It's Complicated: What Most People Get Wrong About the Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin Movie

It is a specific kind of Hollywood magic when a movie about a kitchen remodel and a messy divorce somehow out-earns massive action blockbusters. Honestly, it shouldn't have worked on paper. You have a 60-year-old woman, her portly ex-husband, and a very polite architect. But It's Complicated, the 2009 hit starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin, didn't just work—it became a cultural touchstone for a demographic Hollywood usually ignores.

The film is basically a Nancy Meyers fever dream. If you’ve seen a Meyers movie, you know the drill: high-end linens, kitchens that cost more than your house, and middle-aged people having very expensive epiphanies.

But there is a lot more to the Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin movie than just "middle-aged porn" (a label some critics actually threw at it back in the day). Between the chocolate croissants and the pot-smoking scenes, this movie managed to capture a weird, uncomfortable reality about why people go back to their exes even when they know better.

The Plot That Sparked a Thousand Think Pieces

The setup is pretty simple, or so it seems. Jane (Streep) and Jake (Baldwin) have been divorced for ten years. He’s remarried to a much younger woman, Agness, played by Lake Bell with just the right amount of "younger wife" intensity. Jane is thriving. She runs a bakery in Santa Barbara that looks like it belongs on a postcard.

Then comes the son's college graduation in New York.

A few too many drinks at a hotel bar, and suddenly the exes are in bed together. This is where the Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin movie flips the script. Usually, in movies, the older woman is the one getting cheated on. Here, Jane becomes "the other woman" in her own ex-husband's life. It’s messy. It’s ethically gray. And for audiences in 2009, it was surprisingly refreshing.

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Why the Chemistry Felt So Real

You can’t talk about this film without talking about the chemistry. Alec Baldwin was at the height of his 30 Rock fame, and he brought that same chaotic, confident energy to Jake. He’s a "guy's guy" who realizes he actually misses the soul and history he had with Jane.

Meryl, meanwhile, was coming off a massive run with The Devil Wears Prada and Mamma Mia!. She plays Jane with a mix of "I’m too old for this" and "This is actually kind of fun." The scene where they share a joint with Steve Martin’s character, Adam, is legendary. It wasn't just a gimmick; it felt like watching real people let their guard down.

That Kitchen (and Other Production Secrets)

People obsess over the house in this movie. Seriously, if you search for the Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin movie, half the results are about the "It's Complicated kitchen."

Here is a fact that might ruin the immersion: it was almost all fake.

While the movie is set in sunny Santa Barbara, the vast majority of the interiors were shot on soundstages in Brooklyn, New York. It was freezing outside while Meryl was pretending to enjoy a California breeze.

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• The House: The exterior is a real ranch in Hidden Valley, California, but those gorgeous interior rooms? Pure set design.
• The Bakery: The Village Bakery in the film was actually a set built inside the Picnic House in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.
• The Garden: They actually grew a real vegetable garden for the film, which was later donated to a school.

Nancy Meyers is famous for this level of detail. She doesn't just want a room to look good; she wants it to look like the character has lived there for twenty years. The "limited budget" of the character Jane was still wildly aspirational for most viewers, which is a staple of the Meyers brand.

The Box Office Reality vs. Critical Scorn

Critics were kind of split. Rotten Tomatoes currently has it at a 58%, which feels low given how much people still love it. Many critics dismissed it as "lifestyle fluff."

But the audience didn't care.

The movie grossed over $219 million worldwide. For a romantic comedy about people over 50, that is an absolute juggernaut. It proved to Hollywood that you didn't need a superhero cape to sell tickets; you just needed Meryl Streep and a relatable, albeit wealthy, mid-life crisis.

Steve Martin: The Unsung Hero

It’s easy to focus on the Streep-Baldwin dynamic, but Steve Martin as Adam is the emotional anchor. He’s the "safe" choice, the architect who is also dealing with the scars of a divorce. While Jake represents the pull of the past, Adam represents the possibility of a future that isn't defined by old baggage.

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Honestly, the ending of the movie—which I won't spoil if you're one of the three people who hasn't seen it—is surprisingly mature. It doesn't go for the easy "happily ever after" with the ex, which most romantic comedies would have done.

Practical Takeaways for Your Next Rewatch

If you’re planning to dive back into this classic, keep a few things in mind to truly appreciate the craft. Look at the costume design by Sonia Grande; the way Jane's clothes transition from neutral, "invisible" tones to more vibrant pieces as she reclaims her sexuality is a masterclass in subtle storytelling.

Also, pay attention to John Krasinski. Before he was an action star or a director, he was the hilarious future son-in-law who accidentally walks in on the secret affair. His facial expressions in this movie are easily some of the best comedic work in the whole film.

If you're looking for a film that balances genuine laughs with a pretty honest look at the "second act" of life, the Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin movie remains the gold standard. It’s not just about a kitchen remodel; it’s about remodeling a life after everything you thought was permanent falls apart.

For those wanting to capture a bit of that Jane Adler energy, start by visiting a local farmer's market or finally trying that "complicated" recipe you've been bookmarking. Sometimes, the best way to move forward is to embrace the mess.