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This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Good movie but grossly overrated

A Masterpiece!

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Pete 'n' Tillie may provide the most unromantic view of marriage ever put on the big screen. Two players best known for comedy roles, Walter Matthau and Carol Burnett play the title roles who are a pair of thirty somethings who kind of just fall into marriage because they don't want to end up alone. They have a son played by Lee Harcourt Montgomery who is taken from them. The question is, can their marriage survive this unspeakable tragedy?Matthau who does have a bit of wit an extension of his real persona in life gets by with it. He's a philanderer by nature, but he always comes home.There is some moment of high drama in Pete 'n' Tillie especially coming from Burnett. When her son dies and her breakdown comes, you really do forget you are watching one of the great comic talents of the female gender ever.Comedy however did get Geraldine Page an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, a very vain woman who was the original matchmaker for Matthau and Burnett. Burnett and Page square off after Page has a bad moment in a police station, the best female bout since Marlene Dietrich and Una Merkel went at each other in Destry Rides Again. Pete 'n' Tillie also got a nomination for best adapted screenplay.There's also a very nice turn by Rene Auberjonois as a gay friend of Burnett's who offers her a different kind of marital arrangement with two people who do like each other.After over 45 years Pete 'n' Tillie holds up very well. It should because the story is timeless.

Single thirty three year old Tillie Shlaine (Carol Burnett) in San Francisco is set on another blind date with Pete Seltzer (Walter Matthau) at a party. She's guarded and he's flirtatious. He talks his way into her life. They get married. He has affairs. Their son is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Jimmy Twitchell (Rene Auberjonois) is their gay friend. Gertrude Wilson (Geraldine Page) is her mother.The relationship isn't that romantic. There are some jabs of humor but this is mostly a sad depressed tone. It's interesting to see Burnett play this suppressed cynical character. This isn't that far off for Matthau's normal range. It's difficult to feel for this couple. These actors aren't their exuberant acting persona. The movie never achieves happiness. The movie has a few minor humorous moments but it is almost entirely a downer. It makes for a tiring watch.

Walter Matthau and Carol Burnett are Pete and Tillie. They meet each other in their middle aged years. Pete is a smarmy rogue who likes Tillie, but has a smug way of showing it. Tillie feels that he is a bit of a dog himself, but she knows that she can't get anyone better than him. The courting of their relationship takes up about half of the film with a few dry laughs. Matthau delivers his lines so naturally, you know that if he was to do drama, it could only be tragicomedy. Burnett does well in a serious role and has one cathartic scene as she curses God for the loss of her 9 year old son. She has a wild fight scene with Geraldine Page that's pretty humorous. Only a small part of this story is dedicated to their parenthood as they soon learn their son is diagnosed with a terminal illness. The son dies. Tillie mourns. Pete takes it just limp. Not much emotion is shown in his performance , which I felt was understated correctness. Pete and Tillie soon separate and divorce amicably. It seems sad, but it's simply a slice of life look at two ordinary people who really don't have much in common. I like the concept that these old 70's Hollywood movies had in that they don't stress that all leading couples have to be beautiful or even attractive. Burnett and Matthau had their own charisma, which was shown in their talent. This is not a great film, but it's worth a look for innocuous entertainment.

Walter Matthau and Carol Burnett both portray characters who feel themselves unworthy, at least unworthy of love. The characters are very real, nuanced, and fully realized; I've known people like these! This is a movie that doesn't talk down to its audience, or the characters to each other. They're both intelligent and perceptive. For most of the movie they are willing to live with each other's weaknesses not out of deep love, but out of an awareness that they most likely can't do better. That this changes is one of the riches of the movie, but also one of the weaknesses - the ending seems a bit too nice to be true. But that's Hollywood. I enjoyed the movie.