How Do You Know, a film that seemingly had all the right ingredients for success, failed to make the impact it should have.
With a star-studded cast including Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, and the legendary Jack Nicholson, along with James L. Brooks at the helm as writer and director, expectations were high.
However, critics were far from impressed.
Nathan Rabin of The A.V.
Club described the film as “hopelessly muddled,” while Roger Ebert expressed his disappointment, stating, “I expected this movie to be better.”
Ebert criticized the screenplay for not fully utilizing Nicholson's character, calling it a missed opportunity to lighten the heavy role.
He even went as far as to suggest that the poorly written role made Nicholson come across as “a creep.”
The film's financial performance was equally underwhelming, earning only $48 million worldwide against its hefty $120 million budget.
It became evident that audiences preferred watching Tron Legacy instead.
While it's impossible to confirm whether How Do You Know directly led to Nicholson's retirement, it seems like a plausible explanation, considering other well-known actors who stepped away from the limelight after starring in major flops.
Gene Hackman disappeared from Hollywood after Welcome to Mooseport, and Sean Connery decided to call it quits following The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
If you have a substantial fortune, why not retire gracefully after surviving such a disastrous bomb?
It's important to acknowledge that Nicholson's absence from the screen doesn't necessarily mean he has retired entirely.
He may have chosen to take a break or explore other ventures.
After all,
