I nearly fell off my couch when I heard Patrick Duffy make the reference to Patty Duke's character in "Valley Of The Dolls"! Loved the locations - beautifully-filmed. As with many of the movies that appear on HMC, there weren't a lot of plot surprises (Neely O'Hara reference aside). The script and the direction didn't appear to require much hard work from the actors. Unlike "Dolls", Duke wasn't asked to chew the scenery. Duffy and Bruce Boxleitner were club-by friends sharing beers, golf and condescending remarks about the silly feud between wives Shelley Long and Duke. The too-friendly Avalon streets with the electric cars and the outdoor cafés on every block made it seem like a place where everybody knows your name...and there were a few moments when I was hoping that Ted Danson would turn up and set Long straight on how to resolve her issues with Duke. Just a very p-l-e-a-s-a-n-t, if unremarkable, film.
Review of Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door
