Different viewer reactions might be age based

Rating: Null/10 (5 July 2004)

Most people seem to really like this film OR be unimpressed by it. I wonder if the reactions are based on the age of the viewer. I am a big Bill Murray fan and I think he did a nice job here with the material. At least the viewer had something to connect to with Murray--his career and family. We are given very little as a foundation for Johanssons's character--she's really just a kid--maybe spoiled, maybe not. She is not articulate enough to describe her feelings, beyond a general loneliness, and does not serve as an effective foil for Murray to express his own sadness. In fact, we learn virtually nothing new about these characters from their interaction. Everything about them is given to us in scenes where they are alone or interacting with others. The stranger in a strange land theme is very common and this film says nothing new about it. Without Murray, this would have been a total loss in my opinion. With him, 5 out of 10.