Grand Canyon (1991) User Reviews

Screenwriting at it's best...

[kdryan · 8/10 · 20 March 2003]

This highly underrated film is (to me) what good writing in a movie should be all about. Kasdan takes the search for meaning in our lives and lays it out for all to see and wonder at. The movie is about the divides people create to insulate themselves from the violence and hatred and bigotry of everyday life.

Along the way we are asked question after question about life. Davis (Steve Martin with a great beard) asks himself 'Is my making a violent movie (and by extension our enjoyment of it) causing the violence in society?' Claire asks "What kind of world throws away something as precious as a human life?' Mack is not immune as he asks 'Is it possible to pass beyond the bounds of race and (an even harder step) finance? These are of course not quoted from the film, but generalities. Others ask their questions too, and to be honest it raises more than it answers.

But that is the nature of life. We strive all our lives to find answers to questions we will never totally answer, and in certain cases have to make answers fit to our own needs and desires. As humans we thrive on questions we cannot answer. Some answers are real. Claire and Mack come to realize that even though they could take the easy road and let the state take the baby, their finding it placed the responsibility for her life in their hands. Some answers are not. Davis `Sees the Light' and decides not to make violent films, but the next day turns around and dismisses his epiphany as subordinate to his art.

We all seek answers. This movie does not answer them for; it simply reminds you to keep looking for the answers.

One of the greatest movies I've had the pleasure to see!

[Weasel100 · 8/10 · 19 November 2004]

I'll keep this one quite short. I believe that this is an extraordinary movie. I see other reviewers who have commented to the effect that it's badly written, poorly shot, has a terrible soundtrack and, worse, that it's not real in its portrayal of life. OK, so it may not be quite believable for its whole length, but this movie carries a message of hope which some others seemed to have missed. Hope that it isn't too late to save people from the terrible things that go on in so many lives. Gangland violence is real, right? Is it right, no! This movie carries an important social message which the cynics may dislike but which nonetheless is to be praised, rather than denigrated. I have watched this movie with great enjoyment at least eight times, each time with equal enjoyment and each time with the feeling that maybe the world could be made better and is not beyond saving (well not until 2008 anyway). 9 out of 10 from me for this one. It's very nearly perfect in my view. JMV

A Special film that led the way for Crash in 2005

[freaky_dave · 8/10 · 1 August 2007]

Before there was Crash, there was this interesting film called Grand Canyon. Released about 14 years sooner than the former film, Grand Canyon was a movie about two people from different backgrounds who come together as friends over a lifetime. To me Crash was still a slightly better film, but Grand Canyon was no slouch either.

Taking place in Los Angeles, an upper-class lawyer named Mack (Kevin Kline) takes a shortcut through the seedier side of town only to have his car break down at the worst time. He calls for a tow truck, and has to wait for awhile, only to soon be threatened by a group of dangerous people who want his car. Soon the tow truck driver arrives at the perfect moment, and out steps Simon (Danny Glover) to take the truck away. Both men are threatened, but Simon manages to get himself, Mack, and the car out of dire straits. It is from here on out that a friendship develops between the two men over a lifetime with Mack helping out Simon just as Simon had helped him out of a dangerous situation earlier. You see Simon's sister Deborah (Tina Lifford) is living in a dangerous neighborhood with her two children, and fears for her oldest son who seems to be roaming the streets at night with some bad people. Mack offers them a better place to live as well as hooking Simon up with his secretary's friend Jane (Alfre Woodard).

This is the main plot of the film, but there are other smaller plots involving the same secretary mentioned above (Mary Louise Parker) as well as Mack's wife, (Mary McDonnel) who discovers an abandoned baby not long after their son Roberto (Jeremy Sisto in his first movie role) has gone to camp for the summer, and will likely be moving on with his own life soon. The details of all these plots are brought together into one complex movie which uses a police helicopter as a metaphor for life and as a bridge to entwine all the different scenes. This simple plot device works very well and helps greatly with the flow of the story.

The director Lawrence Kasdan, whose biggest movie to this date was The Big Chill, has created a splendid movie here. The cast is excellent, and most of the ideas are well thought out, but alas it falls short of greatness because some points, that would've made the film even stronger, are glossed over. The story involving the secretary is one, and the second involving Simon's nephew is the other. These scenes should've been more apart of the entire story, and then maybe Lawrence Kasdan's views of life between the upper and lower classes would've been more on a superior level instead of just very good. Still Grand Canyon exceeded expectations, and yes you will get to see a view of the canyon that this movie was named after. There is also a small role for Steve Martin as Davis, a producer of violent films, who offers his own views on life, and has a small part to play in this movie's ideas.

