The Oh in Ohio
On the surface, Priscilla Chase (Parker Posey,Superman Returns) has it all: good job, stable marriage, attractive Cleveland abode. In truth, the smartly dressed ad exec is sexually unsatisfied. In fact, she's never experienced the "oh" of the title. Husband Jack (a scruffy Paul Rudd,The 40-Year-Old Virgin), high school bio teacher, has problems of his own. He's so unhappy with their lackluster sex life he's taken to drinking on the job. Priscilla sets out to overcome her dysfunction. That means trips to a therapist, a self-help guru (a blonde Liza Minnelli), and an adult toy shop (staffed by an unbilled Heather Graham). Eventually she finds a possible solution. All the while, Jack solicits advice from a smooth-talking colleague (Keith David in hilarious form) and spends time with precocious student Kristen (Mischa Barton, more construct than character). Then there's local celeb Wayne the Pool Guy (a ponytailed Danny DeVito), who fills an unexpected role in this passion play. Billy Kent's debut is pitched somewhere betweenEverything You Always Wanted to Know about Sexand an episode ofSex and the City. (The dialogue may be unbridled, but there's only a hint of flesh.) The main reason to see the film is simply for the star. From start to, um, finish, Posey is thoroughly charming, never overplaying the kind of role that could've been painful to watch in the hands of a lesser actress.--Kathleen C. Fennessy