Mixed Nuts (1994) User Reviews

The title sums it up...

[dlcasey · 6/10 · 1 January 2000]

This comedy sports a delightful cast with...well, mixed nuts! Actually the title comes from the fact that the Steve Martin character's father was hit and killed by a truck loaded with mixed nuts, but we all really know what it's really about. Martin, Madeline Kahn (we miss you!), and Rob Reiner are very funny here, and some of the younger folks are very funny. I really thought Adam Sandler more or less made this thing...

Basically a story of a crisis-phone answering service manned by folks with neuroses and other generalized problems. Interwoven are stories of other problem folks. It all seems to work out in a mad-cap way, and although this isn't the funniest movie, it is still very enjoyable, and worth the rent.

Lonely people at Christmas...and the ones they intend to help...all mixed in like cashews, peanuts, filberts...you get it!

Enjoy.

Mixed Emotions

[MikeC19 · 5/10 · 10 December 2023]

So I always enjoy Steve Martin. He's not what you'd call a movie star, or a typical leading man (and that's not a bad thing). He brings a lot of fun to roles, and I always enjoy him in film.

As it was nearing Christmas at the time I saw this movie was available for free, I decided I'd go for it. Now, with movies, if one is a classic, then most people have seen it. Stuff like "Planes, Trains and Automobiles", people know and love. I'll see the stuff that people regard as classic, if I haven't already, but I love doing the deep dives, and seeing what most people haven't.

Now clearly if this movie were really good, more people would talk about it, and by other reviews on here, some do really like it. Here's what I think:

Nora Epron was a good director. Not everything she directed was great ("Bewitched", yeesh.) I think what stands out in her films is the characters. That's what we remember the most. She'll get a great cast, and make some good films, but not every film made by every great director works.

The tone of this movie is a little off. It's not really that funny. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of silly stuff that's supposed to be funny, and the comedic acting from Martin was good effort, but the thing is, he can't save a picture with so many other characters. The movie doesn't really have focus. It jumps between characters, and some we may not really want to know. Some are just barely more than one note, too.

So without really funny scenes, or character development, it's really just chaos. There's a version of this movie that would work, but I think it has to go further in one direction or the other, tonally.

If you're looking for something a little outside of normal Christmas fare, and can keep expectations low, it might be worth a try, but for some people, it'll be like nails on a chalkboard. 5/10.

Over the top screwball comedy just doesn't quite make it

[jeffws · 5/10 · 24 December 2004]

This film tries really really hard to be crazy, wacky, screwball-y, but just doesn't quite make it. It has some funny scenes, but does not hold together well. The scenes with Liev Schreiber as the drag queen are quite funny. Madeline Kahn does as much with her character as possible and succeeds just because she is so good. Adam Sandler is pretty weak just doing his old Saturday Night Live shtick, over and over. Steve Martin and Anthony LaPaglia are just wasted. Still it is not an entire waste of time. It wasn't one of those movies that you watch and immediately experience buyer remorse: another 2 hours of my life wasted! Also the film betrays a stage play adapted to screen. It is pretty much limited to the crisis center, with a few street scenes thrown in.

Corny, oh so corny

[paul-1581 · 2/10 · 28 January 2006]

I have seen the French version a couple of times and can only tell you it's a heck of a lot funnier. a lot darker too I admit but that's what makes it funny (and boy it is FUNNY). It has become something of a cult classic in France while its US counterpart has been rightfully so forgotten.

Steve Martin and Adam Sandler are two fine actors but served with so many dumb lines they hardly act above average.

The bigger problem here is that by making a dark humor tale into a feel-good movie most of the jokes fall flat. There's nothing wrong with remakes ('True lies' is s fine example) but squeezing the juice out of a screenplay in order to get a broader audience is just plain wrong.

Go check out the French version.

actually quite good

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 21 October 2005]

One of those "slice of life" stories, "Mixed Nuts" portrays several hours on Christmas Eve in a crisis hot-line center where Phil (Steve Martin) works. Over the day, a most unusual series of events happens, and no one's life will ever be the same again. Some of the scenes are real shockers (you'll know them when you see them).

Steve Martin has a great time with the role, as does Rita Wilson as Catherine O'Shaughnessy, Phil's co-worker. You'll really like the elevator scene. Great support from Madeline Kahn, Robert Klein, Juliette Lewis, Anthony LaPaglia, Rob Reiner, Adam Sandler, and Liev Schreiber make this movie truly one Christmas treat. Jon Stewart and Parker Posey also appear.

