The Story of Us

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The Story of Us

R

1999

1h 34m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

26%

Tomatometer

119 Reviews

58%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

After 15 years of marriage, Katie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and her husband, Ben (Bruce Willis), have grown apart. While they keep up the facade of having a contented marriage, mostly to not worry their children, they aren't happy together and argue frequently. While the kids are away at camp, Katie and Ben decide to separate and try to reassess their relationship to see if they should stay together or split up for good. Can they find enough that's positive in their marriage to keep it going?

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Critics Consensus

A lack of chemistry between Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer fatally undermines the dull and predictable Story of Us.

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Richard Corliss

TIME Magazine

04/07/2020

Mostly the movie is like the marriage: good casting, golden promise, yet somehow a grating ordeal. The Story of Us means to describe pain; instead, it inflicts it.

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Stephen Hunter

Washington Post

04/07/2020

Folks, I really feel that seeing this one for you is the movie critic's equivalent of jumping on the grenade to save your lives. Send me medals.

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Anthony Lane

The New Yorker

04/07/2020

By the end, you feel drained and disaffected, as if you, too, had been living with the Jordans for fifteen years.

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Gary Wolcott

Tri-City Herald

Apr 21

A-

This film is uplifting, funny and is as well-done a movie marriage comedy as you'll ever see.

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Chuck Klosterman

Akron Beacon Journal

10/27/2023

2/4

There's no doubt that The Story of Us can tug at the heartstrings, but it should have tried to pull a few mindstrings once in a while.

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Akos Peterbencze

Vulnerable Man (Medium)

07/21/2023

Willis and Pfeiffer deliver what’s required here, but the writing kills their efforts.

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abeal49 T

@RT89506148 Mar 16

My husband and I saw it in the theater and it was so awful we were both in a bad mood when it was over and had an argument ourselves. So much for date night! At work the following Monday a coworker said she had also seen it and was complaining to others about how awful it is. There is insufficient character development to make you care about these people, all they do is fight, and you just start wishing they would kill each other and get it over with. There is NOTHING comedic about it at all. It ends with Michelle Pfeiffer giving an idiotic speech about ancient cities built on top of each other. There are some movies you just don't enjoy, but this is one you will wish you had never seen.

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Diaulas F

@RT13630323 Mar 15

Michelle Pfeiffer e Bruce Willis fazem dessa comédia romântica perfeita!

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Douglas E

@RT50442544 Jan 16

I really enjoyed the film, which delivers a very beautiful and important message about the difficulties and challenges within marriage. The story is sensitive and easy to relate to. Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer have great chemistry and completely convince as a couple, making everything feel even more real and engaging.

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Ann S

@RT39269662 Jan 7

Boring movie, I could not finish it.

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Cyd P

@grillagardnr Dec 16

I'm going to give rotten tomato 1 star for the flagrant bad review. This was our favorite dramatic romance film. Michelle Phfiffer is at the top of her game with her emotionally on target portrayal of a woman hovering on what looks like the ending of her marriage. Bruce Willis is his usual charming self, but with a believably soft side toward his wife, all within the context of modern male expectations. There are plenty of profound situations, sprinkled with moments of genuinely funny, but not forced, lines. On the whole it is a classic portrayal the wild ride of romance that many couples will recognize and find catharsis in.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone 08/29/2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Rob Reiner

Director

Bruce Willis

Ben Jordan

Michelle Pfeiffer

Katie Jordan

Tim Matheson

Marty

Rob Reiner

Stan

Rita Wilson

Rachel

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Synopsis

After 15 years of marriage, Katie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and her husband, Ben (Bruce Willis), have grown apart. While they keep up the facade of having a contented marriage, mostly to not worry their children, they aren't happy together and argue frequently. While the kids are away at camp, Katie and Ben decide to separate and try to reassess their relationship to see if they should stay together or split up for good. Can they find enough that's positive in their marriage to keep it going?

Director: Rob Reiner
Producer: Jessie Nelson, Rob Reiner, Alan Zweibel
Screenwriter: Alan Zweibel, Jessie Nelson
Distributor: MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Universal Pictures, Polygram
Production Co: Castle Rock Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 15, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $27.1M
Runtime: 1h 34m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround

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