Must Love Dogs (2005)

Plot: Months after her divorce, Sarah's (Diane Lane) family is trying to get her back into the game. Minutes after his divorce is finalized, Jake's (John Cusack) lawyer is trying to get him back out there. The lawyer answers the personal that the sister created, and Sarah and Jake meet. Sparks never quite get off the ground, but hearty attempts are made.

In my own defense, I thought this movie was going to suck when I went to see it. I wanted some John, though, so I didn't feel bad about dishing out $6.95.

Let's just get this over with: this movie sucked. Writer-director Gary David Goldberg couldn't write or direct his way out of a paper bag. I barely cared about a single character in this movie even though he worked with truly terrific people.

Lane generally snaps up every role worth playing offered to a woman "of a certain age", but this not one of them. The second the movie shifted focus away from Jake/Sarah to one of her not-in-the-slightest bit "funny" blind dates, her inappropriate behaviour with a grocery store employee, her inappropriate behaviour with one of her student's parents, or anything that wasn't Jake for that matter, I glared at the screen with unchecked disgust. Normally that's a look I reserve for Idiot Girl #1 in my English class.

There was one bright spot in addition to my beloved Cusack. Christopher Plummer swooped in as Sarah's father and completely owned that movie from start to finish. A faint chuckle, a devilish grin, and a hint of sadness were all he needed to transcend this muck. The solitary scene that Plummer and Cusack shared was the greatest thing that movie had to offer.

Goldberg has claimed that he asked Cusack for some notes on Jake. Rumour has it that 35 new pages of dialogue came back, allowing me to believe that anything worth hearing in this movie came directly from Cusack himself.

For those of you unclear about what makes Cusack so irresistible, check out this study. It's one of the better ones I've read. And I agree - the fact that he isn't traditionally good looking is part of his appeal. He has to work harder for it, and we get a better product. His charm lies in letting his insecurities bubble just below the surface, which is what prevents the charm from ever coming across as sleaze.

Of course, if you want some of that charm, don't look this waste. C