Kotch cover art

Kotch Details

1980 Certificate PG
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 107 members

Jack Lemmon's debut as a director is helped by the fine performance of his longtime buddy Walter Matthau as Kotch, an elderly widower who is at odds with his family but doesn't give up on life. When his children announce their plans to take him to a retirement home, he hits the road and meets Erica (Deborah Winters), a pregnant .. Read more

Starring Walter Matthau, Deborah Winters, Felicia Farr, Charles Aidman
Director Jack Lemmon
Genres Drama

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Kotch

Jack Lemmon's debut as a director is helped by the fine performance of his longtime buddy Walter Matthau as Kotch, an elderly widower who is at odds with his family but doesn't give up on life. When his children announce their plans to take him to a retirement home, he hits the road and meets Erica (Deborah Winters), a pregnant teenager. Kotch feels needed for the first time in years and decides to help her. The film received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor--Walter Matthau and Best Song (Life Is What You Make It).

Starring Walter Matthau, Deborah Winters, Felicia Farr, Charles Aidman, Ellen Geer, Darrell Larson, Paul Picerni, Lucy Saroyan
Director Jack Lemmon
Studio PRISM LEISURE
Run time DVD: 1 hr 50 mins
Certificate Certificate PG
Genres Drama
Language DVD: English
Released DVD: 08 Apr 2002
Production year: 1980
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (2) of Kotch

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  • 3 stars out of 5

    We always knew that Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon had their communal heart in the right place. But here it's worn a bit too strenuously on the frayed sleeve of Matthau, as an unwanted old man who walks out on his impatient son and daughter-in-law, and befriends a pregnant teenager. Lemmon, as debut director, accords his friend a leisurely pace and some great close-ups. The film's sentimentality veers into schmaltz, but what do you expect from this wonderfully odd couple?

    • Radio Times
  • Sentimental generational comedy, with Matthau mugging through as an irascible senior citizen, resisting all attempts... read more on Time Out

    • Time Out
  • Most helpful member's review of Kotch

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  • 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    kotch

    walter matthau departs somewhat from type in this film. convincingly plays an elderly and independent old man sho becomes involved in helping a pregnant unmarried young woman.

    the plot involves an examination of family values but in a lightweight and unsentimental way.

    the standard of acting is all you would expect from the matthau/lemmon team and i would recommend this as a pleasant but unchallenging film.

    pleasantly free from violence and a nicely judged level of humour.

    an interesting opportunity for fans to see a different aspect of matthau and revealing a gifted actors considerable range.

      • A customer from sheffield england
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Rating breakdown

107 Member ratings
  • 100
8
  • 90
4
  • 80
13
  • 70
19
  • 60
22
  • 50
15
  • 40
8
  • 30
7
  • 20
7
  • 10
4

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    • Kotch
      Jack Lemmon's debut as a director is helped by the fine performance of his longtime buddy Walter Matthau as Kotch, an elderly widower who is at odds with his family but doesn't give up on life. When his children announce their plans to take him to a retirement home, he hits the road and meets Erica ...