Man Trouble (1992 film)

Cast and production

The central roles are played by Ellen Barkin as Joan and Jack Nicholson as Harry. Beverly D'Angelo appears in a supporting role as Andy. The collaboration reunited Nicholson with director Bob Rafelson and involved a cast of established character actors. Biographical and credit details for the principals are available at respective profiles: Ellen Barkin, Jack Nicholson, and Beverly D'Angelo. A concise cast listing and character guide can be found at character and cast listings.

Plot and themes

The narrative centers on an unlikely romantic pairing whose relationship is complicated by personality clashes, impulsive behavior and situational obstacles. The screenplay mixes attempts at screwball and romantic-comedy beats with occasional crime-tinged incidents that affect the protagonists' attempts to find stability. Themes include mismatched temperaments, control versus spontaneity, and the unpredictable consequences of relationships between very different people.

Reception and box office

Upon release the film received largely negative reviews from many critics, who commented on its uneven tone and the difficulty of balancing its comic and romantic aims. It underperformed commercially and is often cited as a box-office disappointment in contemporary accounts; see financial summaries at box-office reports and industry coverage at distribution summaries. The critical and commercial reception affected how the film has been remembered in the careers of its principal performers.

Legacy

Man Trouble is not widely regarded as a classic, but it remains of interest to students of early 1990s studio comedies and to fans of its lead actors. Retrospectives and cast filmographies sometimes discuss the film as an example of the risks of star-driven projects with mismatched tones. Further reading on the film's production history and later appraisals is available through the links above.