Freeway et nous

Beth (Diane Keaton) has always played second fiddle to her doctor-husband Joseph's (Kevin Kline) job as an orthopedic surgeon. As someone who was busy raising three daughters, this didn't matter so much. But, now the gals are grown and the tension between Beth and Joe is pretty palpable. As they reside in Denver, one snowy winter day, Beth spies a dog on the side of the road, a major highway. She insists that her daughter pull over so they can rescue him. After a trip to the vet, where Beth's daughter makes eyes with the veterinarian, Beth takes "Freeway" the canine home. To be sure, Joseph doesn't really want to keep the mutt but, for once, Beth insists. Over the next few months, Beth and Freeway form a strong attachment while Joe softens his stance a bit. Romance is in the air! Yes, soon the vet and the dog rescuer's girl are walking down the aisle, in a remote area of the state. After the ceremony, Beth, Joe and assorted relatives and friends stay on for a few days at the mountain resort. Alas, Joe takes a call on his cellphone as he is walking the dog and Freeway breaks free and gets lost. As a result, long standing grievances come out between Beth and Joseph, as Beth blames Joe for Freeway's missing status. So, will the lovable canine be found and will it be at the cost of the marriage? This worthwhile film is not without flaws but it is not a disaster by any means. For certain, the cast adds greatly to its entertainment value, as Keaton, Kline, Diane Wiest, Richard Jenkins, and the rest get as much out of their roles as possible. Kline, especially, has a truly unlikeable part, redeemed somewhat at the end, which takes courage to play. Then, too, the scenery is quite wonderful while the photography is equally fine. As for the script, it is definitely uneven and rather haphazardly put together, which makes director Kasdan work harder to polish up the results. Then, too, while the dog in the movie is darling, this is really not an animal flick but rather one about human relationships and their perils. Therefore, if you are attracted to the cast, director, or setting, take a chance on the flick and bring it home.

"Lassie, don't come home."

Will movies never cease to amaze me? How could the creativity behind the pleasing ensemble film Grand Canyon, Lawrence Kasdan and his wife, Meg, be responsible for the insipid drama, Darling Companion?

A lost dog? The hunt curing and binding the principle couples? Please!! Only surgeons, veterinarians, and their wives could have the time and resources to stay at a Colorado lodge to look for a lost dog. Of course, the dog is just the metaphor for the lost romance, to be found, of the couples, mostly Beth (Diane Keaton) and Joseph (Kevin Kline).

It's difficult to describe how banal their interaction is, especially since Keaton overacts, flailing her arms at emotional moments, and Kline appears to wish he hadn't made this movie with his lines appropriate for a high school world premier.

But then, Sam Shepherd, the world-class playwright, has to endure his thankless role as the curmudgeonly sheriff, and Diane Weist can only showcase her world-class cheekbones. Richard Jenkins as her silly love interest, well, he's had a whole lot better than his comic-relief buffoon.

But then the writing Kasdans didn't have to worry about crafting each line since it seems every other line is a scream calling for lost dog, Freeway. When the most conflict you'll get is Joseph's enslavement to his cell, you have an idea that there are no new ideas. I suggest the real conflict is Beth's over dramatizing, which Joseph calls her on.

Once again a film relies on the faded glory of its Hollywood royalty to tell a silly tale about older folk. I'm thinking I might enjoy the second edition of The Expendables, whose 65-year-old Sylvester Stallone is a has been, knows it, and makes no pretense about making a warm and fuzzy film.

I don't understand all the hate on most of the reviews I've read. There are no special effects, but there are some heavy hitter stars in this movie, and a pleasing storyline. Of course we all know how it's going to end. But the movie, especially for us Boomers, touches on a lot of subjects that we can relate to when it comes to the aging process. And how society can be in a hurry to move us along. Make room for the younger up and coming. The area where this was filmed, Utah and Telluride, are very familiar to me, and a joy to see. This isn't heavy drama, there is no nudity, the plot is not too involved. It's a great movie to take your 80 year old mother-in-law to on a Saturday afternoon. That's what we did, and she loved it. So take Grandma to the movies this week. You'll enjoy the movie, and Grandma will appreciate you taking the time to do it. See you at the movies. :)

Beth Winter (Diane Keaton) rescues a lost dog from the side of a road. Her husband Joseph (Kevin Kline) is a self-important surgeon. Beth brings the dog Freeway home and her daughter Grace (Elisabeth Moss) falls for the vet. At Grace's wedding in the mountains, their nephew Bryan (Mark Duplass) develops a crush on Carmen (Ayelet Zurer) who runs the place. Joseph's sister Penny (Dianne Wiest) has a new boyfriend Russell (Richard Jenkins) who is using her money to start a pub. Joseph carelessly loses the dog in the woods. It sets off a big search for Freeway.

I'm not sure if the stakes are high enough here. It's a bunch of family members with minor issues looking for a dog. It's not like the audience grows to love the dog. It's more of an excuse for each family member to work out their issues. Lawrence Kasdan and his wife have created the lightest and mildest of family drama. The great cast of actor showed up to play but the writing is not up to the task.

If your favorite song in the world is The Lovin' Spoonful's "Darlin' Companion," then you'll probably want to rent the cutesy comedy that promoted the song during its trailer. Since the movie isn't very good, you'd better like the song to keep you going. Also, you'd better be a dog person, or at least someone who can understand someone else's love of dogs. If you don't like animals and you don't like the 1960s groovy tune, you're going to be in for a rough night.

Diane Keaton gets to reprise her quirky empty-nester character she perfected in Something's Gotta Give, and Kevin Kline gets to have another rocky marriage in a Lawrence Kasdan movie. In this one, he's a workaholic and doesn't understand his wife's irrational attachment to a stray, mangy dog she picked up off the side of the road. Sounds so much different than his lawyer from Grand Canyon who indulges his wife's affection for an abandoned baby she found off the side of the road, doesn't it? All kidding aside, because even the very best storytellers borrow plot points from their earlier works, this movie is very different from Grand Canyon. It's very light, with a comic relief married couple provided the majority of the entertainment. Dianne Wiest and Richard Jenkins make a very cute couple, and they have some funny scenes together to take your mind off of Diane Keaton's silly antics. If you're just in the mood for something fluffy, this one won't hurt you.