Damned To Stay The Unheard Poem Of Our Lives

[schogger13 · 14 August 2003]

This is and will stay Hollywood's most criminally underrated movie about life... and how to live with it. No smart answers. No solutions. But every worth-while question gets its honest reflection.

Sometimes sentimental. Sometimes giving up on the unsolved future. Sometimes kissing the brow of the undeserving. Always scary and beautiful.

I know, not really a logical assessment, but if you saved yourself a fraction of your... well... 'innocense'..., a fraction of your desire for a solid horizon to look at, you will love this movie without a second consideration, and you'll need a LOT more time to explain that to yourself.

A very personal confession: The soundtrack makes me cry over what I've lost and gambled away for the prize of cynical safety. Nothing will come back. I am the child of black jokes. But 'Grand Canyon' reminds me of the ever-lasting loophole into hope.

This is the movie I will never be able to praise sensibly.

'Grand Canyon' will stay my guilty pleasure.

This is a truly beautiful movie. I had almost forgotten in my hard-boiled pride what that word means..., until I watched 'Grand Canyon'..., and had to watch it again... and again...



Schogger13

interesting twists and turns.

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 10 September 2021]

Some big namers in this one...Danny Glover, Kevin Kline, Steve Martin. When Mack breaks down in the rough part of Los Angeles, he meets up with Simon, the tow dude, who helps get him out of a tough spot. In more ways than one! And the very next day, his friend in show biz gets shot during a mugging. And his wife finds an abandoned baby. And wants to adopt it. A story about intersecting lives. Chance happenings, good and bad. An interesting ongoing theme of the grand canyon through-out the film... symbol of how fragile and insignificant each person is in the scheme of things. It's long but it's very good! Some interesting ideas, and some clever, funny moments. Story by Larry and Meg Kasdan; directed by Larry Kasdan. Nominated for FOUR oscars...Big Chill, Accidental Tourist, two for Grand Canyon!

More research to be accurate.

[doug-sandra · 6/10 · 31 January 2019]

Someone did not do their research on this movie. You CANNOT do surgery for a massive leg wound with someone awake and on an oxygen mask. How stupid. The person must be under anesthesia with a breathing tube in for major surgery. Research people, research!!

Under-rated treasure

[wisewebwoman · 9/10 · 8 February 2004]

On second viewing of this movie, I like it even more than the first time. It is full of nuances and a perception of life as being quite ordinary and often fearful but what lifts this movie to a height rarely realized is its focus on the little incidences in our lives to which we normally only offer the briefest of attention spans. Here the movie spins into the celebration of these incidences, the meeting of a tow truck driver and client, the jogger hearing a baby's cry from the bushes. The dialogue, acting, casting and direction are superb. No two by fours, no grand revelations. What I did observe was how true the characters were to their basic natures and how enhanced their lives became when these were celebrated. Kudos to all involved in this, we need more "Grand Canyons" in our lives. 9 out of 10.

Inspires occasionally

[gcd70 · 6/10 · 8 September 2007]

With "Grand Canyon", our esteemed director Lawrence Kasdan brings us a rather disjointed look at the lives of a few people (and life itself overall), and how those lives intertwine with each other.

While the film has some inspired and inspiring scenes, it is rarely consistent and never reaches its promised potential. Performances are good though (except for Steve Martin who should stick to comedy), in a film that can really make you laugh, and maybe even cry. Sadly though, it does not do this enough.

Kasdan never quite achieves any real clarity or sense of purpose, in a film that ends abruptly, as though it were a pilot for a TV Series.

Sunday, May 10, 1992 - Hoyts Forest Hill Chase

Kasdan's vision is expertly shown

[Schleprock · 10/10 · 6 June 2002]

Perhaps you won't care for the social commentary, or the film makers point of view (I myself am mystified at the ‘insignificance' angle Kasdan seemed to promote – when clearly, the actions taken in the movie promote CERTAIN significance. The ending confused me). However, there's absolutely no denying the manner in which the story is presented; the magnificent symbolism throughout; the threaded character arcs; visuals; dialogue – is absolute masterwork. I've watched the movie dozens of times, and I still marvel at its perfection. There's not a moment, action, cut, or line that doesn't have everything to do with the theme. Realistic human performances from all the actors. Scene to scene it's woven fantastically.

