Jason Bateman and
Jennifer Anistion
Thomas Robinson and
Jason Bateman
Too Few Suprises to Justify the Title
Unmarried, single and 40 years old, a frustrated Kassie Larson, played by Jennifer
Aniston, wants nothing more than to have her own child. She wants a child so much, that
she will do anything in her power to have one, including the help of a turkey baster.
The film opens scanning the beautiful New York City skyline while the words, “7 years
ago” appear on the screen. Co-star, Jason Bateman, is her best friend, Wally Mars, and
obviously someone that she trusts. While meeting for lunch one day, Kassie tries to relate
the success of the stock market to women’s fertility in hopes to convince Wally that
insemination is a good idea as it has come down to now or never.
Unfortunately, Kassie does not find the reassurance she was looking for in Wally as he
thinks it is a ridiculous idea. We continually see Wally trying to talk Kassie out of her
plan but he knew it was a done deal as soon as he opened an envelope enclosed with a
baby shower invite and sperm-shaped confetti flying out of it. Wally reluctantly attends
this shower where there is inevitably lots of food, lots of people and…lots of alcohol. At
this point, you can probably predict what happens, especially if you’ve seen the countless
previews. A very inebriated Wally starts messing around in Kassie’s bathroom and takes
things a little too far...
Before he knows it, Kassie is pregnant and moving back to her hometown of Minnesota.
Seven years pass with little communication, but one day, Wally gets a voicemail from
Kassie saying that she and her son, Sebastian (Bryce Robinson), are moving back to the
Big Apple and she wants Sebastian to meet, “Uncle Wally” as they called him. At this
point, neither of them is aware that Sebastian should be calling him, “Dad.”
Things are off to a rocky start for Wally and Sebastian after first meeting each other
while dining at an upscale, Chinese restaurant in Chinatown one night. Kassie is
distraught over her son’s rude behavior toward Wally but this attitude soon takes a turn
for the better. After spending more time together and realizing their many similarities
Sebastian grows very fond of Wally. And the feeling is mutual. There is a very cute
scene in the aquarium where they discover how alike they are.
Speaking of cute, Bryce Robinson will be receiving many phone calls after this film. He
was adorable and made his part very believable. Although we were hoping for hilarious
lines from Aniston and Bateman, the supporting cast stole the show in that category. The
always amusing, Juliette Lewis and Jeff Goldblum added perfect witty touches. Bateman
was great for his part, playing a man-child type character, immature, but wanting to grow
up at the same time. Aniston also played her part well, although, we have seen her in far
too many soft comedies, lately. She is very capable of more challenging roles. Although
I consider myself one of Aniston’s biggest fans, I hate to say it, but the lighting director
did not do her any favors in this movie. The lighting makes her look paler, older and
very disheveled in many scenes.
I appreciated the way the beginning and ending tied together. Throughout the film, the
narrator, Bateman, continually refers to, “the human race” and how no one stops to smell
the roses anymore. We are all too busy with our careers to enjoy the simple things in life.
At the end of the film, (this will not give away the ending), Bateman’s last words are,
“maybe the human race isn’t a race at all,” which I found quite refreshing. Some might
consider the narrated and repeating phrases very similar to Love Actually (2003).
This rom-com, directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck, is an analysis of the non-nuclear
family, which is becoming more prevalent in today’s society. It reinforces the idea that
women don’t need to find the perfect man in order to create a family. In fact, you will
notice that there really are families throughout the film (even if they aren’t you’re
“typical” family or blood related). Whether it is Kassie and her best friend, Debbie
(Lewis), or Wally, his confidant and boss, Leonard (Goldblum), the film shows that
everyone can have a family. They are simply the people you share your life with, the
people you care about and the people you can lean on when you need them most.
Bottom Line: This predictable flick has a likable cast with a mediocre storyline. While it
is entertaining, it wouldn’t hurt to wait for the DVD.
Jessica Aymond © September 3, 2010 |
