Mostly enjoyable, but also too formulaic and overly sentimental

Rating: 6/10 (13 July 2004)

Overall, nice little movie. But it is also a bit 'tricked out.' That is, it is a bit manipulative and overly sentimental. I LIKE romantic movies, generally, and even some intensely emotional ones. I even cluck-cluck when film critics attack anything with strong emotions, or too-real humanity, mentally scolding them for their shallow self-anointed mantel of the too-cool.
Point is, I usually defend the 'sentiments' of humanity in movies! But here, I was (and to my great surprise) put off a bit by some of the formulaic vibe of the movie. It was kind of corny, and silly, and inauthentic. Again, though, it was nonetheless watchable. I gave it a 6 out of 10, and would have posted a 6.5 if I could have.
James Garner is magnificent in everything. Gena Rowlands is good, and good here. The guy, Ryan Gosling, may be a great human being, but his screen persona is too creepy for me (recall his total creep-out role in 'Murder by Numbers'). The chick was good--- Somebody Mc-Something. Don't know her name or work yet, but assume she will continue with a good career, and then everyone will know her.