I have a pretty level sap-meter. The buzzer never went off during this film. If you're a thinker (rather than a casual viewer) – this movie delivers. Exponentially. Absolutely mesmerizing. (Do you have to agree with the message to appreciate the display? Who cares if it made you warm and fuzzy or not, was it interesting?)

Personally, the movie affected me – significantly. In my top 5.

Note: The front-page reviewer clearly speaks from a flawed African American perception. What he may have failed to recognize, is, there was a hand – shake. Not a hand - out. The ‘spiritually dead white man', simply saw a man to respect, and admire. And he did something about it. The fact he was black had little, if anything, to do with it (color is simply used to draw the parallel. And the chasm. It's no accident the opening sequence shifts from black and white to color either). If you view the blacks in this movie as ‘token' – you may want to reassess YOUR angst. You may be seeing only black and white yourself, eh. Just a thought.

A Poor Man's Robert Altman

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 19 February 2016]

Grand Canyon revolved around six residents from different backgrounds whose lives intertwine in modern-day Los Angeles. At the center of the film is the unlikely friendship of two men from different races and classes brought together when one finds himself in jeopardy in the other's rough neighborhood.

Maybe this film was heralded when it came out, but looking back on it now, it seems to me to be a poor man's Robert Altman. The intertwined lives are nice, but ultimately rather shallow. The race factor is stereotypical. Sure, they do make the point of having the lead be ignorant by hooking up the only two black people he knows. But is the script itself much better? Some have compared this film to "Crash", which sort of goes the other way and has the race factor be over the top. Why can we not just have a film about race without having to make race a factor? If that ever happens we will finally be moving in the right direction.

Insights Of The Hollywood Gurus

[Lechuguilla · 2/10 · 13 April 2009]

Oh what a condescending movie! Set in Los Angeles, the center of the universe from the POV of Hollywood filmmakers, this movie tries to be a deep social commentary on contemporary American angst.

Stereotyped, smarmy characters of widely varying socio-economic backgrounds cross paths in their everyday, humdrum lives. The plot is disjointed and desultory. Numerous unimaginative plot contrivances keep the film going, like: a drive-by shooting, an abandoned baby left in the weeds, a gang of thugs intimidating a lawyer, a guy flying through the night sky over the city, a kid at summer camp.

And through all these events, the one constant is the generous helping of sociological "insights" imparted through the dialogue, as characters compare notes on their life experiences. One character tells another: "When you sit on the edge of that thing (the Grand Canyon), you realize what a joke we people are; ... those rocks are laughing at me, I could tell, me and my worries; it's real humorous to that Grand Canyon".

And another character pontificates about the meaning of it all: "There's a gulf in this country, an ever widening abyss between the people who have stuff and the people who don't have ... it's like this big hole has opened up in the ground, as big as the ... Grand Canyon, and what's come pouring out ... is an eruption of rage, and the rage creates violence ...".

Aside from the horribly unnatural and forced dialogue, aside from the shallow, smarmy characters, aside from the dumb plot, the story's pace is agonizingly slow. Acting is uninspired and perfunctory. The film's tone is smug and self-satisfied, in the script's contempt for viewers.

This was a film project approved by Hollywood suits who fancy themselves as omnipotent gurus, looking down from on high. They think their film will be a startling revelation to us lowly, unknowing movie goers, eager to learn about the real meaning of American social change.

very rare - a work of genius

[dadifiori · 10/10 · 5 July 2006]

I have to say that Grand Canyon is one of the most affecting films I've ever seen. I've watched it several times now and I still feel as I did the first time; that this film, by itself, could make up the entire curriculum of a post-graduate course in film direction.

A long time ago film trailers used to promise, "It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry." That's a very trite and shorthand method of describing what Grand Canyon does. It takes you to the best places in human experience and the next moment takes you to the gates of hell.

Much of the film is paced to cycle back and forth between people being close to happiness and the same people being close to horror. It's always a short step, too. Just to manage that swing with grace and without making it look false or exaggerated is directorial genius.

