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Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786304847077
Format: Color, NTSC
ISBN: 6304847076
Label: Starz / Anchor Bay
Languages: EnglishUnknown
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Starz / Anchor Bay
Release Date: March 24, 1998
Running Time: 113 minutes
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
Theatrical Release Date: September 17, 1971
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Average Rating: 
Rating: -
Solid movie on family values. Relaxed pace and content. It's a shame you can't find any of these movies at the video stores anymore. If it's older than 2005
it's relegated to the dust bin apparently. Fortunately my library had a copy.
Matthau in 1971 in an elderly role that, in retrospect, is amusing considering
the elderly curmudgeons he would famously play as an adult. In this role, however, he's a straight-laced German with a penchant for logical gab and possessing a tender heart. A simpler story about simpler values from a simpler place in time (real or imaginary). Thumbs up.
Rating: -
In most roles, Walter Matthau is the wise cracking, cantancerous character who leaves us a bit perplexed but loving his character anyway. In Kotch, Mr. Matthau plays a wise, loving grandfather trying to connect with his son and daughter-in-law's impatience with this old man whom she deems ready to be put "out to pasture". Not only is Mr. Matthau's character not ready for the nursing home, he's more than ready to enjoy the rest of his life to the fullest. This is a wonderfully warm, sometimes sentimental, sometimes funny depiction of what life could be like in later years and Walter Matthau, as usual, does the role justice.
Rating: -
Kotch combines drama, suspense and comedy to make a good picture. The acting is very convincing; and the choreography shines along with the fine cinematography. The plot moves along rather well for the first half hour or so and then it unfortunately slows down with an unnecessary complication or two to the plot. On the other hand, the quality of the print is very good and there's plenty of excellent character development.
When the movie starts, we meet kindly old Joseph Kotchner (Walter Matthau) who loves to live his life revolving around his two or three year old grandson Duncan (played by alternately by Donald and Dean Kowalski). Kotchner means well; but he always seems to be getting on the fragile nerves of his daughter-in-law Wilma (Felicia Farr) and sometimes his son Gerald (Charles Aidman) agrees with Wilma that Kotchner is causing problems in the household. When Kotchner thinks nothing of patting a young child on the tushie to indicate that she should "get along" after he dries her off from the kiddie pool, the mothers overreact and cause quite a stink. It's clear that Kotchner just doesn't fit into his environment.
It's also not long before Wilma convinces Gerald to send Joseph to a supposedly fancy retirement "village;" but Joseph Kotchner will have none of that--especially when he must be tested for psychological problems! Joseph sneaks away and travels north by bus; and he enjoys a little adventure along his way. Meanwhile, the young babysitter Erica Herzenstiel (Deborah Winters), who started to care for Duncan when Wilma couldn't take Joseph any more, becomes pregnant and is banished from the Kotchner household by the ever so uptight Wilma.
Eventually Joseph Kotchner and Erica meet up in Palm Springs; Joseph goes looking for Erica because he knows that a young pregnant woman with no money may have problems making it on her own. Erica accepts Kotchner's offer to live with him in a small rented house--at least for now. Kotchner accepts Erica for the human being that she is; he doesn't make moral judgments. He only empathizes with her situation.
It may seem like I've told you the whole story up until this point but with the several extra plot details I mentioned I can assure you that I've already left out some things to make this a good movie for you to watch if you choose to watch it. Moreover, from here the plot can go anywhere. Will Erica keep her child or give it up for adoption since she has no money? What about Wilma and Gerald--how will they find Gerald's father? And, even if Erica wants to keep her baby, her straight laced and legal guardian brother Peter may force her to sign papers that make her give away the baby when it is born. Will Erica sign the papers or fight with Peter? Watch and find out!
The DVD has no bonus features; I would have liked some commentary but we get nothing more than "scene selection" and subtitles. Sigh.
Overall, Kotch is a good film that could have been great had they not created a plot with unnecessary twists and turns. However, the acting is excellent and therefore I do recommend this film for fans of the actors in this movie. It's also a great look at what the early 1970s looked like as people ride around in cars the size of boats, own avocado color washer and dryer machines and wear the clothing that was popular at the time.
Rating: -
"Kotch" marks Jack Lemmons' directorial debut and stars Walter Matthau as Joe Kotcher, an old but sprightly widower whose eccentricities drive both his son and daughter-in-law up the wall. When they decide to send him to a retirement home somewhere in California, Joe takes off, literally hopping on a bus and heading up to Seattle for a while before coming home. He misses his grandson, a cherubic baby, but realises he doesn't fit in with his son's family, and is unwanted. Joe eventually does find some purpose to his life when he befriends an unwed pregnant teenager, Erica [Deborah Winters] and the pair embark on some hilarious escapades, discovering friendship and companionship along the way.
There are many comic scenes in this movie - Matthau plays the eccentric Joe Kotcher admirably well, earning himself an Oscar nomination for his effort. Deborah Winters shines as the confused and lonely pregnant teen who finds an unlikely ally in Joe. Both are sort of social outcasts who form a genuine rapport with each other.
The funny scenes are balanced with moments of true poignancy, especially when Joe reminisces about his deceased wife and their lives together. This is a heartwarming story that is not merely about an old man but about finding hope and purpose in life.
Rating:  -
Jack Lemmon may very well be my favorite comedic actor ever. Walter Matthau, which annoying at times, has always been a good screen partner for Lemmon. With that thought in mind I became intrigued at the idea of Lemmon directing Matthau. I was a little hesitant knowing that this wasn't an all out comedy (it does try to be humorous, but there is a big difference) but I figured that since Lemmon has shown he has some dramatic chops (he fairs better in films like `Save the Tiger' than he does in `Missing', but that's for another review) he could pull this off.
The problem with `Kotch' is not that it is overly saccharine, but that it is barely much of anything. Lemmon could not find the balance between too much and too little, and so he opts for too little, the result being a major lapse in emotional connection. When `Kotch' tries to reach for the emotional it fails drastically since we have no connection with the characters involved.
That's my take at least.
The film tells of retired salesman Joseph Kotch. He's older and somewhat `hard to get along with', but he loves his grandson Duncan. He lives with his son and daughter-in-law and wares on their nerves and so, when he feels as though he's had enough he leaves. He leaves and moves in with the young pregnant Erica (Duncan's former babysitter who had been fired because of Kotch). Erica and Kotch form a relationship of sorts, although the film never really allows us to get to know them entirely. This is partly due to the spotty acting from the pair. Matthau received an Oscar nomination for this performance, and at times I understand why, but as a whole this is a very uneven, or should I say uneventful performance. It is subtle to a fault, never engaging the audience the way that it could have. Matthau was never the strongest actor around, but he's been better than this, that is for sure.
I also wish that Lemmon had directed himself in this film.
I'll give `Kotch' a C. It's the type of film that you can watch and enjoy to a degree but it is not a film you will be racing around to tell your friends about or be jumping at the bit to watch again. If you are a long standing fan of Matthau then you will most likely enjoy seeing him play against type, forfeiting the `grumpy slapstick' role for a slower and more tender role, but sadly he just doesn't reach the levels of emotional impact that his character demanded. When you look back at the amazing year 1971 was for the lead actor category it upsets me that Matthau was nominated instead of marvelous performances by the likes of Al Pacino (`The Panic at Needle Park') or Malcolm McDowell (`A Clockwork Orange').
Alas, Oscar rarely recognizes the `best'.
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