Genre: Romantic Comedy
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Starring: Rachael Leigh Cook, Daman Wayans Jr., Heather Graham
Running Time: 91 minutes
Synopsis: In Seattle, lawyer Susan (Rachael Leigh Cook) is running her small boutique firm and struggling to pay the bills. Her chance for a big payday arrives through new client Nick (Damon Wayans Jr.), who wants to sue the on-line dating service Love, Guaranteed for false advertising after close to 1,000 unsuccessful dates. New age tycoon Tamara Taylor (Heather Graham) owns the site and mobilizes her lawyers to defend the case, but complications arise when Susan and Nick start to develop feelings for each other.
What Works Well: Sweet without being overbearing and witty while avoiding cynicism, this pleasant rom-com is the definition of middle-of-the-road entertainment. Rachael Leigh Cook and Damon Wayans Jr. represent unblemished wholesomeness, and the premise is unique enough to be cute but not ridiculous. Heather Graham finds laughs as the shark-like businesswoman hiding behind the nonsense of cereal box mysticism, and the dash of courtroom drama is a welcome addition to the genre. Alvin Sanders as Susan’s former client and Nick’s friend adds grizzled cuddliness.
What Does Not Work As Well: Susan is the prototypical ditzy working woman too-busy-to-date, and the script does not even bother to provide the wealthy Nick with a career (he volunteers as a physiotherapist). Predictably, this is as comfortably predictable as rom-coms get, including the contrived late-in-the-day complication hurtled into the path of the would-be lovers.
Key Quote:
Susan: If you were going to name tonight like an episode of Friends, what would my title be?
Nick: The one I didn’t see coming.
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