Dating is a heck hole, and this movie prooves it. I think the story is great since everyone has been there, and the acting is real, so you don't feel that these people are just examples in some Lifetime film. I would of given it a higher rating except that during the middle, it slows down, and makes a person lose interest. So, if you are going to see it, try fast forwarding through the middle for full enjoyment, because not only will you miss the boredom, but you also won't have to see Martin Short naked.
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Crowbot-215 January 2001
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SnoopyStyle24 January 2016David Morgan (Martin Short) and Kathy (Annette O'Toole) are going on their third date. They like each other but both are hiding something. Kathy is consulted by her sister Nancy (Joanna Kerns) about not yet revealing her young daughter Jessica. David just got fired from his job. His friend Bruce Gaynor (Paul Reiser) offers him the use of his new car and apartment. The date starts off badly with the car getting stolen.
This is mostly a two-hander in an apartment. The story is a bit of hit-and-miss. The dialog could be sharper. The directions are simple. This is all about the charms of Short and O'Toole. They are an endearing couple. It's worthwhile to see this for their fans. -
d_nuttle7 March 2007And by date movie, I don't mean it's a movie you'd take a date to; it's a movie about a date. Two twenty-somethings (though Short was pushing 40 when the movie was made) on their third date. The Montgomery Clift impersonation is memorable, and the only real flash of Short's comic genius. The extended gratuitous nudity is also memorable, in a very different way. Everything else is tepid and flat. Short's character is at best mildly charming but not at all interesting. O'Toole is breathy and a little spacey and certainly attractive but not at all interesting. At one point she pulls one of those trashy woman's magazine "quizzes" out of her purse and starts asking Short questions like, "How many women have you slept with?" He refuses to take it seriously. So does the viewer. He responds with a sarcastic question of his own. She refuses to take it seriously. So does the viewer.
Most of the dialog and plot (the latter of which comprise just enough to get them alone in Short's apartment) are equally stilted and obvious and clichéd. The premise of each character holding back secrets from the other seems tacked on to me. An effort to inject a little "drama". To sum up, she resists falling into bed, and then she falls into bed anyway. It's kind of an extended wish-fulfillment for young bucks. "Yeah...that's just how it would go. Play hard to get...I like that."
The Montgomery Clift impersonation, however, is memorable. (Even then, the point is supposed to be that she doesn't get it. Considering that this movie more or less marked the end of Short as a movie star in lead roles, it's a little poignant now to see a scene in which his comic genius is wasted on a pretty dolt. Taking a straight-up role as a suave lady-killer was a big mistake. His loyal audience was probably not interested in seeing this movie.) And did I mention the extended gratuitous nudity? The latter almost gives the last part of the movie a made-for-Cinemax feel. Let's just say that the camera is not shy in telling us where to focus our attention. It's very well done, and it has its, ahem, appeal. But I don't mistake that for "romantic comedy." This is routine sexual conquest bracketed with mostly boring dialog. -
mcfly-3112 June 2006This film has an odd effect on people. Some are bored because it details their own dating life so perfectly, yet others crack up laughing because of the same reason. But that's generally why we like slice-of-life movies, because we can relate to them. Even though I first saw this when I was 13, I found it amusing anyway (sex-bomb O'Toole didn't hurt either). But as I got older and into the dating/relationship scene, the film then became even funnier. We all have our white lies, and secrets, and hesitations because we think this person we like so much will run away screaming if we open up about our bad habits or truths. This is carried out perfectly by Short and O'Toole, in a sort of My Dinner With Andre atmosphere. They grapple with if they should have sex or not after three dates, and also things they are concealing from each other. Short moreso, as his scheme to impress her turns into one tap dance after another. Borrowing a friend's car and apartment, and hiding the fact that he just got canned at work. Short shines during these moments, when a suspicious O'Toole questions him about things that don't seem tied to his character. The film will lag here and there for you, but if you lived this stuff, it should provide a lot of fun. And it being the late 80s, the safe-sex angle is played up big time, complete with a magazine survey that O'Toole hatches on Short. He actually does pretty well as a romantic lead, and O'Toole....hoo, boy. Young and old males alike will fall for her character big time. Charming, busty, and sexy, all in one. A great score as well, with pop songs and a catchy harmonica score. Track this lost gem down if you can.