Spoiler (of sorts) coming up. After getting the audience used to rocking back and forth through the emotional spectrum, the film throws a curve with a sequence that doesn't go from good to bad and back but instead escalates from an ordinary marital spat, through an accidental self-inflicted knife wound that may or may not require stitches, to an earthquake that has the characters run from the house. In the moment of their relief, argument forgotten, cut finger forgotten, the earthquake survived, a neighbor woman calls out that her elderly husband has collapsed. The couple rushes to his aid. I cried when I saw this sequence. I cried every time I saw it. I'm crying now. It isn't sadness that does this to me. It's not a particularly sad sequence. What tears me up is that this few minutes of film was PERFECT. That's PERFECT! Astounding. (end of spoiler)

There's so much to say about Grand Canyon. It portrays relatively ordinary people experiencing epiphanies and it lets the viewer experience them vicariously. They aren't showy or overblown and there's no long pause to examine the moment carefully. The film moves on at the pace of life. Even when the characters do try to make sense of what has happened, they are uncertain of what to derive from their experience.

Grand Canyon is a very human film.

Lawyer Embarrasses Profession

[Illini_Wrestling_Fan · 7/10 · 10 December 2020]

From the Director of Body Heat comes another gritty study of a disturbed man on the edge. We first encounter Mack (Kevin Kline) at a Lakers game, courtside in a mooched seat but missing the action, too busy ogling every single woman who walks away from her seat in the whole lower section. After the game flies by in a leering blur Mack flexes his navigational muscles by driving home without a map, promptly getting lost. Gawking at the Black occupants of a passing car for an interminable length of time, Mack suddenly looks dead ahead when one passenger waves at him as if to say "Can I help you, why are you staring at me?"

A short time later Mack nervously whines into a payphone that he fears for his life in the peaceful neighborhood where his Lexus has now broken down. The same car passes by, and once again Mack stares at the young men in the car with the same contemptible look on his face.

After he scampers to his disabled vehicle like a deer being chased by an invisible coyote through a meadow, Mack finally takes it too far. The young men in the car are concerned Mack may be an escaped mental patient due to the way he has been looking at them, so they offer roadside assistance ("Hey, man, you need some help here?") and even show Mack the gun the leader will use to protect Mack if necessary. Mack rudely threatens that he has called the police, knowing the LAPD reputation in 1991. The only call Mack did actually make was to a tow truck company he knowingly brought into a situation he himself thought was deadly. Once he escapes the awkward situation with the young men Mack talks Simon the tow truck driver's ear off, causing Simon to miss another more lucrative towing call.

Our next window into Mack's soul comes as he shocks his wife Claire and teen son Roberto by actually showing up to see the 15-year-old off for a month long stint as a summer camp counselor. Of course Mack manages to dash off before the motorcoach even leaves the parking lot, but still.

We soon see why he had to leave so soon as Mack races to get back behind his desk to flirt shamelessly with his office assistant and mock the surname of a Vietnamese client. Claire practically begs him not to "work late" again, but this time it is not to prevent his philandering but rather to show off a random baby she possibly kidnapped.

The extent of Mack's demonic powers soon becomes clear when he slices his finger while cutting vegetables. The devil-blood pouring out of the wound drips on the floor and causes a localized earthquake that kills at least one neighbor.

When the Earth has stopped shaking Mack thinks of a way to rent out an empty apartment he has been losing money on in Canoga Park: he calls tow truck driver Simon in a thinly-disguised real estate pitch which Simon unfortunately falls for due to his desperate wish to get his sister, niece, and nephew out of a violent situation. Over breakfast with Simon at a cheap diner Mack riffs on some fairy-tale about a woman in a Pittsburgh Pirates hat to try to draw attention away from his primary concern, the slumlord pitch.

Later that day Mack, high as a kite, stumbles in to the restaurant on the ground floor of his office building looking for his depressed mistress/assistant (Mary-Louise Parker). Barging in on her lunch break with friend Jane (Alfre Woodard), Mack realizes Jane and Simon are a perfect match since they are, as the future couple later realizes, the only two Black people he ever met.

A few days later Mack completes the story arc by dumping his mistress, leading her to quit her job. As a final insult he writes her an over-the-top complimentary reference letter that causes a prospective employer to ask more suspicious questions than if he had just written a normal letter.

Besides dropping his jilted lover Mack continues to impress us all by being AWOL at Roberto's end of summer camp pickup. Trying to make up for it Mack takes Roberto for a driving lesson in heavy LA traffic and berates his son repeatedly for predictable driving errors.

While we never see immigration attorney Mack in a courtroom or even doing anything remotely lawyerly, he does manage to have a giant potted cactus in his office, because that is what he thinks all immigrants see when crossing the border. Hopefully disbarred by 1992, Mack is a disgrace to his honorable profession. The film ends with a group journey to the only natural landform that could possibly contain his massive ego, the Grand Canyon.

