History Film / IrreconcilableDifferences

Irreconcilable Differences is a 1984 {{dramedy}} film. Casey Brodsky (Creator/DrewBarrymore), the 9-year-old daughter of a famous director and a bestselling novelist, decides to divorce her neglectful, self-absorbed parents, citing [[TitleDrop irreconcilable differences]]. Most of the film is told in flashback as Casey and her parents Albert Brodsky (Creator/RyanONeal) and Lucy van Patten Brodsky (Creator/ShelleyLong) describe to the judge how Albert and Lucy fell in love, got married, and then split up, and how their relationship with their daughter deteriorated to the point where Casey would want a divorce. The film features a then-unknown SharonStone.

'''Albert''':That's. Because. It's not. A comedy.

This belle rings in Old Atlanta\\

** Albert's mentor, a legendary film director named David Kessler (played by Sam Wanamaker), is a composite of Creator/HowardHawks and Creator/JohnHuston.

* InternalHomage: When Lucy drops Casey off for Albert and Blake's Christmas party, Albert raps on Lucy's car window and tries to repeat the first words he said to her ("Hi! Say, I was wondering, could you give me a lift into St. Louis or any town that's got an airport?"), but she cuts him off with "That's not funny."

* CheatingWithTheMilkman: Albert's girlfriend Blake eventually leaves him for the limo driver.

* LoveMakesYouUncreative: Albert was a promising director until Blake, his second wife, convinced him to put all his money into creating a musical remake of ''Gone With the Wind''. It bombed.

* InternalHomage: When Lucy drops Casey off for Albert and Blake's Christmas party, Albert raps on Lucy's car window and tries to repeat the first words he said to her ("Hi! Say, I was wondering, could you give me a lift into St. Louis or any town that's got an airport in it?"), but she cuts him off with "That's not funny."

* ParentalObliviousness: Lucy has no idea where Casey is most of the time. She was surprised to hear that she spends most of her time at Maria's house.

* WriteWhoYouKnow: In-universe example. The characters of ''He Said It Was Going To Be Forever'', Lucy's barely-fictionalized account of her and Albert's relationship and divorce.

** Throughout the movie, Albert denies responsibility for things that are partly his fault, such as Bink's car being stolen and Lucy not getting any credit for her work on ''An American Romance''.

* DevelopmentHell: David Kessler has worked on ''An American Romance'' for thirty-five years by the time he gives it to Albert to direct. At one point he tried to get it made with [[Creator/HumphreyBogart Bogie]] and [[Creator/LaurenBacall Bacall]].

* SoBadItsGood: ''Atlanta'', the movie Albert creates so Blake can fulfill her middle-school dream of playing Scarlett O'Hara, certainly looks like this.

* WriteWhoYouKnow: The characters of ''He Said It Was Going To Be Forever'', Lucy's barely-fictionalized account of her and Albert's relationship and divorce.

* DevelopmentHell: David Kessler has worked on ''American Romance'' for thirty-five years by the time he gives it to Albert to direct. At one point he tried to get it made with [[Creator/HumphreyBogart Bogie]] and [[Creator/LaurenBacall Bacall]].

* MarriedToTheJob: After the success of ''American Romance'', Albert Brodsky spends a lot of time away from his wife and daughter.
* MayDecemberRomance: ''American Romance'', the movie that makes Albert famous, is about an older man who falls in love with a young woman who gives him something to live for.