Return to Me 2 Stars (Out of 4) Reviewed by Mac VerStandig critic@moviereviews.org http://www.moviereviews.org April 9, 2000
---A copy of this review can be found at http://www.moviereviews.org/return_to_me.htm ---
Comparisons between Return to Me, the directorial debut of actress Bonnie Hunt, and Keeping the Faith, the directorial debut of actor Edward Norton, are bound to be drawn. This is a problem for Return to Me given that although it is a cute and oftentimes enjoyable date film, it lacks the intellectual breadth of Keeping the Faith. Hunt is an obviously freshman director afraid of taking the risks necessary to transform her film from the hardly-average date fare that it is to the bold, intellectual and far funnier movie that Norton created.
Return to Me opens with a shot reminiscent of that introducing Federico Fellini's La Dolce vita: the camera pans in from a wide view of downtown Chicago to a close-up of Bob Rueland (a solid David Duchovny). Read: he is free in a limitless world. Then we meet Grace Briggs (a very cute Minnie Driver who's smile is second only to the $20 million Julia Roberts'), pail-faced and confined to a hospital bed with a tube under her nose, via a tight face-shot. Read: it will take an amazing grace to save this dying young woman.
That grace comes in the form of Bob's wife. She dies suddenly one evening and soon her main artery is in Grace's chest. After a year of Bob mourning his wife who was as much married to her job as him, and Grace recovering, the destined couple meet and commence dating without either knowing the incredible coincidence that they share. This is a mistake of the film's as seeing the subject dodged is annoying and oftentimes requires over-silly techniques. The picture would be far more interesting had a scenario where the couple knew about this early on been created. This would allow the film to deal with some of the more philosophical issues of organ-donating and not be forced to skirt the matter in the name of a cuteness that quite frankly isn't that cute.
Grace's closest people to a family are the four elderly men, including her grandfather, who run the family-style Irish-Italian restaurant where she works. The motley crew has a nightly beer and poker fest very much reminiscent of the old Saturday Night Live `Da' Bears!' sketches, only substituting The Rat Pack for Chicago football. It is unfortunate that these characters are the most entertaining part of the film as they do little to further the plot or add depth to the main characters.
Bob's closest friend is Charlie Johnson (an excellent David Alan Grier), an African-American veterinarian who was equally close with Bob's wife when she was alive. A relatively sensible and conservative man by day, Charlie transforms into a rude social animal come sun down. His character serves as the confidant that Bob needs for everything except Bob's all-important ventures into dating.
As Return to Me grows even more confused towards the end, the film takes on some elements not dissimilar to As Good As It Gets in terms of plot. But the quality of romance and humor never nears that of the 1997 film. Grace's first line is `Rosebud.' The intellect never nears that legendary film either. But for that matter, not much even nears the price of admission.
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