Grumpy Old Men (1993) on Netflix
John Gustafson and Max Goldman, retired next-door neighbors in Wabasha, Minnesota, have insulted and pranked each other for decades. When Ariel Truax arrives nearby, both want her attention.
- Netflix3.7/5
- IMDb7.0/1057,964 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes63%
Trailer
Plot summary
In Wabasha, Minnesota, retired and living on their own, John Gustafson and Max Goldman are next-door neighbors who have squabbled for decades. John has been divorced and Max lost his wife. They pass their time ice fishing, swapping insults, and arranging cruel jokes, such as a dead fish left in a truck. Their shared friend Chuck runs the bait shop, and Max's son Jacob is campaigning for mayor; the fighting wears on both. John is also dodging Elliot Snyder, a tax agent pursuing a serious debt, and he supports his daughter Melanie, who has separated from her husband Mike. Ariel Truax, a widow who was an English professor, moves in across the street, and both men are drawn to her. Chuck shares Thanksgiving dinner with her, and the rivalry between the two men escalates.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Grumpy Old Men (1993)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Filming did not wrap until June 23, 1993, after a delay of several months when Matthau contracted pneumonia while shooting a fight scene with Lemmon in subzero temperatures.
- Mark Steven Johnson wrote the screenplay while he was working as a secretary at Orion Pictures, and envisioned it starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Sophia Loren.
- Walter Matthau was initially hesitant to accept his role, and was talked into it by Jack Lemmon and by Charles Matthau.
- The cast and crew arrived in Minnesota in January 1993 but had to wait until February 2 to start shooting, because there had been no snowfall.
- Grumpy Old Men was one of the biggest surprise hits of the year, opening on December 25, 1993 with a weekend gross of $3,874,911.
