Not sure whether this is a chick flick or just a generic bad movie...

Rating: 5/10 (19 December 2004)

I saw this a few years ago, and didn't quite see why everyone was praising it so much. I attempted to watch it again a year or two later, still desperately trying to figure out what everyone was praising the movie for. Then I borrowed it from the local library a few days ago, and today I saw it again... I'm still as baffled by its reputation as a good film as I was when I first saw it. It seems to be a chick flick, since just about all of the elements are there... but maybe it is just a generic bad movie that has gotten popular because of the star power or whatever. I mean, everything in the movie... the obnoxious little kid, the weak attempts at comedy mostly consisting of old stereotypes, the unbelievably poorly implemented and uneven love-story... no. Just no. I can only guess that the popularity of this film lies in a strong audience of people who are either easily impressed or girls who are into chick flicks. Possibly both. The plot is OK, but the pacing is awful. It moves unforgivable slowly and seems twice as long as it is... at least. The acting is flat or overplayed... everyone seems either terribly uninterested in the material or to not be sure how to perform, and therefore overdo it. I can't believe that this was actually done by Cameron Crowe... come on, he made Almost Famous and Vanilla Sky, two movies that are great at best and impressive at the least. How could he screw this up? I recommend this film only to the biggest fans of the people involved in the making of it, and possibly fans of chick flicks. Everyone else; don't listen to the hype. It's not the least bit interesting or involving. 5/10