Ryden Malby has planned her academic life since she was in high school and she intends to get a college scholarship. Now, she has just graduated from high school with her major in English. Following her master plan, she expects to get a job as assistant editor in the publishing house Happerman & Browning in Los Angeles. Her platonic best friend is Adam Davis has a crush on her and is frequently close to her. Her arrogant classmate Jessica Bard gets the position instead!! Ryden is forced to return home to the suburbs to live with her family. Her optimistic father Walter wants to do everything by himself. Her careful mother Carmella administrates the skimpy resources of her family. Her eccentric grandmother is Maureen. Her weird little brother Hunter wants to race in a boxcar derby. Ryden unsuccessfully looks for a job and feels frustrated but she is emotionally supported by Adam. Her father Walter accidentally runs over the cat of their next-door neighbor David Santiago with Ryden's car. They pay visit to David to give him their awkward sympathies.
Alexis Bledel is an attractive young woman but she comes off as self-obsessed. She should be careful with that image because it can seem to be very unlikable and whiny. This movie had the potential as a good romantic comedy. But, it concentrates too much on Ryden getting a job rather than getting the boy. And Adam is missing for most of the movie anyway. Also, there are some great comedic skills being wasted in this film. Michael Keaton is OK but Jane Lynch is downright boring. Carol Burnett tries for flashy brash grandma stuff. At least she gets a couple of smiles but no laughs. Demetri Martin does a cute bit.
This lighthearted Alexis Bledel comedy is on the milder side for PG-13. Expect some swearing and some social drinking, making out and discussion of a STD. But otherwise it's sweet but formulaic. The story attempts to address some “serious” topics. It stresses the transition between college and the real world but doesn’t get too deep. It has a feel-good message, but that message is ultimately a little muddled. Does the perfect boyfriend really trump real-life concerns like keeping a job you worked so hard to get?
88 min, Comedy directed by Vicky Jenson and written by Kelly Fremon Craig with Alexis Bledel, Zach Gilford, Michael Keaton, Jane Lynch, Bobby Coleman, Carole Burnett, Rodrigo Santoro, Catherine Reitman, Mary Ann McGarry, J.K. Simmons, Robert Arce, Jeanie Hackett, Oscar Dillon, Vanessa Branch, Shirley Jordan.
Note: Imdb 5.8* out of 10* with 13,694 reviews, 8% with 100 critic reviews 27% with 100,000 audience scores, Metacritic 35 out of 100 with 25 critics 6.6 out of 10 with 13 user scores, Roger Ebert 3*, Common Sense Media S. Jhoanna Robledo 3* out of 5*, age 13+, 1* violence, 2* sex, 2* drinking, drugs & smoking, 3* language, 4* positive role models, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 232 reviews.
Mistakes: When Ryden is giving bags to Jessica, she looks at the last bag and she storms out of the store but never really puts the bag back on the shelf? When grandmother is in the kitchen, she has a manikin head in front of her? When the camera switches from her to Ryden's mother and back to the grandmother, the manikin is now different and behind her? During a concert, Adam picks up an electric sunburst guitar, the camera then goes to the crowd and back to him but his electric guitar has become an acoustic guitar at around 53 minutes?
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