Jennifer Aniston has gotten more publicity the last year out of splitting up with Brad Pitt than from any other event in her decade-long high profile career. On the ridiculously popular “Friends” the situations were lame, but the stars were cute and the editing crisp. Aniston has received some acclaim starring in not big movies opposite lesser-known leading men.
When called upon to carry a major Hollywood film opposite accomplished veterans like Kevin Costner and Shirley MacLaine, however, the former Rachel shows all her weaknesses: a general lack of charm, a general lack of involvement in any given scene, and a penchant for taking the quickest way out of any emotional conflict. But then, if the comedy were rampant, as in, say “Wedding Crashers” or even “Office Space” (perhaps Aniston’s best film performance), she wouldn’t have to rely on subtlety, nuance, or believability to get her through.
And Mark Ruffalo – one of the most engaging young actors working today – is given some of the most panty-waisted drivel to utter in this film. No actor with his talent should ever have to hang his head and back off when told to go play with his dick. Of course, that’s a line that no 70-year-old multiple Oscar nominee like Shirley MacLaine should ever have to utter. That director Rob Reiner (speaking of Oscar noms) left that exchange in the film reflects the paper thin plot and dialogue he was stuck with after taking over at the last minute for screenwriter Ted Griffin – the real culprit here. I’ve never grown so tired of a phrase like “slept with.”
To his credit, Kevin Costner almost charms his way into our hearts as an aging opportunist who seduces a much younger woman by flying her to various exotic California locales, but even his performance ultimately falls flat. In addition, a lot of dates are thrown around and, despite the film being set in 1997, the math doesn’t all quite work.
The plot: 30-ish Sarah Huttinger (Aniston) discovers, at her dippy younger sister’s (Mena Suvari) wedding that both her late mother and her grandmother (MacLaine) each once slept with ne'er-do-well Beau Burroughs (Costner), who later wrote a book about it that was made into the 1967 classic, “The Graduate.” This is a great premise, but we spend way too much time at the wedding, then too much time watching Sarah misconnect with her fiancée (Ruffalo), only to reach the conflict scenes with Costner and wish we were back with the goofy family. The story tries to throw a few curveballs, like that Burroughs may or may not be Sarah’s father or that he may just be lying about it all, but every potential conflict is too easily brushed away and we’re back to the same bland central character.
If you have any appreciation for or ability to analyze the craft of true Hollywood romantic comic leading ladyhood, this film will really make you miss Meg Ryan.
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