In Kotch (1971), Walter Matthau plays the title character, Joseph P. Kotcher, a retired senior citizen, who finds out, that his family wants him to move to an old-folks home, so he sets out onto a road-trip to get away. He befriends a young, pregnant woman, who he helps navigate, the tough road to birth. Larry Linville, a year before MASH (1972-1983), in a brief performance, plays one of the pivotal characters in Kotch (1971). He is the brother (Peter) and guardian, of Deborah Winters', pregnant-teen character, Erica Herzenstiel. In order for Erica, while pregnant, to achieve certain financial benchmarks, that she needs in her life, she has to get Peter's approval. You know, important stuff, like medical bills and the rent, money, which Kotch lends to her, while he helps her learn how to breathe. Kotch (1971), was nominated for four Oscars, including the Best Actor Oscar for Matthau.

This film is obviously a star-vehicle for Matthau. It is definitely his show. All popular actors in Hollywood, get film projects, that are movies about one central character. Films, that are cast with those popular actors, along with a bunch of other secondary, less-popular, character actors. Probably the next popular actor in Kotch (1971), is Charles Aidman, who plays Kotch's son, Gerald. Some viewers may know Aidman, but no one under the age of 35 would know him. Aidman didn't do many movies, but you may recognize him from his extensive television career. Kotch (1971), was an interesting departure for Walter Matthau, compared to the more, normal type-of roles he does. It is a very subtle story with very subtle performances. The film needed more energy. There are moments in the film, that could accidentally, put some viewers to sleep.

Kotch (1971), is a light-hearted comedy-drama, in the fact, that it isn't a brutal, knock-down, type-of story. It doesn't try to hit you with huge comedy moments and it doesn't try to give you a downer of a drama. It's just a film about, mostly normal people, doing mostly normal things in life. It is a fitting story for director Jack Lemmon, who has acted in dozens of films like this. The music by Marvin Hamlisch, was also nominated for an Oscar. You can clearly tell its his soundtrack too. The 1970s feel of Kotch (1971), is great, especially with that classic, gritty 1970s film-stock. It has that classic subtle feeling of old Hollywood, combined with the strength of modern cinema, which was what 1970s cinema was all about. The dawn of modern cinema. I only wish the film had a faster pace and more energy.

PMTM Grade: 6.5 (C-) = 7 IMDB.

I once read a comment by an old timer saying that he saw Matthau's character from The Fortune Cookie every time he saw Matthau act. It's a biased and uninformed opinion if I've ever seen one, and if nothing else, you can tell from watching Kotch that Matthau was a man of range.

In what is perhaps one of the first portrayals of an autist protagonist, Matthau plays a long-winded elderly man by the name of "Kotch" (I think his actual surname is Kotcher, as some characters call him "Mr. Kotcher," although, humorously, it sounds like a slur).

I say he's an autist because the man really has a talent for remembering minor technical details from this or that subject and prattling on about with celerity without much considering the interest of other people, or indeed, without being affected much by their disinterest.

Anyway, Kotch is employed as a sort of au pair for his grandson, living with his son and his wife. His loquacious and unsociable habits, however, drive his daughter-in-law up the wall and the embattled son decides it's time to discharge him of his duties.

Yes, it's another drama with an old man being shuffled around, but that's not really the meat of the plot. The actual interesting part comes when a young teenage babysitter is hired to supplement (or probably slowly replace) Kotch as caregiver, but she gets pregnant on the job and becomes a destitute single mother.

What as first is a side character who neglects Kotch as much as anyone else comes to hold a strong (asexual) fascination for the old man, and despite her consistent display of disinterest in him, he decides to help her through her ordeal as far as she'll allow herself to be helped.

The directing is spectacularly subtle. Kotch, the man who perhaps in his years of dotage has been seeing his emotions dull, experiences flashbacks to the time when he was like these young people, passing through the passions and milestones of a full and egocentric life and this contrasts with his thankfulness at still being able to be independent and yearning to be useful in some way to others. The young single mother, while in the midst of that egocentricity, always keeps old Kotcher at arm's length, and we only come to find after the fact that there was something of gratitude brimming under the surface. It's a bittersweet and unique dynamic that you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else.

As I stated before, Matthau gives a adroit performance of a neglected ancient who seems to be on the brink of losing his sharpness, but can and wishes to still squeeze some meaning out of his life. A completely different character from the ones we've seen him play.

Honourable Mentions: Ikiru (1952) - A dying old man strikes up a romance for a day with a young woman and decides that the meaning of life is to be of service to his fellow man.

Joe Kotcher is a retired man who has a lot of time on his hands. This, and his love of talking, are driving his daughter-in-law crazy and she wants him to move out and into a nursing home...which is pretty sad as Joe is in good health and he loves caring for his young grandson. In other words, he's become, sadly, obsolete. After he's placed in a nursing home, he decides to leave and does. Much of the film is about his adventures as he travels to Seattle. Why Seattle? See the film. And what about his pregnant young friend?

This is a meandering little film about feeling needed...an important topic rarely dealt with in movies. While it's not for everyone, as Kotch is VERY talkative....but it's also a nice, sweet film that I enjoyed. Amazingly, despite being a good movie, director Jack Lemmon disliked directing so much he never tried it again...despite doing a good job. Oh, and despite Lemmon and Matthau, it's really NOT a comedy.