Parents' Guide to The Grass Is Greener

Adapted from a stage play and with music and lyrics by Noel Coward, an all-star cast, and a fun, light-hearted tone, it's no surprise this often overlooked classic was nominated for two Golden Globes. At its core, The Grass Is Greener may be a fairly slight film about a wife whose head is easily turned by a rich suitor, but the flighty, devil-may-care approach to the material very much works in its favor here. There are some fun split-screen antics, lightning-sharp dialogue, and the movie retains the enjoyable character of the butler (Moray Watson), whose conscience about being surplus to requirements makes him beg for his wages to be docked, all the while living a parallel life as a tortured wannabe novelist—no doubt smarter than both of his employers—behind closed doors. All the actors give great performances, but Simmons stands out with her comedy timing and physical clowning as so-called best friend Hattie, primped and preened in immaculate dresses and devotedly clutching her pink gin as she revels in the chaos. For fans of Grant, Kerr, Mitchum, Simmonds or, indeed, director Stanley Donen (Singin' in the Rain, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) this is a smart romantic comedy very much worth revisiting or discovering anew.