"Mixed Nuts", or the impossible remake

[GrandeMarguerite · 1/10 · 1 August 2006]

Unbearable to watch when you know the French original version, "Le père Noël est une ordure", a cult movie ten times better (if you can get a copy with very good subtitles, please check it out). Another example of a fine European film turned into crap by unwise American producers. It is a shame to see so many talents wasted. So where really lies the problem? To adapt for English-speaking audiences a movie which is anything but easy to adapt, or to soften all the (very) dark humor contained in the original work? Very hard to tell, and not something worth thinking about anyway. The result is there, and it is quite awful.

truly underrated and further proof that humor is subjective

[MundaneNoodle · 7/10 · 15 June 2001]

Ok...strange little movie? Oh yes, but I like weird humor. I thought it was very funny, and to my surprise a good movie to consider for christmas time. It is a aptly named title, as each character has their own quirks and bits to add into a pot of building insanity, unitl it finally boils over into total chaos. You really have to give yourself over to the movie to enjoy it. Just accept the fact that just about everyone in it is OUT OF THEIR MINDS and you'll enjoy it a lot more.

Waste of time

[walkermusicinc · 1/10 · 9 March 2008]

I was forced to watch this movie over Christmas break and it was so boring and not funny that I fell asleep half way through (which turned out to be a great move). People keep saying things like "Black Comedy" or "Subtle humor," but it has neither. If you want a black comedy than rent a good movie like Raising Arizona or The Big Lebowski. Simply because it's about a suicide hot line at Christmas doesn't make it black, just stupid and drawn out. The jokes are lame and the plot is as exciting as a PBS documentary on the evolution of sand. A movie made for a paycheck in my opinion. If you want a funny Christmas movie that's actually funny than rent Christmas Vacation or A Christmas Story, avoid this one at all cost.

Uneven, but worth it

[roedyg · 7/10 · 20 December 2007]

Seeing Madelaine Kahn in a scene where she talks through the door to someone she imagines in a serial killer made me laugh my head off and cry at the same time. How could someone that funny die so young? Watching Steve Martin dance with a transvestite, so reluctantly at first then really getting into it, is one of those classic scenes like Jack Lemmon and Joe E. Brown's tango in Some Like It Hot. It reminded be of the extreme awkwardness of my dance classes in grade 7 physical education.

Other scenes had too many people running and shouting. Some people seem to find that funny. I don't. Perhaps it reminds me too much of childhood.

Deplorably Awful!

[elbrooko39 · 1/10 · 25 November 2006]

Worst movie I have ever seen.

So bad I just stared at the screen jaw-hanging open that it could be so disorganized, unfunny, overbearing, hack-acted, and pointless.

I only kept watching because I believed at every 15 minute mark that it couldn't possibly get any worse.

And yet it did every single time.

I'm stunned the people behind this colossal crap-fest were allowed to ever work in the business again.

Yes, it truly is that bad.

If you enjoyed this movie, you combine horrible taste with an extremely low IQ.

I'm so upset no one else loves this movie....

[muzikla · 10/10 · 11 March 2005]

I think I might cry. I feel so hopelessly misunderstood. This movie is brilliant.... I feel as though the epitome of my sense of humor has been rated "two stars"... this is depressing...

It's just... brilliant. It's completely nonsensicle and pointless and brilliant, much like a dream I might have when on too much cold medicine. Much like the dreams that I find most delightful...

It's one of those movies I find myself quoting all the time just to hear the lines again. Everyone thinks I'm nuts when I quote it because of course no one has ever heard of it. I've taken to making the little "plop" noise that Steve Martin does when he gets too flustered... when I get too flustered. Madeline Kahn is my hero. I relate too well to Mrs. Munchnik, sanity surrounded by chaos only to find that deep down, she too is a nut. If I were stuck on an elevator, I would have acted just as she had, making up little raps... It's the simple stuff... simple stupid stuff. That's what makes this film so brilliantly refreshing. It's so dumb! Take Adam Sandler, for instance. There was no reason for this character whatsoever. It was entirely random and uncalled for. It was almost as if he happened to be walking by and they called him over and said "Hey, Adam! Wanna be in a movie?"... the only thing he did was show off his mad ukulele skills. And he made me laugh... he was there for the sole purpose of being funny, no strings attached. It was so refreshing. As was this whole movie. Like a good dream! To me it is proof that when you have fun making it (which it appears impossible that they did not), you have fun watching it. At least I do... I'm gonna watch it tonight and appreciate it's wonderfulness.