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walternefflives5 August 2019It's one of those dialogue-heavy, single night movies that's not quite as clever or funny as the filmmakers think it is. A big problem with the arc of the story is the lies generated between the two leads are a bit too big, so forgiveness is a stretch.
Thankfully, it's not a total bust. Short and O'Toole are good here, and the movie is able to coast along on their chemistry. -
davidkennedy-9108711 July 2019Martin Short and Annette O'Toole end up making for a compelling couple in Cross My Heart. It centers around two people lying during their 3rd date to make sure things continue to go well and, of course, this ends in comedic disaster. There's not much to this movie and, at times, it feels almost like a play (it mostly takes place in the apartment Short has borrowed from a friend to make it seem like he lives better than he does), but Short and O'Toole's chemistry keep things moving and alive.
Cross My Heart doesn't reinvent any genres, but it's a fun enough time. -
cynthiadlina29 August 2005This movie was boring. It was like every bad date I ever had. Every painful date. Ugh! It went on and on through an entire evening of a third date trying to decide whether they should be honest about who they really are or just sleep together and avoid the realities of life. It was painful as he tried to get her into bed. He lost his likability as he kept pushing her into it. I saw no chemistry between them, it's like they had been married forever. Could I relate to this sequence? Yes! But was it entertaining? NO! Sorry, but I felt I wasted an evening on this. And I love Paul Reiser! The ending was nice but it took a long time to get there. I hope this helps someone, I write this because if I had read this, I would have saved my evening!
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NoDakTatum19 November 2023Unlikely romantic duo Annette O'Toole and Martin Short star in this sometimes labored romantic comedy. David (Martin Short) and Kathy (Annette O'Toole) are respectively getting ready for their all important third date. The two get along well enough, but they are keeping secrets from each other. Kathy has a daughter (Jessica Puscas), and David has just lost his job. David borrows best friend Bruce's (Paul Reiser) car and apartment, and the evening begins. Right away, the car is stolen by a fake valet. The couple tries to salvage the night back at David's (Bruce's), and David begins lying more and more to cover up his rotten day. Kathy is also trying to cover up, calling her sister (Joanna Kerns), who is babysitting daughter Jessica. David and Kathy make love, but their secrets eventually get revealed.
O'Toole and Short make a winning couple. This is not a romantic comedy where everything goes perfectly, even the misunderstandings. The characters feel like real people. Kathy and David's extended sex scene is one of the most realistic ever put on film, and their anger at each other is totally believable. The supporting cast is good, especially Reiser. I did have a problem with the middle section of the film. The total running time is about ninety minutes, and the middle section of the film takes place at Bruce's funky neon apartment. This entire sequence had "failed stage play" written all over it. It was fun to watch Kathy and David size each other up, yet there were some scenes where the actors were not able to save an overwhelming draggy feel. The romantic comedy does work in that it is romantic, and it is funny. Short is very restrained here, yet his character's humor comes naturally. His Montgomery Clift impression is funny, but it is made funnier when Kathy has no idea who Clift was. O'Toole's work is nothing short of inspiring- she is so effortless and natural. Both characters have just enough flaws to make them sympathetic, without crossing over into out and out annoyance. Bernstein's direction is good, he does keep the pace moving overall, and does not result to camera tricks to keep the audience awake. His style in Bruce's apartment reminded me of Leonard Nimoy's ability to turn the bachelors' apartment into another character in "Three Men and a Baby." "Cross My Heart" is not a "great" film, but it is full of enough solid laughs and performances to make it a good date video. It might even get you talking to your partner on that all important third date. -
Merely29 May 2008I am perplexed, baffled and confounded by the GLOWING user comments for this movie.