7/10

Grand Pretentious

[flyingcandy · 1/10 · 3 December 2009]

If anyone thinks MAGNOLIA is the most pretentious movie ever made, as Richard Dreyfuss tells Robert Shaw in JAWS: "I got that beat."

This movie, about rich and poor people in Los Angeles whose lives intertwine, all discussing their own philosophies of life, takes the pretentious nasal-gazing gold medal.

Lawrence Kasdan, who's written and directed modern classics like SILVERADO and THE BIG CHILL (and wrote the script to THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK based on George Lucas's story), penned this do-gooder doozy with his wife, Meg. Kevin Kline's car breaks down in Inglewood (after a Laker game) and is almost killed by gangsters; Danny Glover, as a tow truck driver, saves him; they become friends and we follow each of their (and their friends and families) lives and basically learn: we're in different sized boats in the same raging sea.

Hollywood bigwigs with tons of money obviously have a lotta guilt, and the Kasdans probably wrote this to assure their diamond-studded cronies: "No matter if we're millionaires, at least WE care". Or something. This film is God-Awful. Every sentence has a POINT; every camera angle an AGENDA. "I dare you to watch this and NOT LEARN SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR LIFE", is in parentheses throughout. As one character says: "People who excel at one thing think they know about everything." I think Lawrence and Meg might have been projecting here.

And, at the very end of the two-and-a-half hours of ponderous diatribes (people carrying- on as if they've had that perfect amount of alcohol)... as the cast (including Steve Martin as a film producer who, after being shot in the leg, realizes his billion dollar bank account is pointless; Mary McDonnell, whose very countenance screams "I'm Better Than All Men", playing Kline's wife who finds an abandoned baby; and Jeremy Sisto as Kline's not-spoiled but very privileged son who works with the handicapped) all stare off into the actual Grand Canyon... realizing their problems are tiny in comparison... Don't be surprised if you hear yourself screaming "JUMP!" like I did.

One of the most interesting American Directors

[jcoleman-3 · 17 July 2003]

I rarely review anything on the internet, but want to comment on this film. I think Grand Canyon is entirely under-rated, and is in fact one of the greatest American contemporary films. I have seen it many times, and am amazed at Kasden's directorial and writing skills. I think most reviewers don't understand it! I see very glib reviews about this film but seldom indepth comment.I believe this film is about synchronicity, life-purpose/meaning and the feeling of powerlessness and isolation of people in a fast-moving culture where youth passes rapidly,transition is constant, and big-brother is watching. Outstanding acting from all actors, indepth characterizations and real-life dilemnas. I love the way "Simon" who appears to be the "doubting Thomas" and only believes in "fate" without purpose begins to understand human interconnection towards the end of the film. Though I don't necessarily agree that "the problems of a few little people don't matter a hill of beans" in relation to the majesty of the Grand Canyon, I see Kasden's point that perspective on our lives is important!

I don't know much about Kasden but have tried to learn more. He seems to manage to insert his spiritual message in an entirely entertaining way in recent films: witness "French Kiss" and Mumford"...both of which deal cleverly with loss and reinventing ourselves. I suspect he wrote many of the Jedi and Yoda parts of the original Star Wars films --the Jedi philosophy seems consistent with his own. I am a student of Conscious Creation concepts and love films so am always happy to see how Mr. Kasden weaves his message into his latest films.

Thank you, Mr. Kasden and please keep creating!

I must be stupid

[francke-4 · 7/10 · 7 January 1999]

I read some very good reviews and was expecting a decent film. It includes actors I recognize and have liked. Must be I'm oblivious or just too stupid to comprehend it. I fell asleep about half hour in. Tried again and failed again. Possibly TV editing did it. But I don't think so. This movie must simply be beyond my little mind.

Somewhat dull, not so deep.

[The_Core · 6/10 · 5 April 2000]

