Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Overlooked Movies -- Rumor Has It

This review original appeared on December 9, 2005.

Being in the mood for light entertainment, Judy and I went to see Rumor Has It this afternoon. The audience looked about like what you'd expect: a bunch of old ginks who'd all seen The Graduate 40 years or so ago and wanted to see what this new riff on it was like. I think they all went away happy, or at least smiling.

Kevin Costner is fine, and I'm glad to see that he appears to have given up being the savior of various post-apocalyptic worlds, Shirley MacLaine is just about perfect as the even older Mrs. Robinson, and Jennifer Anniston does a good job of playing the confused young woman who might nor might not be the daughter of Benjamin Braddock (or Beau Burroughs, or whoever). I have to admit that I do find it a little hard to belive that it's never occurred to her Sarah Huttinger character that her birth occurred a little too soon after her parents' marriage. Kids wonder about stuff like that, don't they?

This isn't the kind of movie that's going to change anybody's life or make anyone's "Ten Best" list, but it's fun and it's nostalgic for those of us who remember seeing The Graduate on the big screen in its first release. There are lots worse things you could spend your money on.

3 comments:

Jeff Meyerson said...

I thought it was stupid.

But then, I wasn't really the target audience.


Jeff

Jeff Meyerson said...

OK, then let me add that Jackie thought it was stupid too, though she liked it more than I did (which wasn't hard).

Jeff

Todd Mason said...

Also based on the novel, or on a sequel from the novelist (Charles Baxter was it? Shall have to Go Look...)