They're Playing Our Song - if we enjoy humor and romance

Rating: 9/10 (19 March 2007)

There was a 70's Neil Simon show called "They're Playing Our Song" that I just loved loosely based upon the short-lived romance between Marvin Hamlisch and Carol Bayer Sager. Although not literally based upon that play, the spirit of that delicious confection lives on in this comedy.
Hugh Grant plays an 80's Has-Been (loved the running gag about the Battle-of-the-80's-Has-Beens) former POP icon who has burnt out and taken the easy road in life. Lo and behold, a new POP icon, supposedly a riff on Brittany Spears although not really a very close one, wants him to write a song they can do as a duet. But he only writes music; he needs a lyricist. Enter the quirky and delightful Drew Barrymore, sister of Kristen Johnson who steals just about every scene she's in -- the latter owning a few weight-loss salons that Drew works at, and also a huge fan of Grant's old group. I don't know how true the music industry stories are but I found them hilarious, especially as recounted by Grant. Brad Garrett deadpans it just right as Grant's agent. And, Campbell Scott is perfectly smug as Barrymore's insipid literary ex-boyfriend. I did not know the actress playing Cora or the main guy in the entourage but they were also deliciously in-synch with the movie's overall feel and attitude.
I never liked Hugh Grant much in the 90's but thought he was wonderful in About A Boy and the two Bridget Jones movies. (If you enjoyed Grant here and never saw About A Boy, rent it -- I liked it even better). He built upon his new abilities to laugh at himself and the world at the same time recognizing that he's neither as noble nor as worthless as he once thought himself to be. There were two scenes where Drew seemed to think she was in The Wedding Singer again instead of a romantic comedy with a tad more sophistication and she didn't seem to reciprocate the chemistry with Grant that he was able to convey for her, but why nitpick when the film was so enjoyable? Good fun. See it with someone you love and laugh together.