Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Disturbing yet enthralling

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

**May have spoilers****And I don't like most movies lately. I do like the actors. A bit of a chick flick tone but it was refreshing. I expected more comedy from the preview but was delightfully surprised at the drama and so on. Did not expect the ending so that was a nice surprise. Funny, dramatic, sad, pissed you off at times. I enjoyed it.

This comedy mashes up a depressing situation many people face, and finds both farcical and profound elements in it. The evolution of the characters is true to what people experience over time with divorce. In play format, the psychological element gives the plot its movement, and Director Cheryl Hines paces it perfectly. The screenplay by Adrienne Shelly is full of peppery dialogue. Deft costume touches add to the hilarity. The characters are believable, the situation starts off all too commonplace but leads to an an interesting resolution. Dialogue is very sharp and acting great. A welcome relief for anyone in the midst of a breakup.

Ian (Timothy Hutton) wants to have a day with his mistress Sara (Kristen Bell) but his high-powered lawyer wife Louise (Meg Ryan) surprises him by showing up a day early. He is packing to leave her when she takes him prisoner. She vows to win him over. She lies to Sara about their impending separation and sends her away. While Louise is out, Ian gets the attention of lawnmower Todd (Justin Long). Instead of helping, Todd starts robbing the home.Adrienne Shelly has written a quirky story. However it doesn't have enough comedy and directing novice Cheryl Hines is unable to inject any. Ryan and Hutton are angry but the comedy falls flat. The quirky tone is not funny until the last act when Hutton, Ryan and Bell are locked in the bathroom. It's a little late although it's good to end on a good note. The movie needs to have that tone from the start.

Meg Ryan is one of the most beautiful women in entertainment but in this film it looks like her face is numb and mostly expressionless. Like I said in the headline, it's just like this movie. While some adaptations from the stage to the big screen work, this one doesn't. The screenplay should have considered the variety of locations and scenarios that could have been utilized to expand the desirability of this movie. I don't even remember seeing it at any movie theaters and recently viewed it on Netflix. I couldn't finish watching it because the execution was that disappointing. Only Timothy Hutton's talent made me give it two starts instead of one.By the way, I hope we see more of Meg Ryan but please, stay away from the cosmetic chemistry! Age naturally and you'll always be desirable!