This movie has something to say about life, but what it has to say is nothing special, nothing deep, nothing really "spiritual." It's not a terribly entertaining film, and there's a deep underlying feeling of ugliness and tension throughout, a constant feeling that "something bad is about to happen here." The Grand Canyon scene in the end, which lasts only a couple minutes, is not enough to redeem that feeling. As someone else commented, this movie is not so deep. So, the Grand Canyon is supposed to make all our problems look small? Who says? The Grand Canyon is big... compared to what? The human body? So what? Let's not mix up "new age" with "spiritual." This film definitely might appeal to the "new age" crowd. But the "new age" movement is all surface, shallow, hope masquerading as spirituality. The truly spiritual is timeless, utterly beyond our superficial personalities, hopes, fears and problems. It is not reached by a moment of looking at a canyon and a tiny glimpse at how meaningless our petty lives are compared to its "size." It's reached by dedicating one's life to going beyond the petty concerns of the ego. True spirituality lies in attaining a lasting peace of mind able to deal easily with life's circumstances, letting what comes come, and letting what goes, go. It has to do with overcoming desire, clinging and attachment, especially attachment to the comfortable, self-enclosed little bubbles of fear and desire most of us live in. It's not about making friends with other such bubbles, it's about dissolving the bubble. A glimpse of the Grand Canyon and how it relates to life is shallow "spiritual" commentary, indeed. 6/10.

"All of Life's Riddles are Solved in the Movies"

[jhclues · 10/10 · 11 September 2002]

Early in this film one of the characters makes the observation that half of the people in the city of Los Angeles (in which the story is set) live every day on the verge of hysteria. It is further noted that the other half ARE hysterical, and the predominant aspect of their lives is attempting to control their constant fear; fear generated entirely by the very nature of their environment, and just the way things `are.' It's a thought provoking concept of life in the ‘90s and beyond, and of a world in which babies are abandoned, people live in boxes on the street and the guy with the gun is in charge. And as another character so succinctly points out, `This isn't the way the world is supposed to work--' All of which and more is considered by director Lawrence Kasdan in his evocative drama `Grand Canyon,' starring Danny Glover, Kevin Kline and Mary McDonnell. It's a contemplation of the kind of world in which we are forced to live, the huge gaps and voids it creates in our lives, and the decisions and choices we make in an effort to fill the crevasses it all forms in our souls. This is more than just a film, it's a statement; a reflection upon what it takes for millions of people from all walks of life to get out of bed every morning and face the day. And for those who care enough and are bold enough to look deeply into Kasdan's eyes, there's a message to be found here, and a powerful one it is.

In the song `Johnny 99,' Bruce Springsteen sings about a part of town where `When you hit a red light you don't stop,' and when Mack (Kline) leaves a Laker's game at the Forum and decides to try a short cut to avoid traffic, it is precisely in `that' part of town that his car gives up the ghost. His cell phone is dead, but he manages to find a phone booth and call for road service. But just as he gets back to his car, he becomes the target of a gang of armed young hoodlums out for an easy score or possibly more. And when things are looking about as bad as they can for Mack, the tow truck arrives, and out steps a man named Simon (Glover), who thankfully knows a thing or two about negotiating with gang members; after all, this is his turf-- where he lives and makes his living. Simon takes Mack out of harms way, and it is at that auspicious moment that a convergence of two heretofore divergent worlds occurs.

Mack is an immigration lawyer who lives and works within the environs of the Miracle Mile; Simon is a part of the town in Springsteen's song. Two individuals from different worlds whom fate brings together for a split second; and It's a moment that is destined to change both their lives forever, and like ripples issuing from a stone dropped into a pond, it is soon going to touch and make a difference in many other lives, as well. Mack and Simon are about to learn a few things from one another, the most important of which may be found in Simon's perspective of the human race, and the significance of `people' when compared to one of Eternity's masterworks, the Grand Canyon.

Lawrence Kasdan and Meg Kasdan wrote the screenplay for this film, from which Mr. Kasdan proceeds to deliver one of his finest cinematic offerings. As previously stated, this is more than a film; it's a contemplation of who we are and what we have become as a species during our time upon this planet, and where it's all taken us. And under Kasdan's steady guidance and insightful gaze, it is truly riveting drama that works especially well because there is something in it to which everyone will be able to identify or relate. Certainly it will strike a deeper chord with those who live or have spent time in a large metropolitan area; the situations in this film will resonate much more for someone who has lived in L.A., as opposed to those born and raised in Independence, Oregon, for example. But all will find a connection with the human issues Kasdan so incisively examines, because they are universal in nature. Quite simply, Kasdan hits a perfect pitch here. This is emotionally involving drama from beginning to end, aided in no small part by the mesmerizing score by Bill Conti and James Newton Howard that serves as a veritable pulse for the entire film.

The outstanding ensemble cast matches Kasdan's excellence with a number of unforgettable performances, beginning with Kline and Glover. Kline gives the kind of performance we've come to expect from him, which is to say convincing, believable and entirely credible. He explores all of the nooks and crannies of his character and concisely expresses all that he finds there. Glover, too, hits his stride perfectly, making Simon genuine and real by finding his character's center and effectively maintaining his focus on it.