There's macadamias mixed in with the fruit cake.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 29 November 2019]

The inmates are running the asylum in this black comedy set on Christmas Eve dealing with employees of a suicide hotline who are facing eviction and the assorted nuts who come in and out of their establishment. Steve Martin, the head of the hotline center, is great on the phone but terrible in person, and his girlfriend, Rita Wilson, suffers from incredible insecurities. There's the grouchy Madeline Kahn, the boyish Adam Sandler (who carries around a ukulele and has the habit of breaking into songs he makes up in his head based on things the others say), the pregnant Juliette Lewis, her hot tempered boyfriend (Anthony LaPaglia) and the lonely transgendered Liev Schreiber who shows up looking like Kiss of the Spider Woman.

Evicting landlord Gary Shandling is shot, Kahn gets stuck in a broken elevator, has to use the bathroom with an audience, gets knocked out by a slamming door, and finds surprising romance suddenly on the beach, while Wilson's makeover promises to help Martin up more to her and Schreiber gets to tango with Martin. The background music has an eclectic mix of a variety of Christmas tunes, everything from the Drifter's version of "White Christmas" to cats and dogs harmonizing together. As far as the story is concerned, there's really not much to it, but the characters are interesting, and the script is big hearted and often touching. Everybody gets the chance to shine, but for me, the standouts are Kahn and Sandler.

Am I supposed to laugh at THIS???

[Funky A · 1/10 · 28 March 2000]

Boring... Very boring... These are the words that describe Mixed Nuts the best, although the question "Am I supposed to laugh at THIS???" and "Is this a comedy?" are appropriate... Steve Martin has played in some bad movies, but this is the absolute worst in is career... This is a remake of the French movie "Le Père Noël est une ordure", and boy does it stink... The original movie was funny, but this is so boring they should give you an award if you can laugh at anything in this horrible "movie"... How hard is it to make a remake of a good comedy? Incredibly hard if you look at this so-called comedy(even tough a comedy is, by definition, funny). It's hard to find a quality to this... but very easy to find flaws... The acting is not convincing, the jokes are bad, and this movie is an insult to the film it remakes... When will America learn that its a waste of money to make a remake of a French film, when the original version is much better anyway...

1 out of 10... Pretty lame...

By far, the WORST comedy I've ever seen.

[nostromo23 · 10 June 2002]

Mixed Nuts is without a doubt the WORST comedy I've ever had the misfortune to see. It's an absolute train wreck !!! I watched this movie with four other people, and no one laughed -- not even once !!

We watched the whole thing out of sheer fascination that so many talented people could be involved in such a witless piece of pap! Didn't anyone read the script before they signed on ?!!? Were they all blinded by the fact that other big names would be associated with it ?

Preserve your time and money!! There's nothing whatsoever that's worthwhile about this movie!!!

Don't say you weren't warned...

Stunningly Mind-Bogglingly Inept

[Atriol35 · 1/10 · 11 August 2002]

I had the misfortune of seeing this movie on video a couple of years ago and I am haunted still. I just sat there with my mouth agape at how it could ever get past anyone's editing desk with approval.

It was a series of unconnected jangly direly unfunny scenes that grew more and more annoying until I reached the hour mark and sprinted to remove the offending offal from my vcr and smash it with a hammer.

The parts I did see left me asking the question, "how could this happen?" Normally Steve Martin is quite funny and even has taste in scripts. Tom Hanks' wife Rita Wilson was also in this- which begged the question of why our generation's Jimmy Stewart would let his wife near such inane tripe.

Please, I beg anyone considering Mixed Nuts as even a .49 cent rental to instead spend that money on rock salt or q-tips or pet rocks or something more useful than this.

I PRAY whomever was responsible for this fiasco is so shamed that they propose its use in film schools as explicitly what never to do with a movie. It bottom-feeds in that ignoble rubbish bin along with "House Guest" and "What about Bob" as worst comedies in film history.

To me this movie is a spoof on the California hot Christmas!

[macpherr · 7/10 · 11 April 1999]

I rented this movie and watched. Then I laughed so much that I decided that I had to purchase the tape. I liked Delia and Nora Ephron's writing (When Harry met Sally, You've got Mail; soon to be released in video) that I started looking for movies where they wrote the screen play. Mixed Nuts is a hilarious noire-comedy. Maybe like Harry, Billy Crystal, in When Harry met Sally, I do have a dark side. If I get a book or any magazine I look at the first page and then go straight to the last page and read it.

