You probably have not heard about this title. And with good reason. It's as average and predictable as they come.
Ray Romano is a master in bringing comedy people can relate to but here is a dropping the ball humour wise probably because he has not written the story himself as he normally does. Immediately you will notice that the jokes are less sharp and less clever. I thought both Ray Romano and Gene Hackman did a good job portraying their characters but were let down by the poor script. This film was begging for some flamboyant moments and what better way to incorporate that in the election plot line. Don't they usually go crazy when politicians need votes? Here it is all relatively tame and wholesome and it was killing all the fun. If I think about it, it was almost brilliant to have these elections be more about other stuff than the things that matter. For Handy Harrison (Ray Romano) it was his girlfriend Sally (Maura Tierney) and for Monroe Cole (Gene Hackman) to save face and feel relevant again. I was prepared for the some nasty election tactics and some genuine hilarious moments. Instead we get some drivel about how Sally tries to make a point to her boyfriend Handy. She was hoping for him to finally pop the question and when he neglects to she feels compelled to accept Cole's invitation just to spite Handy. Now this might have sounded good on paper. But the way it was executed made me dislike that whole affair. I think it only would have worked if Maura Tierney was sympathetic. However she was not. Her every move after not getting what she wanted was juvenile and bitchy. Of course it is nice to be asked but come on you can't always wait for someone to ask the question or take initiative. At least discuss the things you desire with your partner so that there won't be any confusion or misunderstanding about it. What does Sally do? She goes out of her way to get and stay angry with the person she supposedly loves very much. To which Handy consequently does what he needs to do to win her back. Does it help? Well, what do you think? Handy is almost a saint by staying patient and going the extra mile to jump in on the circus. Not once does Sally show her support or love for him.
There were some nice moments that could be considered funny but like I said most of it was too tame and too predictable. Fred Savage has a supporting role and he is completely wasted. Marcia Gay Harden was adequate but you could see miles ahead what her role was in all of this. For once it would have been nice to see a woman care for a man in another capacity than a romantic one. Most of the likability from this film comes from good acting on part of most actors except Maura Tierney. Not bad but one better to be watched on Sunday's.
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