This movie is based on a novel by Jean Bennet. Ian (Timothy Hutton) wants to have a day with his mistress Sara (Kristen Bell)? His high-powered lawyer wife Louise (Meg Ryan) surprises him by showing up a day early. He is packing to leave her when she takes him prisoner. She vows to win him over. She lies to Sara about their impending separation and sends her away. While Louise is out, Ian gets the attention of lawnmower Todd (Justin Long). Instead of helping, Todd starts robbing the home.
Adrienne Shelly has written a quirky story. It doesn't have enough comedy and directing novice Cheryl Hines is unable to inject any. Ryan and Hutton are angry but the comedy falls flat. The quirky tone is not funny until the last act when Hutton, Ryan and Bell are locked in the bathroom. It's a little late although it's better to end on a good note. The movie needs to have set that tone from the start. There are tough topics such as loss, grief, self-harm and disability. The main characters are 18 and 19 plus they have medical conditions.
84 min, drama directed by Cheryl Hines, produced by Andy Ostroy and Michael Roiff, written by Adrienne Shelly with Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton, Kristen Bell, Justin Long, Derek Carter, Bill Parks.
Note: Rotten Tomatoes 221% with 37 critic reviews 25% with 2,500+ audience scores, Metacritic 36 with 16 critic ratings 5.1 with 10 user scores, Slant Magazine 2.5* out of 4*, Common Sense Media, 4* out of 5* age 14+, 1* consumerism, 2* educational value, drinking, drugs, smoking and violence, 3* positive messages, sex, language 4* positive role models.
Special Note: Police arrested Diego Pillco, a 19-year-old construction worker. He confessed to killing Shelly and trying to make it look as if she had committed suicide. This event happened on November 1, 2006 and she was 40 years old. Her residence had been in West Village, Manhattan, New York.
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