed from the headlines in the newspaper. In any case this subplot is very uninteresting and the movie ends leaving you feeling it could have been so much better.
Still, its a movie worth watching if only for the first half. Its pretty lightweight so don't expect too much. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 27, 2005 | | Summary | Great Story - Great Cast | Content
| First Monday in October is a wonderful story, Walter Matthau is outstanding and funny as the irascible "Great Dissenter". Jill Clayburgh's "Madame Justess" presents a great foil and she carries off the role with aplomb. Filled with great lines and wonderful debates, this movie is well worth watching again and again. |
| Rating | | | Date | September 11, 2004 | | Summary | The makings of a television movie | Content
| I had great expectations for this movie, as it included one of the greatest actors of all time, Walter Matthau, as well as, what I thought would be, great subject matter. So sad that the serious subject of in-fighting among the Supreme Court Justices was reduced to a sitcom-like depth.
Neither character seemed to truly represent a mindset (liberal or conservative), but rather, they seemed to argue for no apparent reason. Perhaps some scenes setting up their conflict were deleted?
Regardless, while Matthau is enjoyable to watch, no matter what the script, this was one of his weakest. There are even moments when the viewer has to stop the movie and go..."hey, wait a minute!"...as when the Justices enter the Smithsonian in pouring rain, and come out minutes later to snow, and plowed sidewalks!!!
As for the DVD...it was also extremely weak. It contains no extras (not even a trailer). Some background on the Supreme Court would have been excellent. But then, I guess that would be assuming that this movie was meant to be thought-provoking, which it obviously isn't.
The widescreen transfer is fine. The picture is reasonably sharp, and it isn't hampered by grain. Too bad it was wasted on this movie. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 30, 2004 | | Summary | Among My Top 5 | Content
| '"Bet you anything" that Sandra D. Oconner thoroughly appreciated this "right on the mark" movie. |
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