I was so happy to see a movie with such a fantastic cast of old people - I especially love Shirley MacLain and Billy Connolly, and the rest of the cast was also good. However, the script went from mediocre to really bad, the plot was worse, and the whole thing nose-dived in the second half. Which is a shame, it had such potential. No wonder it never opened in the theaters. I wish they would redo it, write a decent plot with an improved script, and re-release it next year. They would only have to do the second half. The movie starts out with MacLain and Lange at the funeral of MacLain's husband. It goes on to show the widow receive a falsely made out check from his life insurance. One of the best scenes in the whole movie is her calling the insurance company to try to straighten out the mistake. Then the story already starts to go downhill. Why doesn't she just deposit the check without worrying about being arrested? Or just send it back and ask for a correct one with a payment of $50,000 instead of 5 million? Everything is overdone with no reason behind it. And it just gets steadily worse with very little good stuff in between. It is not even worth watching for the actors, as the script is abominable.
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chodorov5 October 2016
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ken5587 October 2016Both Shirley and Jessica are experienced talents capable of bringing to live a real topper script, compared to this humdrum 1980s TV movie script they've been saddled with.
If they had their hands on a truly competent script, these two would sizzle in both the comedic and dramatic aspects. The direction don't fare any much better, and all you get is a lazy evening mildly enjoyable fare.
Demi Moore is given next to nothing real to do here, except mouth tacky predictable soap opera lines ... another waste!
What wasted opportunity with such acting talents on hand!
Andy Tennant (Director here) just snoozing out another of his sub-par bland celluloid.
The producer, script writer, director ... all ought to be zip-locked and cast away into 80s TV movie land! -
Curly-422 October 2016MacLaine and Lange are terrific together. It wouldn't seem so given their individual careers and past performances. The movie itself is very nice. There are contrivances. But, a lot of movies do these days. The two lead actresses have great chemistry together. I would hope that more people will find the movie, and enjoy it. I was a little ahead of the story at one point, and hoping my thoughts would not come true. But, they did. Still, by that point, I'd bought into the movie. In other reviews, they talk about the script. The other characters could have been better written and fleshed out. So, I agree somewhat with the negative reviews. I would recommend the movie as something nice to watch on an afternoon.
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The film really started off well when retired history teacher Eve gets far too much extra money from her recently deceased husband's life insurance policy.
She flees with her best friend, Jessica Lange, who really steals the film with her acting to the Canary Islands.
The film begins to fall apart when MacLaine is the victim of a scam artist who takes the money she has won at the gambling table as well.
Enter Howard Hesseman as an agent from the insurance company threatening MacLaine with arrest, if the money is not returned.
Finding out where the scam artists have gone and the reason for their ways makes the film turn ridiculous at best. -
I'm giving this a 7 because of the acting and the feel-good story. We need that nowadays, and I won't diminish it.
"Wild Oats" stars Shirley Maclaine as a widow, Eve, who receives a $5 million check from her husband's insurance when it was supposed to be $50,000 - and she knows it. After attempting to reach the insurance company and getting the runaround from their automated voice system, Maclaine and her best friend Maddie (Jessica Lange) decide to spend it.
They take off for a resort in Spain; meanwhile, the insurance company is onto them and has sent an elderly insurance man (Howard Hesseman) after Eve.
Maddie and Eve, meanwhile, are having the time of their lives, Eve with a charming old man, Chandler (Billy Connelly) and Maddie with a hot young stud (Jay Hayden).
This is somewhat predictable but the cast, which includes Demi Moore as Eve's daughter, makes it watchable.
It's a slight story and it didn't belong in a theater (though Sony disagrees - apparently it debuted on Lifetime before hitting the theaters) but I won't trash anything that makes me smile like this one did. -
planktonrules29 November 2016Despite starring Shirley MacLaine and Jessica Lange, Wild Oats was in and out of theaters with hardly any noticeÂ…and losing a ton of money in the process. So what happened?! Surely with Shirley (and Jessica) this film should have been terrific. I kept asking myself this as I watched the filmÂ…because for a while I was really enjoying myself. And thenÂ….the film quickly went from fun and silly to, well, rather dumb. Rarely have I ever enjoyed a film as much as I was enjoying this one yet ended up disliking it! What happened??!! Quite simplyÂ…it was like two moviesÂ…one worth seeing and one hurriedly put together even though it often made little sense. It's a shame as the actresses were terrific and deserved better material.
