HE SAID/SHE SAID. Directed by Ken Kwapis and Marisa Silver; written by Brian Hohlfield; produced by Frank Mancuso, Jr. for Paremount. Starrlng Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth Perkins. Rated PG-13.
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If you have an allergic reaction when exposed to corn, you need to avoid this movie.
In spite of a more "modern" outlook on some subjects, at heart it's very similar to those soupy boy-meets-girl frolics that are so enjoyable on the late show. The ending, in particular, delivers such a massive dose of corn that it was too much even for me—and I adore those soupy oldies.
The old-fashionedness of He/Said/She Said is disguised not only by its attitudes toward sex, women's careers, etc. Its narrative structure is a sometimes confusing, sometimes amusing series of flashbacks. They're told, generally speaking, first by Dan (Bacon), a newspaper columnist turned TV commentator, and then by his partner Lori (Perkins).
Dan and Lori, you see, are so different that their opinions are guaranteed to be 180 degrees apart. So their arguments, first in print, then on the air, are bound to be feisty. Also, as is natural in this kind of movie, they're sure to be madly in love with each other before it's all over.
Without appealing co-stars, He Said/She Said would have been a disaster. But as it is, Perkins and Bacon make its skimpy, predictable storyline quite entertaining.
And when the "two sides of the story" gimmick works, as it does mainly when one incident is remembered in two different ways, the movie is not only amusing, but clever as well. The unfortunate side effect of this technique, however, is that the audience isn't always too clear on exactly when something is supposed to be happening.
In short, He Said/She Said will make a nice evening's diversion in a few months when it's out in video. (Although, fans of its stars might want to see it on the big screen, and won't be disappointed.) But watch out if you have those allergies; you might not even want to be in the house while the tape's running on the VCR!
March 20, 1991