Cousins (1989)

Cousins is one of those rare romantic comedies that feels genuinely adult: witty without being mean, sensual without being cynical, and warmly observant about how families can both trap us and save us. Joel Schumacher stages the story in a lively swirl of weddings, dinners, and awkward reunions, letting the humor come from sharp dialogue and recognizable human messiness rather than sitcom contrivance. Ted Danson brings an easy, self-deprecating charm, and Isabella Rossellini gives the film its beating heart—funny, tender, and quietly radiant in a way that makes the romance feel earned. If you’re allergic to love stories built on marital chaos, it may not be your flavor, but if you want a smart, affectionate movie about two people stumbling into the right kind of trouble, this is an underrated delight.

Cousins is aiming for a warm, grown-up romantic comedy about two wronged spouses finding unexpected love, wrapped in that late-’80s “life goes on” sweep of weddings, funerals, and family reconnections. The problem is it often feels engineered rather than lived-in: the adultery setup plays more like a tidy premise than a messy emotional reality, and the characters can come off broad in ways that flatten the stakes. If you’re allergic to symmetrical plotting and romances that feel a bit manufactured, this may test your patience even if you like the cast. Still, Danson and Rossellini have an easy charm, and if you’re in the mood for a gentle, old-fashioned adult romance that prioritizes comfort over credibility, it can go down smoothly.