The film began wonderfullyÂ…with a darkly comic funeral. I know funerals are not supposed to be funnyÂ…but the writing was spot on and the women hysterical. It seems that Eva (MacLaine) just lost her husband and she is going to have to sell her home and economize. However, when the insurance company makes a mistake and accidentally sends her a check for $5,000,000 instead of $50,000, her friend Maddie (Lange) convinces her that they should go on the adventure of their lives and they set off for the Canary Islands. All of this is delightful and even once they arrive in this tropical island, things stay funÂ…at least for a while.
Unfortunately, the film lost its momentum when a scam artist (Billy Connelly) cheats Eva out of her casino winnings (and they are astounding) and an insurance agent (Howard Hesseman) shows up looking for their $4,950,000! It then becomes a kooky comedyÂ…and I say kooky like it's some sort of dopey sit-com. The two ladies go into the mansion of the most dangerous and famous criminal in all of the IslandsÂ…and instead of getting killed, everything just works out magically and everyone has a happily ever after! Huh?! None of this makes any sense and it left me feeling cheated. I had invested so much time and interest in the film only to have a silly, contrived ending that just left me annoyed.
If you are interested in seeing it anyway, the film just debuted on Netflix and is available on DVD through this service (no streaming option at this time). However, I'd strongly recommend you instead rent "Elsa & Fred"---a truly delightful film MacLaine recently made with Christopher Plummer and which is also available through this service. It's a remake of an Argentine film of the same name and both are well worth seeing. -
Ripshin31 May 2023It'a always great to see MacLaine & Lange, but this script is horrendous.
Technically, it is fine, but again, the writing is so horrible. Some of the supporting roles are quite miscast. The insurance investigator? And WHAT is Demi Moore doing?
It comes across as either performers wanting the paycheck, or a paid vacation in an exotic location.
Best Actress Oscar winners deserve better than this, as they age.
Lange is fantastic in "Feud," filmed a year later. MacLaine still has projects in 2023, at the age of 89.
Again, back to the screenplay. Just bad, bad dialogue, and a bunch of clichés.
I will also say, that the make-up is not the best - quite unflattering.
I have about thirty minutes left, and I doubt that I'll watch till the end credits. -
mark.waltz23 August 2022For retired high school teacher and new widow Shirley MacLaine, dealing with the excessive condolences and overly worried children (including daughter Demi Moore) has driven her nutty. They are trying to get her to agree to sell the house, even bringing a real estate agent to the funeral. Outspoken friend Jessica Lange keeps the vultures at bay, and when by mistake MacLaine ends up with a huge insurance settlement by mistake, they decide to pick up and leave for someplace exotic (the Canary Islands), unaware that an insurance company executive has been assigned to get the money back.
The highlight of the film for me was a sequence when McLane and Lang are trying to get through to the insurance company and keep having issues with the automated teller, having me laughing hysterically, having been in that same predicament many times in this modern world. I've screamed at the phone just as MacLaine and Lange do here.
There's a charming old European businessman (Billy Connolly) as well as a sexy con-man (Santiago Segura) thrown into the mix. It's nice to see MacLaine getting away from her grumpy old lady routine, playing someone who's actually quite nice and full of life. It's Lange who gets to be the "Ouiser", bluntly rude to guests at the funeral who overstay their welcome or keep repeating the same trite showing of condolences. At some points, MacLaine is an older version of Mame Dennis while Lange is definitely closer to Vera Charles. Very pleasant and entertaining with MacLaine obviously enjoying being a bit closer to the type of role she played back in the 60's. -
mls418229 December 2020I don't mean age. They are better than ever. That is why they deserve much better than this. The jokes aren't merely bad they are painful. The old shtick about older women being empowered because of a one night stand is tired and an insult to the intelligence.
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Loved it! Would love to see more of MacLaine in movies...She's an ICON! Lange is great too..crazy script but some how they make it work..