It is Mary McDonnell, however, who nearly steals the show with her portrayal of Claire, Mack's wife. This is an extremely complex character, and McDonnell manages to thoroughly examine all of her myriad emotional levels and express them convincingly. This is a woman at a most fragile time of her life, with the concerns of being a loving, devoted wife in conflict with her more maternal nature; coping with the sense of loss associated with the fact that her only child, Roberto (Jeremy Sisto) is fifteen and growing up too fast, and seeking to satisfy her need to nurture. In Claire, McDonnell creates a woman with an absolute aura of beauty about her; it's a brilliant performance that is the very heart of the film.

And finally, Steve Martin (Davis), Mary-Louise Parker (Dee) and Alfre Woodard (Jane) take `Grand Canyon' to the zenith of cinematic accomplishment. 10/10.

People seem to love this big empty film

[rdoyle29 · 6/10 · 4 January 2023]

This is the one film I have watched in the last 6 months that has drawn the most people out of the woodwork to declare that they love this film.

This surprises me because I really don't love this film. I've also always thought of this film as one in a series of films that mark Lawrence Kasdan's decline as a director.

Generally speaking, I think this film is much too long and a bit meandering and aimless. There's a much better 1 1/2 hour film buried in it's 2 1/4 hour run time. I don't think there's anything wrong with anyone's performances ... almost everyone is quite good.

To zero in on my real issue with it:

This film isn't "Crash", but it's perilously close to being "Crash".

I'm not exactly clear what Kasdan thinks the film is about. At times, it appears to be about how scary declining American society is, and all the things a fairly ineffectual affluent man tries to do to make for it.

Or is it that the decline is just apparent ... a manifestation of some sort of mid-life crisis?

I don't know, and the Grand Canyon metaphor isn't very helpful since it represents one thing when Danny Glover brings it up, but can't possibly represent that anymore at the end of the film.

I suspect that a lot of the love for the film is that a lot of it feels really profound and important. I really don't think it is though.

Had no answer to "whats your fav. movie" til Grand Canyon..

[Next12win2 · 10/10 · 28 October 2002]

In my opinion, the best movie ever. I love when people ask me what this film is about. I usually smile and say "life". They shrug and probably never give it another thought. The fact that everyone from every background can relate to some part of this movie makes it all that much more amazing. Definately a must see for everyone.

Not so grand but interesting

[raymond-15 · 7/10 · 12 September 2006]

This film could well have been one of those ordinary "soapies" relating the day to day events of half a dozen families whose lives are intertwined…..broken relationships,building new friendships, street bashings, near accidents, hopes and dreams and even the discovery of a baby discarded under some bushes! What a mixture of events!

Fortunately the film maker goes beyond those daily events and poses questions to consider although there are no satisfactory answers. He asks…in this chaotic world do things just happen, is it just luck when things turn out right or , taking a fatalistic view, is a person predestined to be at a certain place at a certain time and thus become involved in the event and his future takes on a new perspective? Most of us have had this uncanny experience.

Is it our super ego that makes us believe we are so important? As one character says… he once sat on the edge overlooking the Grand Canyon and came to realize how infinitely small he was.

This is not one of my favourite films but is a good study of human relationships. Danny Glover is outstanding in a sympathetic role.

Awkward social statement

[Mr-Fusion · 5/10 · 29 September 2016]

I tend to favor Lawrence Kasdan movies, but "Grand Canyon" is a vexing one. In this post-"Crash" world, it seems like I can't look at a high-caliber film about human relations without some inherent baggage. Thanks for that, Haggis.

"Grand Canyon" smacks of Oscar bait, which is disappointing. And to be honest, I came away disliking a few of these characters (surprising, when they're played by Steve Martin and Kevin Kline; they're unlikely unsympathetic actors). Feels like every time we take a break for the social lesson, someone goes into another speech. What separates this from the more manipulative fare is that there's sincerity in those speeches; like Kasdan's desperately trying to work out that's puzzling him. There's merit to that, but the meandering pace and clunky delivery spoil the lesson.

5/10

certainly one of the 90's best movies

[khouston86 · 10/10 · 20 December 2002]

One measurement for the greatness of a movie is, 'if it came on t.v. right now, would you want to sit there and watch it again?' My answer for the Grand Canyon is as powerful a "yes" as it would be for nearly any movie I have ever seen. There are just so many powerful moments, such an intelligent and moving story, such incredible performances.