A line that made me laugh so hard was Rob Reiner's: "What is it with women and pillows?" When I first got married, I inherited my husband's grandmother's Singer portable sewing machine. The manual had such old English that you can almost see the thou, and thee coming out of it! I have made so many pillows that you won't believe it. I have pillows in the form of hearts, round pillows, square pillows, small neck pillows, long neck pillows. Sofa with matching pillows, pillows that mach the drapes and this never ends. Every little girl neighbor I ever had has asked me to make them a pillow. When my husband and I heard Reiner's line we were rolling. I had not laughed that hard since Bubba Blue, Mykelti Williamson (Primary Colors) in Forrest Gump said: "Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sautee it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs,shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich.. That- that's about it.". Sometimes when my husband comes home from work he announces his presence, or when we make our bed where I have eleven pillows; the three we sleep on, the four lace ones, a big lace one, a long neck one, a small neck one, two hearts and the rectangular; he says: "What is it with women and pillows?" To me this movie is a spoof on the California hot Christmas. Steve Martin (SNL, The Out-of -Towners), comes down the street on his bike and you see it is Christmas, and all you see are: sand, beach, dry desert plants and roller bladders. I have had the opportunity to spend Christmas on both the east and west coasts of the U.S., even in foreign countries when it is summer at Christmas time that poor Santa has to boiled inside those hot clothes. That to me is Mixed Nuts. The therapists from Life-Savers all need some therapy themselves. Catherine O'Shaughnessy, Rita Wilson (Now and Then, Sleepless in Seattle, and Rob Reiner much anticipated "The Story of Us") knits compulsively. When she gets upset she has to run into the bath tub and have a panic attack. Mrs. Munchnik, Madeline Kahn (Cosby, Nixon) is neurotic in her own way. It is so funny when she gets stuck in the elevator and starts doing sounds of drumming and vocalization. She is good at it! There is a nice ending which reminds much the manger scene, with the baby and all. It depends on your state of mind and sense of humor. I enjoyed this movie very much. Nora, Delia and I think alike.

Miserable

[firstalittlebackstory · 1/10 · 19 December 2009]

This is possibly Steve Martin's worst film. From the bad dye job (WHY?) to the bad acting to the bad writing to the poor direction to the crappy sets to the cheap costumes to the unfunny gags to the unsuccessful attempts at physical comedy to the sheer waste of great talent to the incredible, unbelievable, mind-blowing amount of sheer BOREDOM contained within, Mixed Nuts has it all. The jokes fall flat, the music is embarrassing and cartoonish, the characters are uninteresting...ugh, I'm bored even writing this review.

I am stunned by how bad this was. It's nearly impossible to believe that the brains behind When Harry Met Sally directed this total failure of a movie. That was 90 minutes I will never get back.

Afterthoughts on 'Mixed Nuts'

[syliva_vanhuse · 7/10 · 20 January 2005]

I saw this movie a few times when it first came out on video. I enjoyed that it was not all 'cheery and light' as much of the films (not all - thank goodness) with the name 'Ephron' attached to them.

People have commented on what a horrible movie this was. OK, fine this was not the standard cookie cutter romantic comedy and was rather flip about sensitive topics. It was even beyond borderline over the top. Thus, why I enjoyed it.

So why comment now? I was reminded of this movie as a watched the remake of the Manchurian Candidate. I knew as the drag queen titter, clad in his lovely black shawl, that he had that something to make it. Liev Schreiber has done just that with grace and an interesting body of work. It is always exciting to see that happen. I had that same feeling when I saw a performance in the Australian film called "Romper Stomper." Although Russell Crowe's fists have got almost as many headlines as his brilliant performances have.

Terrible movie, despite a decent cast

[beeohbeecrow · 1/10 · 9 July 2002]

I watched this movie with several friends, most of whom were fellow fans of both Steve Martin and Adam Sandler. Not one of us so much as chuckled during the entire movie. Mixed Nuts tries to sell itself as a Christmas comedy; I guess trying to make people laugh at things that go wrong around the holidays. The cast and there performances are not the problem - this movie is just not funny or even interesting. Even if you are a fan of the cast, I would advise EVERYONE to avoid this movie at all costs!

As far as random, warm-hearted comedies go, this is one of the best

[Miyagi · 7/10 · 13 January 2000]

First of all you should not be watching this film expecting some kind of message, or to walk away having learned something, what you should watch it for is a few good laughs. Adam Sandler in an early role is very funny. And of course, the late Madeline Kahn is also her usual hilarious self. The story line is very random, and you never know where it is going to take you. All I have to say to people who don't like this movie is lighten up and grow a sense of humor.