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moonspinner5525 December 2016Shirley MacLaine, a recently-widowed retired schoolteacher, and Jessica Lange, her best friend of 40 years who was recently dumped by her husband, decide to take advantage of an insurance agency's error and deposit MacLaine's check for $50,000,000 that should have been made out for $50,000; Howard Hesseman, the agency's oldest employee, is selected as the patsy who must get the company's money back or be fired. Geriatric travelogue takes the ladies to Gran Canaria, a picturesque island in Spain, where Shirley is taken in by con-artist Billy Connolly, who prays on wealthy widowed tourists. With so much plot packed into its 86-minute running time, it's no wonder that director Andy Tennant wasn't able to keep it all together. The opening scenes, with MacLaine behaving addle-brained and Lange acting much older than she actually is, are funny and silly but tolerable; second-half in Spain becomes a squashy narrative mess, with lots of 'cute' asides between the gals, who banter in a casual low-key, gamble, meet men, end their sex droughts, and never miss a chance to hug or cry. It's a little old lady's wish-fulfillment fantasy done up like a TV sitcom. ** from ****
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davispittman27 August 2016I just adored Wild Oats. MacLaine and Jessica are so electric when on screen together, their chemistry works so well and it is so heartwarming to see these two veteran legendary screen icons interact and be so close. Demi Moore is good here too, her supporting performance is focused and it just hits the spots that are necessary. There are so many funny lines of dialogue in this film and I loved hearing them come from the actors on screen, because they were just the right people for them, I'm glad Demi replaced SJP too, I mean I like SJP, but Demi is better in this particular role. The plot may seem trite and formulaic, and in some ways, it is, but I suggest that you actually sit down and watch this movie, it may surprise you. It was much more emotional and touching then I expected it to be, especially towards the ending. Also, it teaches great messages, it teaches messages of long term true friendship, love, coping with loss, and that you are never too old to let loose and have a little fun, age is but a number folks. 8/10 for Wild Oats, go enjoy it, it won't let ya down! Also, like the second to last scene of the movie is just sooo sweet and touching and it almost made me cry!
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caronabhern27 August 2023Scrolling through streaming channels, thought I'd give this one a watch since I'd never heard of it and stars 2 of my favorites! Good premise of a story, they tried their best, gave it a chance. Totally predicted scam artist and love young interest for Matty. Jessica Lange looked really good! Didn't think Demi Moore's character did anything for the story, and, yeah, she's gonna have a husband like that. Funniest part was the phone call to the insurance co. Liked the blooper ending (were they bloopers?) Didn't fast forward through any parts and watched the entire movie. Always love seeing these two, no matter what.
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jch_0312412 December 2018Two very senior widows having wild sex while trying to spend five million dollars erroneously paid by an insurance company for a five thousand dollar death benefit. An absurd plot played like a poorly written slap-stick comedy that degenerates with each passing moment. Painful to endure.
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drednm26 October 2016This film offers two good performances amidst a terrible screenplay and annoying characters. Shirley MacLaine and Jessica Lange play longtime friends who hightail it to the Canary Islands (where the entire film was shot) after MacLaine receives an erroneous insurance check for $5M. They get makeovers and meet up with a vague and really annoying man (Billy Connolly) who squires the ladies to a casino where MacLaine wins a bundle. In the meantime an insurance investigator (Howard Hesseman) drags MacLaine's daughter (a dour Demi Moore) along as he chases them down. MacLaine and Lange keep things afloat up to this point, but the already-bad screenplay takes another bad turn and becomes ludicrous. The two Oscar-winning stars are great fun, but the other characters as written are too annoying for the actors to salvage them. This film was in development for years and has a long list of actors attached to various roles. Could have been a lot of fun.
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karens-windsong19 October 2018Feel great about aging while actually living! The stars aligned to produce this fun adventure in letting go, grasping life with both hands and reaching out in love.
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Amari-Sali12 October 2016Eva (Shirley MacLaine) and Maddie (Jessica Lange) are ladies of a certain age. However, even with them being at that age doesn't mean they don't like having some fun. Be it of the going out or of the more explicit nature. So when Eva's husband dies and the life insurance company accidentally sends her a five-million-dollar check, while hesitant at first, with time she decides to use the money while she has access to it. Thus leading to the company sending a gentleman named Alvin (Howard Hesseman) to track them down. But, he isn't the only one who has taken an interest in these two ladies and that is when the real problems begin.
Highlights
Shirley MacLaine and Jessica Lange make for an excellent duo who not only play off each other well but bring this idea they have been friends for decades like their characters.
It was great to see two very vibrant leads who were women of a certain age talking just as much about how much they enjoyed life and love sex as they worry about their mortality.
Chandler (Billy Connolly) was an odd but likable Also, his place in the film brought an air of mystery since, to a point, you could never pin down why he took such a keen interest in Maddie and Eva. Low Points
Alvin's whole hunt for Eva makes no sense, as well as the ending we see when he retires.
