(published SB Indie 7/20/06)
I didn’t have very high expectations. Though I love Kate Hudson in a movie that does her justice, she has a knack for showing up in movies that don’t. Owen Wilson, though always enjoyable to watch, can’t necessarily save a sinking movie on his own. And I haven’t cared about Matt Dillon since Singles.
So it was a surprise to find myself actually interested in this houseguest-overstays-his-welcome romantic comedy. The film was equal parts superficial, funny and sweet, with funny winning out thanks to some laugh-out-loud jokes and Wilson’s innate comedic sense. And though the end was predictable (isn’t that one of the defining features of a film in the rom-com genre?), it wasn’t the one it seemed to be setting itself up for.
The story itself wasn’t much to work with, and the characters as they’re written could have been pretty one-dimensional (and, in the case of Michael Douglas’s role as Hudson’s Dad, it is). But Hudson, Wilson and Dillon managed bring their own charm and sparkle to their parts (even if they’re just playing themselves), injecting this potential box-office bomb with a bit of vitality and freshness.
Overall, though, this film should not be considered any more than what it is: an easy, breezy date movie, an enjoyable but hollow indulgence much like marshmallows or junk food cereal. You could do worse than end up watching this in the theater, but I wouldn’t make a special trip see it. It’s more the kind of film that’s a pleasant surprise when you come across it on a cable channel at 2pm. Which is to say, it exceeds expectations, but only if they’re relatively low to begin with.
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