Un coeur à prendre

I like a movie with heart. It's nice not to see a movie without adults in costumes, violence and all the other negative aspects of life. It's a feel good movie with likeable characters. It is what it is. It was better than some Oscar nominated farces I've seen in the past. By the end of the movie it evoked a sense of what life among family and friends should be.

This flimsy female fantasy only got made because the "writer/director" has Hollywood connections.

This fluff wouldn't past muster on a TV sitcom, yet here's a 97-minute yawner of a feature film that wastes time and talent and money that could have gone to something worthy.

Reese Witherspoon stars as a 40-year-old rich woman struggling to raise two daughters all on her own in her swanky LA house that used to belong to her daddy who was a famous filmmaker. She's separated from her record-producer husband, but her movie-star mother lives nearby.

Out on a bender with friends she gets drunk with three young would-be filmmakers who end up living in her guest house. How cute! The three guys of course bond with the kids and help Reese with her difficult life. She's a designer trying to get a start in LA but can't even get her web site up and running.

One of the guys gets "serious about her but then the soon-to-be ex-husband shows up. What to do! Since this was written by a woman, we already know the fairy tale ending.

In this supposedly "empowering" story, we're supposed to root for the poor 40-year-old as she makes some "tough" decisions about her privileged life while sitting in her outdoor kitchen by the pool.

Hardly a minute goes by (it seems) when Witherspoon or the two daughters are not being encouraged and bolstered by someone on their looks. All the women do is seek the approval of men. Even the "strssed out" pre-teen can't put on her school play without one of the guys standing in the wings to encourage her.

Witherspoon finally makes a big decision about her marriage, but it's totally meaningless even within the context of this pile of goo.

Vanity production for Witherspoon and little else. The film is not funny or insightful. Candice Bergen is totally wasted as the movie-star mom who pops in a few times to offer advice. Michael Sheen plays the dopey husband. The "guys" are all unknowns.

This should have been titled THREE MEN AND A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN ACTING LIKE A FOOLISH KID.

$12M was wasted on this trash.

I'm hit and miss with Witherspoon movies. I like her in a fun, need a vapid relaxation movie kinda way, but this surprised me a little. It's a cute rom com etc as expected but what was a bit different in this is that the boy toy characters actually had depth and were interesting people, which made it much more enjoyable to watch. Not going on a favorite movies list but definitely worth a fun watch on movie night.

I've skimmed some of the reviews here, many of them so negative. What were those reviewers expecting? Shakespeare this is not. But it is a light, cute romantic comedy, and I enjoyed watching it. Sitting home alone on Christmas Eve, I spent a nice hour and a half watching these pleasant looking characters in a pleasant looking environment leading their pleasant, contrived and comical lives. That, and a bowl of popcorn - hey, it could have been a lot worse.

Not in the mood for scares this weekend? No problem, Hollywood has got you non-horror movie goers covered with another romantic comedy. This weekend, the legendary Reese Witherspoon stars in another Hallie Meyers-Shyer work, in hopes of tickling your romantic fantasy on a less risqué scale. Robbie K back again with another movie review on Home Again. Will this film be another mundane addition to her lineup, or do we perhaps have something special with this flick? Let's get started to answer that question, shall we?

LIKES:

Charming/Cute: Like her works in the past, Meyers-Shyer has done a fantastic job building an adorable world/situation for our characters to play in. No major tension, violence, or heart- stopping shock moments, exist in this movie. Instead it is just a simple tale that will pull at your heartstrings while portraying those romantic morals many wish to see. Such a positive atmosphere certainly offsets the horror atmosphere of the other movie most likely to be in your theater.

Fun: With that positive atmosphere comes a fun movie, filled with small sequences that are wholesome, innocent, and surprisingly entertaining. Like a Hallmark Movie on steroids, Home Again takes on plenty of life lessons that are tested against the modern society trends today. Loyalty, romance, job work, responsibility, and child rearing are just some of the things you'll get in this movie. And while tasteful, and certainly predictable, the journey to addressing the obstructions in our character's life brings about some simplistic laughs, a plethora of smiles, and a few tears for whose hearts are warmed by Meyer-Shyer's writing.

Acting: Despite what some say, I found the acting okay and well-fitting given the environment of the movie. Witherspoon herself felt very natural in the role of a single mom looking to find herself again. She brought great energy to the film, all while keeping herself grounded amidst the chaos of all the relationships. The kids were an adorable addition, each playing their parts well to offset the romantic drama loaded into this film. I particular liked the older daughter story and how it integrated a different side of the guys to help solve a different problem. Speaking of the guys all three "eligible" bachelors were decent in playing their assigned roles, from younger brother bringing peace, to the stud that caught Reese's eyes. Of all them, Jon Rudnitsky was my favorite and the most dynamic of the characters being integrated into the film. A nice blend of comedy and drama, Jon's character kept the characters well integrated into the mix.

The short run time: A predictable tale like this can get old, fast. Fortunately, they had the foresight to cut this movie to the shorter end, telling the tale in enough details to get the job done. A plus on my side, though many may feel robbed of a full story they pine for given her past films.

DISLIKES:

Rushed elements: Despite the short time being a nice gift, Home Again's brisk pace leaves some key development scrounging for a rebound. So much potential to really give more layers to the movie, and perhaps get a few engaging story lines out of the mix would have been the better route. Especially when it came to the challenges at hand.

No major obstacle: Home Again felt like a movie with little struggle, few challenges, and in all honesty a lackluster tale all in all. It played a little too close to home and left me just milling about as the problems seemed to iron themselves away. With all the complicated relationships crammed into this tale, one would expect a little more resistance from the awkward shuffling this cast played. Even most Hallmark movies push back more than this film did before they get to that mushy-gushy ending that millions fall in love with. Perhaps a larger challenge might have made for more engaging characters and a feeling of accomplishment.

Characters: Sure they are charming, cute, admirable, and responsible in many ways, but I have to face the facts… the characters are rather one dimensional. The actors did well with what they were given, but much of the movie's puppets were a bit boring to me. Much of my fellow audience members like their physical appearances the most, but this reviewer had difficulties attaching to them because of their stunted growth. Even Reese's character seemed a bit dull, caught in a whirlwind of indecision before suddenly flipping sides. Even worse, the characters (like the plot) were predictable, further dulling the film's entertainment value.

Little Candice Bergen: When you sell Murphy Brown in the trailers, I hope to get more of the spunky actress. Not the case, as Bergen is reduced to a few nugget lines of dialog that is lost in the "romantic" tide. Had she been integrated into the movie, I have no doubt the characters could have grown stronger with her pushing Reese's character to better herself.

The VERDICT:

While certainly cute, Home Again was a bit too simplistic for my tastes, missing the potential to be one of the better romantic comedies. A rushed story with limited character growth, no real obstacles to keep you engaged, and some missed comedic elements doesn't bode well for this predictable tale. However, it is still a fun, feel good movie that will do its job of entertaining target audiences with eye candy, simplistic laughs, and an overall warm your cardiac pump moment that will make you feel good at the end of the day. Not a bad feeling, but not worth the inflated movie ticket price.

My scores:

Comedy/Drama/Romance: 6.0 Movie Overall: 5.5