It perfectly captures the confusion and violence that were so rampant in the early nineties. But it also dramatically affirms the capacity of individuals to love, think and care. In a slight way, the movie was of its time. It partly portrays society as a balloon about to burst. Because the country was in a recession, and so void of leadership, this was true of that time. But the movie is also timeless. I think it could honestly stand up against any movie that has ever been made, and it is the most overlooked film of all time.

Life Lesson Here

[dallasryan · 7/10 · 21 March 2012]

I'm almost sure Paul Haggis got his idea for his film Crash, from this film. Both are really the same in many ways, Crash is a little better of a movie than Grand Canyon in the way that it's presented, and because of the more profound moments that are presented in it(Crash). But honestly Grand Canyon is just as good. Crash just happened to be made at the height of political correctness, at the height of the Al Sharpton era, ergo Crash wins the Academy Award for Best Picture where as Grand Canyon only gets an Academy Award Nomination for Best Screenplay. Times were different when Grand Canyon came out in 1991 then when Crash came out in 2005(Plus I don't think the Academy wanted to see a Homosexual Cowboy Lovestory win best film, even though we all know, It's 10 times better of a film than Crash is, that movie being Brokeback Mountain of course).

I won't really get much into Grand Canyon because if you've seen Crash, then it's all said right there. Lot's of Concepts, lot's of things being said that are contrived, etc, etc. One thing I will touch on though is the best scene in the movie Grand Canyon. The best scene in Grand Canyon is with Jeremy Sisto's character and Kevin Kline's character, Kline is Sisto's father in the film. Kline is teaching Sisto how to drive and Sisto makes a big boo boo while driving and they almost get in a big car crash, but they don't and Kline patiently tells Sisto to pull over. I think this is a scene that is greatly over looked. I know with my dad, he would have been yelling and screaming at me if I almost got in a car accident. And as we don't want to be push-overs to our kids, there needs to be a balance, a moderation.

What's brilliant about the scene is it speaks volumes about Kline's character as a father. Sisto's character in the movie, is a smart, kind- hearted kid, with a good head on his shoulder. Kline's character isn't a hot head, he's very calm and patient, but no push-over either, and that's why Sisto has such a good head on his shoulder and doesn't overly stress out ever because he's been raised with very good parents. They say kids pick things up mentally for the rest of their life between the ages of 6-8 years old.

I know when my dad yelled at me for doing something wrong that i hadn't learned yet between the ages of 6-8 years old, later in life, I have always stressed out if i do something wrong, and I always expect to be yelled at. Not a good feeling to feel nor should one feel the need to feel that way. It's obvious that Kline's character never yelled at his son like my dad did when Sisto's character was between 6-8 years old because if Kline's character had, that scene in the car with Sisto almost crashing it, would have gone down with Kline's character castigating Sisto and Sisto stressing out with sadness, anger, resentment, that leads on to things later in life with always feeling you have to be perfect, feeling like you can't make a mistake or you'll get yelled at, walking on eggshells, and then perhaps leading further down the road in life to anger management and PTSS, you name it.

That stuff messes up kids. Not saying Kline's character is husband of the year, he has an affair in the movie, and he's quite lucky his wife and kid(Sisto) didn't find out or that could have had catastrophic effects on both his wife and son, but other than that mistake, Kline's character is a good husband and a great father. If nothing else from this movie, I think we can all learn to be better parents, to raise our kids better in a more constructive manner than in a reactive manner after watching this film.

Also, Steve Martin is terrific in this one as well, and Danny Glover is always likable, perhaps one of the most likable actors in history. If you liked Crash, you'll like this one, if you didn't, then you might or might not like this one.

#5 on my Worst Ten Movies of the 90s list

[frink-3 · 1/10 · 13 July 1999]

After reading all these positive reviews, I had to stop and write a little something about this terrible, intelligence-insulting, white-liberal crapfest of a movie. Grand Canyon is the filmic equivalent of the now humorously infamous question: "Can't we all just get along?" If you like false messages of hope crammed down your throat, this is the movie for you. If you like bad, disjointed writing, this is the movie for you. If you like seeing amazingly talented actors wasting their time, this is the movie for you. Perhaps the greatest waste of acting talent in the history of humankind. Unbelievably, nauseatingly, unforgettably bad. I *literally* got sick to my stomach after seeing this film. OK, it was probably bad Chinese food, but still, I stand firm in my belief that there was some connection. If you care at all about the health of your soul you will avoid this film. --Frink-3