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This
unusual and flimsy romantic comedy is saved
only by the talents of Jennifer Aniston and
Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo is DA BOMB, man. If he
don't got you all choked up and crying by the
end of the film, you gots a heart of stone or
sumptin.
The film is based on the vague rumor that the
book "The Graduate," which Buck Henry, Mike
Nichols, Anne Bancroft and Dustin Hoffman turned
into a great movie, is based on a true story.
When Aniston finds out that her long dead mother
spent some time with a friend of the author
of the novel before she was married, she puts
2 and 2 together, gets 6, and goes on a quest
to meet the man, thinking he may be her biological
father. Of course, he says he isn't, so she
immediately jumps into bed with him. This is
actually handled in the film in a much more
realistic way than one would imagine.
Anyway, the whole film is kinda trite and obvious.
Aniston is cute and likeable; Ruffalo, da bomb;
Kevin Costner has a nice change of pace in a
film that isn't relying on him to shoulder it
all and Shirley MacLaine gets to swear like
a sailor, something she seems to take great
joy in doing.
Director Rob Reiner is all wrong for this film
but he does an adequate job. There no truly
manic or sweet or comedic things in the film
so the genre allocation of "romantic comedy"
barely fits. Reiner's worst problem here is
his use of music and his music cues. Playing
the theme from some old Western (Is it "The
Good, the Bad and the Ugly? I couldn't remember)
when MacLaine comes out the door and walks down
a sidewalk to confront Costner is hardly original.
But, hey, at least the film isn't a remake of
an old 60's TV show. That alone makes it better
than a lot of shit that came out in 2005.
Notes:
Also with Richard Jenkins, Christopher McDonald,
Mena Suvari, Mike Vogel, Steve Sandvoss (hottie
hottie - he's so hot that he gets two hotties),
Kathy Bates and George Hamilton.
Ted Griffin, who wrote the script, was set to
direct but was pulled off the film with no reason
ever given and Reiner was asked to step in.
George Clooney, Steven Soderbergh, Paula Weinstein
and Frank Capra III are all producers. Capra
is also the Assistant Director.
At times the film was to be called "Otherwise
Engaged."
Viewed on its opening day, Christmas Day 2005,
in Austin. On that same day I also viewed another
film that opened, "The
Producers." The two films have a connection
in the late actress Anne Bancroft. Mel Brooks,
who wrote "The Producers" was, of course, married
to the actress until her death this year. "Rumor,"
of course, features Bancroft in her famous scene
from "The Graduate."
Report Card
Script: C
Acting:
C+
Cinematography\Lighting:
C
Special
Effects\Make Up: C
Music:
F
Final
Grade: C
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