It is hard to pin down Crystal's (Demi Moore) purpose in this movie. She isn't funny, she doesn't add anything to Eva's character besides letting us know she had a kid, so you're kind of left wondering what was the original intent with this character?
On The Fence
The jokes dealing with how old everyone is, as well as how many people Eva has taught as a 10th-grade social studies teacher have inconsistent levels of funniness. The movie seems like it wants to be a dramedy focusing on the issues which these women are having getting older, yet it seems to brush off using the dramatic talents of its leads to keep things from ever getting too serious.
Overall: On The Fence (Home Viewing)
MacLaine and Lange make this into a light comedy with some sad elements, but it does feel like they skirt the bigger issues to make this into some fun comedy adventure film. Which there is nothing wrong with, for a lot of the jokes between Eva and Maddie are comical and Lange really shines in her role. However, things become shaky as Eva uses the money, shady characters come into her life, and then we watch as Alvin goes across the Atlantic to hunt her down. At that point, while you may find the film funny, you have to question what the hell is going on with the story?
Which I say because, Crystal's purpose in the film is unknown, outside of being an annoyance, Alvin's story from beginning to end requires a suspense of disbelief that breaks the movie's hold on you, and pretty much everything on the Canary Islands hardly makes a bit of sense. And while Lange and MacLaine salvage what they can, it seems even with their combined experience, they couldn't make this Lifetime movie seem like anything but. -
SnoopyStyle22 December 2017Eva Fenton (Shirley MacLaine) buries her husband as her best friend Maddie Reynolds (Jessica Lange) hysterically cries at the funeral. She's alone except for her daughter Crystal (Demi Moore) who is looking to sell her home. She is shocked when her husband's $50k life insurance arrives with an erroneous $5 million payout. Maddie's husband ran off with his young secretary and she's sick. Eva decides to take Maddie on a vacation to the Canary Islands where Eva falls for Chandler (Billy Connolly). Meanwhile, insurance investigator Alvin Vespucci (Howard Hesseman) and Crystal chase them to retrieve the money.
Andy Tennant may not be a top level director but the flaws here are mostly due to the writing. MacLaine and Lange try their best but they can't overcome the weak writing. It has some bad sitcom writing. When it tries to be broad, it doesn't know how to do it right. The only saving grace is the legendary actors on the screen. I stayed with this for them but I was not rewarded. -
sandramusicinmyveins23 July 2021Really cute and funny movie with a good story. Loved it! MacLaine is the best!
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edrock-37 May 2018While it wasn't a bad movie, it really was a bit of a waste for such a great ensemble, Definitely left me wanting more.
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clarapinkham3 March 2019There were plenty of laughs and fun in this movie, but all of a sudden it was over with a pretty weak ending - there was a predictable ending but not a lot of explanation on how we got there. It felt as if time was up and it had to be wrapped.
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tishacartersmith12 July 2019For this type of film, there have to be better choices. I have been a fan of ALL the lead actors for as long as I can remember, but the material in this film is wasted on their talent. Some parts are too unbelievable, even for a screwball comedy.
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phd_travel21 June 2017This charming well written comedy caper could easily have been painful and unfunny but it is actually quite good and laugh out loud funny in parts. The 2 actresses Jessica Lange and Shirley Maclaine are so good they are watchable and never cringe inducing. It's good to see Jessica doing comedy again - she has been in horror for the last few years with AHS so it's nice to see what a good comedienne she is. Shirley is quite nimble for her age - she is over 80 and can still do comedy convincingly.
A widow gets a mistaken windfall payout and sets off on a exotic trip with her best friend. Some stand out moments include crassness of people at the funeral. The part dealing with calling the insurance company rings familiar for many.
The location in Gran Canaria is quite exotic and the resort is attractive.
Worth a watch. -
andrew-8057 June 2019With good even great actors, it's a great start that ends up as dreadful silliness and unlikely nonsense that makes Mama Mia2 look like serious movie making.
At least it made 1/4 million versus $10m cost. Seems about right 😎 -
Even Shirley MacLaine and Jessica Lange could not save this cheap soap opera of a movie. It started good, had a some good laughs the first 20 minutes or so. But then it became a bit boring. And in the end it was such a ridiculous story that I counted the minutes. I am a huge fan of Shirley MacLaine and I am happy about every appearance of her but this movie here is nothing to recommend.