It completely falls flat. It is at times even awkward to watch. The chemistry between the lead actors is non existent. Martin Short phones his performance in. I also believe he was confused about who his character was even supposed to be. He went from cad to caring and back again SO many times I couldn't keep track.
I think "David" acted like a jerk and didn't understand why "Kathy" would want anything to do with him.
There is NOTHING funny about this movie. "Innerspace" made the same year is a much better choice for a Short flick. -
bkoganbing12 February 2012Cross My Heart has Martin Short and Annette O'Toole as a pair of thirty somethings now on their third date. The film explores the issue of the fine line between putting your best foot forward to make an impression and how easily that can cross over into lying. Both Short and O'Toole are guilty of that.
With O'Toole it's a sin of omission, she hasn't brought up the fact that she does have a small daughter thinking that it can and has before scared away some potential serious involvement. Short doesn't want her to know he's been laid off and his prospects aren't looking good at the moment.
In fact Short really puts on the dog for this all important third date, borrowing friend Paul Reiser's car and apartment. In the end it's a lesson in love and honesty.
Cross My Heart was Martin Short's attempt at being a traditional leading man and he just falls way short no pun intended of being a romantic figure. I liked him a whole lot better in Captain Ron or The Three Amigos. This is just not his cup of tea. -
9/10. This is a small, intimate, comedic romance in which most of the story takes place in one apartment on one night. I imagine that it is the kind of set-piece film that actors and writers who love their profession look forward to doing. I painfully identified with David, had some laughs, marvelled at O'Toole's beauty, charm, and talent, and probably over-analyzed an entertainment that is not meant to be an exhaustive study on sexual relations in our secular society. Nevertheless, it seems to honestly portray a plausibly awkward third date between two ordinary, nice, intelligent, but nearly amoral adults. If you've only seen Short do caricatures and impressions, then you might be pleasantly surprised by him here. O'Toole is so believably natural that she doesn't seem to be acting. That impresses me when I consider how much of herself she must have revealed to Short and a set full of men with cameras, microphones, and lights. It must have been rated R because of the nudity and sexuality since there is, thankfully, little coarse language and no violence. *** Possible Spoilers Follow *** One lies about his employment status while the other conceals that she is a single mother. The moral issues of pre-marital sex and the need for a responsible father for the child are implicit in the story but are finally avoided by two characters who are motivated most by feelings. I didn't give it 10/10 because of the implausible plot device of a car theft. However, most might find it an acceptable way to facilitate a happy ending in this genre.
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Middling comedy of the filmed stage play variety. Two people (Martin Short, Annette O'Toole) are on a date and "tonight's the night gonna be alright" you know the drill. It's basically ninety minutes of two characters talking. If this is remembered for anything today it's for Annette O'Toole being topless. I'm sure she and many of you reading this aren't happy with that but that's life. Boobs trump most things and hers were quite nice.
Look, it's a pretty forgettable movie that even the most ardent admirer of 80s cinema will be unimpressed by. The stars are likable enough but there's no story really so it's not very interesting. It's kind of like a romantic comedy version of My Dinner with Andre. I do like the kitschy apartment, the Smokey Robinson song, and of course the boobs. -
bobm550811 September 2003I realize that Annette O'Toole has had a respectable career, but why didn't she get to be a megastar? She is beautiful, funny, sexy, hot, radiant and not totally unattractive!! Yikes!! She gives the most natural performance I have ever seen in a romantic comedy. And even more shocking, is matched (almost) step for step by Martin Short. After seeing this, that Jiminy Glick shtick is way beneath him. As for the movie, it is an admittedly talky, mainly one set, two character affair, but that's the fun. Crackling, witty dialogue lets the character's (and actor's) personalities shine through (i.e. "my impersonation of Montgomery Clift"). With brief, but yeoman support from Paul Reiser, this is an underrated gem. And did I mention that Annette O'Toole is breathtakingly gorgeous!!! The original movie version's nudity is something to be remembered, but handled so well that it plays much better than the edited for TV versions. Either way, this is entertainment as likable as it gets.
