Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) was the mainstay of the USA softball team that is until she reached her 30s and was let go. Trying to cope with normal life, she finds herself in a love triangle. On one extreme a sleazebag MLB pitcher (Owen Wilson), and on the other is a soon to be broke & jailed rich daddy’s boy (Paul Rudd).
It’s disturbing how little Lisa is concerned with basic priorities. She’s not the professional the trailers appear to make her out to be; rather she’s in need. Her lifelong career in softball has concluded and to the best of my knowledge there isn’t’ a lot of income in the sport. We have to assume she’s in need of employment yet the thought never crosses her mind nor does any anecdotal jab to clarify how she pays for rent and groceries. Maybe if I was able to easily work my way into a relationship with someone bringing home $14 million annually, I wouldn’t ever mention money either.
Many of the gags in this romcom are confusing. The first that comes to mind features Kathryn Hahn as Rudd’s secretary. She’s holding a laptop in a bizarre manner as she walks into Jack Nicholson’s office. As Jack begins to berate his son, Paul, there is an urgency to calm down in Kathryn’s presence. Moments later she nearly strike Jack… and this is supposed to be funny. Some time later we hear that she’s pregnant, thus rightfully introducing a subplot that won’t die.
Sadly the paring of Witherspoon and Wilson is far more entertaining than Witherspoon/Rudd, the latter of which we are supposed to be pulling for. The trouble is that Rudd is in many scenes where he has to play the comedian, even though he’s always been effective as the straight man. Witherspoon can’t decide which of the boys to choose even though Rudd’s two initial appearances paint him as psychotic.
Among many things, the movie needs an endgame event. This could have been a party that everyone was planning for, a baseball game, etc. Without a sense of urgency the bombardment of bad jokes and boring dialog is nearly unbearable.
On the bright side, there isn’t a preachy voice over from Lisa. Wilson is consistently funny where the others mostly stumble—sometimes down the stairs. If when revewing a comedy you have to give credit for where the jokes didn’t go (the toilet for example) then chances are you are fishing for positives in a puddle. *½
Loading ...
Recent Comments