There are so many things wrong with this movie and screenplay, that I don't know where to start. We heard such negative reviews from friends that we just had to see for ourselves. Given the strong stable of actors, it just couldn't be that bad ... or could it? So let me start with the positive.
The Good:
1) Actors - Great talent overall. Special kudos to young Makenzie Vega, who is on her way to a wonderful career. She stole every scene she was in. And Meg Ryan is always a great performer - but what happened to her lips? She looks like she got stung by a bee and had a bad reaction.
The Bad and the Ugly:
1) Editing - So poorly done, that it was hard to follow the flow of the story. It seemed like every ten minutes, the characters were making reference to a dialog or event that was left on the cutting room floor.
2) Storyline - Don't try to rationalize how believable this one is, it's not close to reality. Without giving anything away, the story is so painfully predictable that we were all cheering for at least one surprise or plot twist, but those never came. And the ending was so absurd - straight out of a bad TV movie.
3) Relationships - The characters' interaction with each other is so contrived and superficial, that it was hard to empathize with any one in this film. A good story draws you in to feel the emotions of the actors but none of us watching, from the teenagers to the adults, cared about any of the characters. And most of them were so neurotic and depressed, you just wanted to slap them across the face.
If you watch this for the actors, and pay no attention to the story, then you'll have a good time. And pay particular note to young actress Makenzie Vega, she's one to watch.
The Good:
1) Actors - Great talent overall. Special kudos to young Makenzie Vega, who is on her way to a wonderful career. She stole every scene she was in. And Meg Ryan is always a great performer - but what happened to her lips? She looks like she got stung by a bee and had a bad reaction.
The Bad and the Ugly:
1) Editing - So poorly done, that it was hard to follow the flow of the story. It seemed like every ten minutes, the characters were making reference to a dialog or event that was left on the cutting room floor.
2) Storyline - Don't try to rationalize how believable this one is, it's not close to reality. Without giving anything away, the story is so painfully predictable that we were all cheering for at least one surprise or plot twist, but those never came. And the ending was so absurd - straight out of a bad TV movie.
3) Relationships - The characters' interaction with each other is so contrived and superficial, that it was hard to empathize with any one in this film. A good story draws you in to feel the emotions of the actors but none of us watching, from the teenagers to the adults, cared about any of the characters. And most of them were so neurotic and depressed, you just wanted to slap them across the face.
If you watch this for the actors, and pay no attention to the story, then you'll have a good time. And pay particular note to young actress Makenzie Vega, she's one to watch.