Product Description

When neurotic Ira Black meets free-spririted Abby Willoughby, the impossible happens: they fall in love, meet each other's parents and decide to get married, all in a few breathless hours. Life is good for awhile, until a series of comic misadventures (multiple divorces, in-laws, affairs, exes and too many therapists) force the couple to rethink their strategy for love happily ever after.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44746 in DVD
• Brand: MAGNOLIA HOME ENTERTAINMENT
• Released on: 2008-01-29
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 105 minutes

Amazon.com
Written by Jennifer Westfeldt, who also stars as Abby in this Manhattan-centric comedy, Ira & Abby is akin to Woody Allen's filmic escapades with Diane Keaton, minus the intellectual rigor. More like an extended sitcom episode, Ira & Abby's jaunty vibe gives credit where credit is due, by casting Seinfeld's Jason Alexander as a convincing psychiatrist Dr. Morris Saperstein. In this film, Ira Black (Chris Messina) is a self-doubting depressant who, raised by two affluent therapists, thinks too much until he meets the air-headed but refreshingly genuine gym sales consultant, Abby Willoughby. Marrying after one passionate day, viewers quickly discover how Ira and Abby's parents refract the personalities of the two lovers. Seymour and Arlene Black (Robert Klein and Judith Light) seem formal, unhappily married, and bitterly aging. Michael and Lynne Willoughby (Fred Willard and Frances Conroy) appear to be an idyllic, jovial married couple, until several events reveal how none of the three couples can maintain surface façades. As in Allen's films, most scenes center around misunderstandings and mishaps, leading to several comedic visits to various therapists. One wonders throughout whether Ira and Abby will pull through, though the film ultimately questions marriage as a construct in the sweet, simplified language of romantic comedy. —Trinie Dalton

Customer Reviews

A decent movie with a terrible message
Ira and Abbey started off promising. It's funny and well written with a decent main actor in Chris Messina who was featured in a few episodes of Six Feet Under. And the supporting cast is really impressive--Jason Alexander, Fred Willard, and Frances Conroy, also of Six Feet Under (Six Feet Under - The Complete Series Gift Set

For most people, it's like an updated version of When Harry Met Sally.... A neurotic Jewish guy and an extremely nice white girl struggle with love. This time, however, the couple jumps immediately--and I do mean immediately--into marriage. Then the trouble begins.

The movie tells us that what we may view as a perfect marriage is really a sham of lies and false impressions. What we see as a flawed marriage may really be quite healthy in its own sad, resigned way. And the kids of these marriages have no idea what to think. They jump into the institution and get embroiled in therapy to help themselves cope.

What allows Ira and Abbey to finally save their relationship from all of this turmoil? Well, I can't say becuase that would give it away. Let's just say, however, that this really is a modern retelling of When Harry Met Sally. Watch that movie now, and it almost seems quaint. Ira and Abbey isn't quaint, but it's almost stupidly radical. The solution to everything is so ridiculous that I almost hope people do not watch this movie and resort to thinking the solution may work for them, too.

I still give it three stars, however, because overall, it's a pretty good movie. I enjoyed it throughout, for it's almost a refreshingly smart romantic comedy. Except at the end, when I felt like I had been duped.

Great Movie with the old Lady!
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R22D7RGAHKIH12

Oddball Comic Romp
"Ira & Abby" pairs Chris Messina from "Humboldt County" with Jennifer Westfeldt from "Kissing Jessica Stein." Westfeldt wrote the screenplay and delivers a quirky offbeat performance as Abby, a woman who sees the world differently. Messina's Ira is a guy who has a lot of ability, but can't quite put the pieces together. Both sets of parents also play prominently. Ira's mother Arlene is played by TV's "Who's the Boss" star Judith Light. Arlene's classy elegance and ice queen exterior is given depth and shading by Light's performance, with the scene in the recording studio being her best moment. Robert Klein plays Ira's dad Seymore, a bit of a putts for a professional guy. The film's relationships kind of mirror TV's "Dharma & Greg" with Ira's parents being uptown, wealthy and professional and Abby's parents being more the free spirit/hippy types. Fred Willard plays Abby's dad Michael who does voice-overs for a living. Frances Conroy who worked with Chris Messina on the last year of TV's "Six Feet Under" plays the hippy mother Lynne. This oddball comic romp seems to crash to the conclusion that marriage cannot sustain true love but rather smothers it. While I'm not personally sure that I agree with this, I did enjoy the film, the characters and their romance. Enjoy!