REVIEW: Rumor Has It

Director: Rob Reiner
Starring: Jennifer Anniston, Kevin Costner, Mark Ruffalo and Shirley MacLaine

Story: Sarah Huttinger (Jen Anniston) has never felt like she belonged in her family, and it's not until her fiance (Mark Ruffalo) points out the suspicious math behind her birthdate, and the date of which her parents got married. Seems like she was conceived a WEEK before the marriage, the SAME week her mother "mysteriously" ran off to Mexico with some man. (The same man that supposedly had a fling with her grandmother.) Now, all of a sudden everything clicks for Sarah! Now she knows why she doesn't act the same as her family that she grew up with! Why she doesn't have the same hair color or drive like her father does! Yea, totally makes sense now, she's not even their daughter! So, Sarah thinks she might just feel so much happier, if only she can meet this mysterious man, who may in fact be her REAL father! The story pursues...




...actually, it doesn't. The six sentences you've just read is the entire movie. How they managed to stretch it out for an hour and a half, beats me. Oh wait, maybe the 45 minutes of awkward, "is this supposed to be hot?" fling with Jennifer and Kevin Costner did it. Look, Kevin, you did great in the 90's. We all loved you and your sexy monotone voice. However, seeing you make-out with Jennifer Aniston gave me the same weirded out feeling I got while watching a Roger Moore bed-scene in Moonraker. Come on Reiner, you could have done better than that. If you wanted an older, "experienced", Prince Charming why not cast somebody like Rupert Everett or Durmot Mulroney?
Rachel Gree... I mean, Jennifer Aniston is pretty funny. I wish that she had more characters though. I'd really like to see her branch out from her "spazzy", funny mode and try something way more dramatic. Somebody cast her as a bounty hunter or give her a tragic Shakepearian death or something. Just don't give us the usual ditz, anyone can play that.
OK, I'll stop with the critique for now. The first half hour of this film was actually quite good. It kept me giggling with it's witty jokes and I loved how they included some realistically awkward scenes. At times it'd feel like I was in the same room with them, experiencing it at the same time. (Wow, anyone who has attempted the Mile-High Club must certainly have talent!)
Mark Ruffalo, as Sarah's fiance, gives me hope in men. No seriously! If there are men that are as cute, sweet, understanding, and forgiving as he was, put my name down on the "available list". He made Jennifer look like a complete idiot for going after the boring, supposed player, Kevin Costner. Also, Shirley MacLaine put in her hilarious bit. After the movie lost it's intrigue, she became the only hope to keep the film a comedy. I looked forward to her scenes just as much as a looked forward to the credits.
This would be a movie to rent. Oh, and while you're at it, rent The Graduate. I've never seen it, but this movie keeps bringing it up. If you like the character Jennifer Aniston always plays, or if you don't mind watching so-so romantic-comedies with a cheesy, unrealistic ending, then definitley go for this flick.


Rating: 2/5