I did a very unintentional marathon of the 1997 Best Picture nominees this year. I wanted to watch LA Confidential and Titanic, and then the rest just happened to be streaming. I also badly described each one to my wife because my memory was foggy, so always good to refresh. This is the least of the quintet. No way would something like this—at its indulgent length—be made if it wasn't by James L. Brooks. It finds its strength in its charm, but come on, Melvin and Carol wouldn't last a week.