Awful

[Fenrir-5 · 1/10 · 19 February 2001]

I saw this movie in the theater when it first came out. At the time, I was a dedicated Steve Martin fan (this was before the maudlin years), and expected a good movie from the writer of "When Harry Met Sally". Was I surprised. How can they call this a comedy? Nobody in the theater laughed throughout the whole movie, and about a third of the audience left before the ending. The movie is dull, boring, and pointless. Even Steve Martin's desperate pratfalls don't get any laughs, because the movie is so stultifying that it kills any attempt at humor.

This is yet another unfunny movie that people will attempt to convince you is "dark humor", or "subtle", or "new-age comedy". The fact is it's just not funny, much like "Very Bad Things", or anything Andy Kaufman has ever done. Skip it and you'll be a much happier person.

I don't even like Nuts

[tylerschell · 10/10 · 26 June 2006]

Well I don't even like nuts, especially mixed ones, but I did love this movie. It reminded me of a really good play, kind of like how Noises Off was. Every actor was in their element and played their parts well.

Madeline Kahn (sorry if the spelling is incorrect) was hilarious as Mrs. Munchnik, waiting for her dead husband's sister to call for Christmas holidays. The elevator scene with her character and the toy drum machine has had me laughing since '94. I also still have Adam Sandler's song , "Oh so many things to wonder..." in my head. I liked all the characters, well except maybe Felix. This film is underrated as it doesn't really fit into the norm, def not a Christmas themed movie and not quite a formula comedy. "Click it, go ahead...just click it." I recommend giving it a watch at any time of the year.

Please see this film

[master_d · 7/10 · 3 December 1999]

What can I say, this is a film destined to become a cult classic. My mother rented it near Christmas in 1994, and ever since it has become a Christmas classic for us. The cast is excellant, not a dull star among them and I don't see how you could find anything bad about, besides the black comedy that takes place when Steven Wright shoots himself and when Garry Shandling gets shot, but we could look past that. And we thought it to be very funny. And why it didn't get play in enough theaters is beyond me, it was a well-made film, with an excellant cast and great cameos and it should have made more at the box-office. In a world where trash like Pokemon dominates the box-office, the true gems are overlooked, Election is a good example. Steve Martin, Rita Wilson, and Madeline Kahn run a suicide-clinic from their apartment and don't make any profit from it, for they do it from the bottom of their hearts. Garry Shandling the landlord confronts Martin and evicts him with extreme-heartlessness as only he can display. Meanwhile, Juliette Lewis and Anthony LaPagila are a poor couple ready to have a baby. Juliette gets mad and makes her way to Steve Martin's apartment to stay with Rita Wilson. And Anthony follows. Meanwhile, Madeline Kahn gets stuck in the elevator and decides to call for help using a toy-karoake machine. Meanwhile,once again. Steve gets a call from a transvestite played by Liev Schrieber, and is pressured to letting him/her come over to the apartment.

All of these plot points tie in together, along with a few cool twists. This film could be a lighter, Christmas version of Pulp Fiction. And with Madeline Kahn's sudden death of cancer, this makes an excellant reason to check this film out this Christmas.

R.I.P. Madeline Kahn

Huh?

[SnoopyStyle · 3/10 · 18 September 2014]

It's the Christmas season in LA. Philip (Steve Martin) runs a crisis hotline LifeSavers with Catherine (Rita Wilson) and Mrs Munchnik (Madeline Kahn). Stanley Tennenbaum (Garry Shandling) is evicting them for being 3 months behind on the rent. There is a serial killer on the loose called the Seaside Strangler. Felix (Anthony LaPaglia) is the loser father of pregnant Gracie (Juliette Lewis)'s unborn baby. Susan (Joely Fisher) breaks up with Philip. Chris (Liev Schreiber) is a transvestite. Louie (Adam Sandler) lives in the building. Mr. Lobel (Robert Klein) hates Munchnik. Dr. Kinsky (Rob Reiner) is an animal vet. Parker Posey and Jon Stewart are a couple of rollerbladers who keeps trying to bring a Christmas tree home. Who knew either were rollerbladers.

I don't understand what the Ephron sisters think is funny in this movie. It's a chaotic mess. It's a great cast of terrific comedic actors doing slightly weird and quirky things without actually being funny. There are some sad attempts at slapsticks. Everybody in the movie is trying so hard to be quirky that they stumble over each other. The central premise of the suicide hotline is like a dare from a comedian to laugh. This movie mostly left me scratching my head at all the slightly annoying people.