I dismissed this movie as yet another romantic comedy when it came out in '92 and never gave it much thought until catching it recently on cable. It was quite surprisingly a very enjoyable film, for me mostly because of the chemistry between Meg Ryan and Alec Baldwin; I thought they captured the blissful uncertainty of falling in love and thought the subtext was an interesting commentary on love and marriage and what we see in others. It's no great work of art, but it is moving and sweet. I really enjoyed watching the two leading stars. Of course they're beautiful and all that, but they managed to seem human and flawed at the same time (as did the parents) and I didn't feel this movie was overly sappy at all. They seemed to talk to each other the way people do, and less like your typical Hollywood snappy dialogue. There were some interesting and touching moments, such as the contrast between what the old man thought a married couple should act and how Alec Baldwin thought they should, as he looked longingly at the couple kissing in the pool while his new wife (possessed by the old man) chatted away with an older couple.
Oscar winner Kathy Bates was totally wasted here though. I wonder if her part had been bigger and then got cut later.
Oscar winner Kathy Bates was totally wasted here though. I wonder if her part had been bigger and then got cut later.