She's the One (1996)

Purely Joyful Movie!

Fresh and Exciting

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

An unlikeable film about unlikeable people - never a recipe for movie success! Leaping straight into a scenario in which one brother is having an affair and the other gets hitched to a girl he picks up in his taxi, it has no initial character development and leaves no option for the viewer but to think, "What a bunch of *****!" In every scene cigarettes are stuffed into the characters' hands; but instead of adding a touch of working class realism it looks fake and, to this viewer, annoying. John Mahoney plays the father who, because of his old-fashioned sexist opinions, we are supposed to frown upon. But I found myself frowning at all of them. Are we supposed to care about these people or wonder how quickly their beautiful actor skin is going to get ruined by the tar they are inhaling?

This is, as the summary says, one of my favorite comedies, despite the flaws pointed out by others. The reason is that it works as a metaphor for life better than it does as a literal story--parts of it are a stretch. But I think it is a wonderful comedy with some great things to say about relationships and life.A big part of why I like it is the writing, which strikes me as natural, believable, and unforced--which is certainly aided by the acting performances. Some of the lines are simply hilarious: "You don't want to cheat on your girlfriend with your wife?" Or "That's an interesting theory. I hope you didn't hurt yourself coming up with that one," just to pick two. I also mostly like the acting performances. Burns and McGlone play off each other very well, and if McGlone's character can seem a bit over the top, I think that's a directorial choice to help make the point. And for those people who don't care for Maxine Bahns, I think she's better than she is given credit for. She has some moments that are just terrific, like when she first pops over the front seat of the cab and introduces herself with the story of her friend under the sink. This was the performance that convinced me that Jennifer Aniston really can act well--the scene where McGlone says he wants a divorce is wonderfully played by her-- that mix of anger and hurt and shock are portrayed beautifully. And John Mahoney is great, as is Cameron Diaz. The structural parallels are also terrific, as they illustrate the differences in the two couples. Shopping in a thrift shop as opposed to an upscale boutique, the contrast in apartments, etc., are all great devices to illustrate and underline the differences between the two brothers and couples. And using McGlone's driver as a kind of chorus worked very well, at least for me. In conclusion, this film is a ton of fun, and conveys meaning beyond what one would expect from a romantic comedy (if I have to categorize it). Is it flawed? Of course. But for me, this is a film that transcends its flaws and works on a number of levels, both literal and figurative. I highly recommend it.

The movie is kind of a one-two punch about relationships and the responsibilities of men within the relationships.It does a fantastic job outlining and fleshing out the female characters. As such, Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Aniston's characters are probably some of the better written and most believable characters in the movie. (In fact, Cameron Diaz stole the show) You really do feel for some of the female casts.This, however, does not mean it gets a free pass with it's less than stellar characters... Maxine Bahns was... mediocre at best. But the rest of the male characters come across more like caricatures then real people. Mike McGlone is basically what happens if you take every alpha male stereotype, roll it through some dirt, and mix it together. I'd like to say that it's a good concept, but he comes across as just too unbelievable to me. The same can be said about John Mahoney's character, who while not as much of a caricature, can basically be summed with "chauvinistic conservative patriarch who ends up screwing up their son's lives". The only person that is even remotely likable, being Edward Burns character is a little unbelievable at times too. I think the only good moments that Ed Burns has are from the scenes where he's with Cameron Diaz. And in the end, these characters are not written to be people, they were written to be ideas and archetypes to be used for commentary.However, having said that, some of the dialogue is pretty entertaining and some of the repartee between the characters are fun to listen to.The thing is though, funny dialogue doesn't give character depth.Not bad as far as a romantic comedy goes, but definitely not home run movie.

i absolutely adore this movie. it's very cute, and the story line is pretty original. If you're looking for an Oscar-winning, thought-provoking intellectual film, like one other person obviously was, then you're an idiot and you should not have watched this movie in the first place. but Ed Burns is a very witty actor and I like his style in both acting and directing. quite a cast, too. the character Franny is extremely annoying, and the actor does a wonderful job of personifying the role. the love story is very cute for anyone who likes happy endings w/o tears, a la Elizabethtown. all around, i just love it. it's a great film to sit down to. kudos :)