56 - Stuck In Love

Connection To THE HEART OF JUSTICE - Jennifer Connelly

I kept calling this Stuck On You before I watched it and I knew it starred Greg Kinnear, so I kept thinking why would Greg Kinnear appear in ANOTHER movie called Stuck On You. But in actuality it turns out I'm just an idiot and the film was called Stuck In Love (duh).

Well I don't always expect to relate to all characters on screen, something about Stuck On You Stuck In Love (I genuinely did just type Stuck On You first then) was extremely noticeable, maybe because by the point the film starts Kinnear is already a successful writer and his daughter played by Lily Collins is so super talented as well she is getting her first book published.

Honestly, though that was just one of the problems for me - how the characters speak, you know they cool indie speak sort of way, while I don't mean to rag on the writer but it's one of those scripts where you feel like the writer thought was awesome when he was thinking of the dialogue, and while it sounds profound or whatever in theory it just didn't seem natural coming out of the characters mouth, because nobody realistically speaks and acts that way to each other in real life.

As a child of divorce I can normally identify of the pain characters are going through, I don't it's maybe because I never really get to feel what it was like when Jennifer Connelly and Kinnear where married in this, early on he stalks her by looking through her living room window (yes really) but it seems a real none issue between other characters (and even her), but Connelly and Collins as the daughter relationship is much better explored and the residual feelings of being let down.

Among the supporting cast is Kristen Bell (it's obvious by now I'm in love with her) pops up as Kinnear's "fuck buddy" her appearances are fleeting but welcome even if she to suffers from the indie speak in this - I just wish she had more to do.

Overall it feels like it falls into a lot of traps of what I dislike about indie films but to be fair there are moments in the film that genuinely keep me from disliking it 

23 - Dear God

Connection To GOD BLESS AMERICA - Larry Miller appears briefly in both.

Dear God's plot can actually be summed up pretty easy - conman forced with jail time or getting a job gets a job in the post office and ends up answering the request of somebodies letter to God, his co-workers end up joining in this good deed even with the legality of it all.

Greg Kinnear is the said conman who does go through the predictable change but it's not a bad thing, I may have watched this on the night, this probably more better suited to the afternoon, a film that's ultimate goal is to give you a nice warm fuzzy feeling about (it's even set around Christmas time - but that's not an overbearing part of the movie), he's always been a pretty decent actor but he only ever touches on a good role every now and again and he is - I am going to go with the overall word that represents this movie - likable...

Yeah, he's likable, everything's likable - it's not meant to threatening - grumpy characters hearts melt, people change for the good - the ending is even crowd cheering the goodness, there's some decent supporting cast including Laurie Metcalf, Tim Conway and in a smaller role Jack Klugman, Maria Pitillo as Kinnear's love interest is not bad per say, she's just not written as much other then be a single mother and be pretty

The film's heart is in the right place as the films message is nice the have-not's doing something for the other have-not's, there's enough that's funny (in a light sort of way - where you'll smile rather then laugh out loud)

Overall, it's say it with me - LIKABLE - The film is not really meant to be anything more I think and so for that reason it's such a short round up this time because they are only some many times you can say that.