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BandSAboutMovies16 July 2022Armyan Bernstein is usually known as a producer, but he directed and co-wrote this movie with Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman co-creator Gail Parent.
It has similarities to When Harry Met Sally as David Morgan (Martin Short) and Kathy (Annette O'Toole) -- our lead couple -- are continually advised by their respective friends Bruce (Paul Reiser) and Nancy (Joanna Kerns). Now, they prepare themselves for their third date, the one where they may finally make love, and more importantly the one where they'll reveal themselves for better or worse to one another.
It's an interesting film, as I never saw Short as a sexual romantic lead before and there it is. This is a movie where their conversation nearly happens in real time. O'Toole is gorgeous and if you have a strange crush on short, well...allow this to be your film. -
Hey_Sweden30 September 2017Funnyman Martin Short and the incredibly sexy Annette O'Toole deliver ingratiating performances in this engaging romantic comedy. They play David and Kathy, two adults about to go on their all- important third date. Unfortunately, the inability of both of them to relax and just be themselves leads to various lies. He's ashamed to admit that he just lost his job, so his best friend Bruce (Paul Reiser) loans him his apartment & car so he can make a good impression. Meanwhile, she's afraid of scaring him off should he learn that she already has a six year old kid.
This is almost a two character movie, that could also work pretty well on the stage. Written by Gail Parent and director Armyan Bernstein, it's an appealing look at modern (in 1987, anyway) dating and relationships. What's impressive about the script is its observational humour and insights into these things. But what really makes the movie work is that Short and O'Toole are so endearing. You do like these characters and want all problems to be resolved.
Granted, some humour is predictable. We all KNOW that when David drapes his clothes over a lamp, that there will inevitably be a fire. And we know that things will get fairly bad before they can start to get better.
Short might not be anybody's idea of a leading man, but he's charming to watch regardless. O'Toole is the real joy; a guy really could fall in love with her. Reiser and TV sitcom mom Joanna Kerns ('Growing Pains') offer fine support.
There is some rather tastefully done sex and nudity as well, in what has to rank as one of the more under appreciated comedies of the 1980s.
Eight out of 10. -
David (Martin Short) and Kathy (Annette O'Toole) have made it pleasantly through their first two dates. Although they are both eagerly looking forward to the third one, each is a bit apprehensive. This is because the duo has been slow in revealing important facts about their lives. Kathy's secrets are she is a smoker and has a young daughter. David has just lost his job but has told Kathy he received a promotion. The first part of their date goes smoothly but things change when they find David's car has been stolen. The couple eventually ends up in David's apartment, leaving the viewer with a question. When will the secrets tumble out and will they make a difference?
This is a cute movie about the precarious nature of dating. Most couples start off superficially and David and Kathy are no exception. Yet, when the reality starts to sink in, will they still like each other and want to keep the relationship going? One hot topic is sex and it's awkwardness is covered here with accuracy and humor. The principal actors play their parts well and are very likeable. While not a runaway hit, Cross My Heart delivers a sweet and sly portrait of the dating world. Most viewers will have a good time. -
aromatic-211 March 2000The chemistry and friendship between O'Tools and Short exhibited here makes me wish the two had re-teamed with richer material. As is, this movie about trying to be what you think the other person wants you to be is a pleasant diversion. Good support from Reiser and Kerns add to a good, if unremarkable, time.
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SCTV Fan9 February 1999When I rented this movie I thought aww man Reisers gonna flub it up. But I was was wrong it's simply magical and shows how real dates go instead of all these yuppie movies made by one hit wonders. Reiser is very good O'toole is charming and Short is Amazing (as always). See it!