Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson in Alex & Emma. |
Ignoring this advice will get you a movie like Alex & Emma - the tale of a writer and his stenographer that would be hard to swallow even if the filmmakers weren't continually inviting us to engage in literary criticism. When Luke Wilson's Alex writes a scene containing a contrivance that makes sense only as a way to move his plot along, we're supposed to laugh. When Alex & Emma's screenwriters do the same thing - say, when a pair of caricatured loan sharks tell Alex they'll kill him if he doesn't write a book in 30 days, then proceed to destroy his laptop; or when Alex makes up an incredible lie to tell his stenographer instead of just saying "novelist needs steno" - we're supposed to care about the event's dramatic ramifications.
There have been classic romantic comedies that started with a ludicrous premise and made us forget how dumb it was. They had irresistible banter, overpowering chemistry between the actors, or a string
Alex & Emma Dir. Rob Reiner; writ. Jeremy Leven; feat. Luke Wilson, Kate Hudson, Rob Reiner, David Paymer, Sophie Marceau, Chino XL (PG) |
Spike, Eliza Thornberry, and Darwin in Rugrats Go Wild. |
Rugrats Go Wild Dir. John Eng, Norton Virgien; writ. Kate Booutilier; feat. Michael Bell, Jodi Carlisle, Nancy Cartwright, Lacey Chabert (PG) |
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