Suburban Girl

I am generally not a fan of romantic comedies, they tend to be rather brainless, you see one and you seen them all sort of thing. How ever I was pleasantly surprised with Suburban Girl, it doesn't take you to the same old plot that seemingly all romantic comedies go to. I am sure you know what I mean, boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy looses girl, boy gets girl in the end. Instead we are introduced to a young woman, unsure of herself, looking to her relationship with an older man to give her the answers she can't seem to find. This is not your usual fare, and is a funny, well acted look at a May December romance. I think Alec Baldwin and Sarah Michelle Gellar, worked well with each other, giving a very good perfromances. I would go see this again.

Unlike the Europeans, Hollywood has never been comfortable with May-December romances. One film after another they throw the 50-something Daniel Auteuil into the arms of a 20-something babe without explanation or apology and we sit in the cinema never questioning the logic of it. When it comes to Hollywood, it is either a tragedy or a morality tale. Jack Nicholson can only be redeemed by settling for a woman near his age at the end of Something Has to Give.

Suburban Girl has an intelligent script that manages to sidestep such apologia. It also doesn't try to dilute the issue or make the motives of its main characters nobler than what they are. The December character (Alec Baldwin in excellent self-parodying mode) is a diabetic and recovering alcoholic. He is also a self-confessed womanizer and an absentee father with serious daughter issues. The May of the film (Sarah Michelle Gellar acting as if she is using the film as personal therapy) is a father-worshiper and has no qualms about allowing the older man to use his influence to better her career. It is all too real. It is a pity that Mark Klein directs the film like an afternoon romance for Hallmark channel – without flair or imagination, and that Alec Baldwin's personal life interfered unnecessarily with the screening. The unevenness of the directorial treatment might alienate the mainstream audience that seem to prefer their comedies separate from their dramas. The script skilfully avoids the known clichés without taking too many risks. The sweet-sour ending will also add to the audience confusion.

Supporting roles are cleverly underplayed by a competent ensemble. Maggie Grace, one of the early casualties of the TV hit Lost, is surprisingly effective in a role that seems to have been written for her.

Brett (Sarah Michelle Gellar) has come from New Jersey to take a bite out of the Big Apple. As an associate editor for a book publishing company, she is hoping to advance her career and stay in New York permanently. However, when she stops at a book store and tries to substitute some of her company's books for ones on display, the manager gives her a tongue lashing. Not long after that, however, she stumbles upon a legend in the publishing business. That would be Archie Knox (Alec Baldwin), a middle aged man who is still very attractive and charming. As Brett is young and beautiful, Archie makes a big play for her, even though she already has a boyfriend and he has a long list of past girlfriends and wives. With a powerful connection growing between the two of them, Brett agrees to begin a relationship with Archie. He even arranges for her to score some points at work. But, then a new boss arrives, Brett's father becomes ill and Archie confesses that he is a recovering alcoholic. Will Brett be able to weather the rough seas of love? This story of an autumn-spring romance starts off with much humor and cleverness and then grows more serious as the film continues. Most viewers will probably realize that the relationship between Archie and Brett won't be able to endure but that a sweet tale of love is still welcome, even when there is no happy ending. Gellar is charming as the young editor and Baldwin is excellent as the complex, world-weary publishing giant. The rest of the cast, including James Naughton, is quite nice, too. Naturally, the scenery in and around NYC is lovely and the costuming is also fetching, as Gellar is a perfect model for most fashions. Production values are high and the script has some notable lines, tenderness, and humor. Are you always on the lookout for any romantic comedy that becomes available? You will like this one so find the nearest video store, city, suburban, or rural, and snap this one up!

It was a pretty good movie. Before i watched it, i thought it was a romantic comedy but it's really not. There isn't much comedy here, and it doesn't try to be funny. It was entertaining though. It basically revolves around Bret (SMG's character) and her budding relationship with Archie (Alec Baldwin), her relationship with her family (particularly her father) and her aspiration to be an editor. Throughout the course of the movie, you can kinda see SMG turn from a self conscious girl to a more self assured woman.

Anyways, i thought it was a good movie. Its target audience is probably women in their early twenties (Me!), as they have someone to relate to in Bret. The dialogue can be quite pretentious though and you probably wouldn't get many of the jokes if you aren't well read.

The scenes with Alec Baldwin and SMG weren't as uncomfortable or awkward as i thought. I thought their relationship was realistic enough and it was portrayed well. They had sufficient chemistry together.

Also, i thought SMG did a great job acting in this movie. She breathed life into the character and not once did i think Buffy while watching her. Someone mentioned on the board that she was too old to play a 24 year old (she's 30) but i disagree. I thought she was totally believable as a 24 year old and she portrayed the insecurities that comes with it very well. Also, i LOVE all the clothing she wore in this movie.

Overall i would recommend this movie. It's nothing mind blowing but it's a cute movie. I give it a 7.5/10 (incidentally that's what its IMDb rating is currently).

This movie could have been good if it hadn't already been made so many times before. The concept of a young girl who feels lost and finds a connection with an older man is hardly new.

The actors play well - as one would expect from professionals - and if one is a fan of either Alec Baldwin or Sarah Michella Gellar; one might consider watching the movie just for that.

Where it all goes wrong is in the narrative. The movie tries delivering something that it just can't deliver. While the actors as such play their roles fine, the viewer is never really caught by them. The roles are flat and one is left with a feeling of "who cares". There are a few elements in the movie that obviously entertains, but they all seem stereotypical in a way that gets boring very quickly.

This is a movie that you can watch if you are having some friends over and needs some background noise, or if you are baking bread and do not want to bother with pausing the movie every time you have to go to the kitchen.