The Accidental Husband

I was watching The Accidental Husband with a friend, and he shrugged halfway through it, saying "I've liked worse films than this." And in a way, his dismissal pretty much sums it up; you've liked worse movies than The Accidental Husband, and you've passed over better films than The Accidental Husband because they lacked the star-power and familiar faces it offers as the film-renting version of comfort food. In fact, The Accidental Husband is simultaneously supported and doomed by the fact that everyone in it is so charming -- which makes you willing to watch its contrivances and familiarities, even ask you ask why these very charming actors can't be in a slightly better film with a slightly better script that doesn't have such familiar contrivances.

Uma Thurman is Dr. Emma Lloyd, a top-rated talk radio advice and relationship expert in New York who advises her listeners to forgo romantic love in favor of responsible love -- to hope that you get your head in the process more than you hope to lose your head. One of the women she dispenses this advice to, Sophia, takes Dr. Lloyd at her word -- and calls off her wedding; her fiancée, NYFD's Patrick Sullivan (Jeffery Dean Morgan) is understandably hurt and sees Dr. Lloyd as the cause; a plucky neighbor kid, Ajay (Jeffery Tedmori) hacks into the city's database and enters a marriage certificate for Dr. Lloyd and Patrick ... which complicates her upcoming nuptials to Richard (Colin Firth), the head of the publishing house that's about to release her sure-to-be-a-best-seller. ...

You have three charming actors here (and, in supporting roles, Sam Shephard, Isabella Rossellini, Ajay Naidu and Brooke Adams); director Griffin Dunne has a sure hand and a nice eye for New York's beauty. The only possible answer as to why The Accidental Husband feels so tired and completely predictable as it does lies in the fact that it is tired and completely predictable. The three-part screenwriting team of Mimi Haire, Claire Naylor and Bonnie Sikowitz have to shoulder a lot of the blame here, as they never miss a chance to miss a chance -- in other words, every time The Accidental Husband could do something different or unexpected or interesting, it instead does exactly what you'd expect it to. Even the little moments where The Accidental Husband does something interesting -- Patrick brings Emma and the corporate titans who'll determine Richard's professional future to his Indian neighbor's coming-of-age ceremony and party, for one example -- are just mild interruptions, a few ripples in a passive, placid pond of predictability.

The Accidental Husband feels deliberate -- plodding, contrived, expected. Of course the revenge plot will blossom into something different; of course Patrick will have to pretend to be Richard and Richard will have to go along with it; of course the self-help expert will have to question everything she's ever said along the path to finally helping herself; of course there'll be a big decisive moment of speechifying on the day of Emma's wedding to Richard. If the actors were less charming, less watchable, less able to fill blank empty moments with brief bits of business, then The Accidental Husband would be unwatchable; even with Thurman, Morgan and Firth working to the best of their abilities, it's simply unremarkable.

Comments

[Aly]

This one sounds like a pass. Uma Thurman seems to have lost star power after the Kill Bill series.. I think that was her peak as a star personally.

[Ray Watson]

Sophomoric

[Ray Watson]

Sophomoric

[moviegoer123]

I'm seeing this one this weekend-maybe, I've seen an article about it and it ended up being PG-13 which is great. Uma Thurman does great so I will probably go to the Redbox and rent it with my family members, we will see how good it is. Can't wait!

[Mabel]

This movie was so RETARDED!! Don't waste your time.

[Annie]

THIS MOVIE SUCKED! Uma Thurman overacted and was extremely annoying! The movie may have worked with a different female lead.

[Sherry C.]

maybe my expectations for this film were a little too high (I LOVE Colin Firth and enjoy Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Uma Thurman), but I couldn't even finish watching this overly contrived, non-entertaining rom/com. I liked The Ugly Truth, another not-so-great rom/com, better than this schlock!

[Janet W]

I watched it yesterday. Yes it seem to be some what perdictable, but I enjoyed it. I like the main actors int he film and the story line is good. No worst than a made for TV moive on lifetime. Realize this is no box office hit. It is an enjoyable romance movie. If you like a good girly movie then I recommend watching it.

[Kathy]

I thought it was cute and entertaining and the time went by fast watching it! Of course, I love Jeffrey Dean Morgan and could watch him forever.

[Rachel]

I loved this movie!

[ReddingSue]

have seen worse ones for $1 than this, but knew from the start it was going to be pretty lame plot. It may be a PG-13 but think would be boring for younger family members!

[Gailyl]

I really loved this movie, it is comfort food for the soul. We as a society have become way to cynical & I think that is the reason for some of the comments. It's refreshing to see a romantic comedy & not someone getting blown to bits.

[moviegoer123]

I'll be renting this from the Redbox this weekend or next weekend with my family member, if the location where I live ever gets the disc back in the machine of the Redbox kiosk so we can at least rent it.

It seems like a VERY boring film, well that's good to know. At least my family will be renting it for $1.05 + maybe additional night rental, so when I get to see the film The Accidental Husband-I know what to expect.

Uma Thurman does great though, and I really want to see her latest film Motherhood. It seems like a great movie.

I hope this weekend when my family member and I go to run to the Redbox, they have it there when we click on the screen that says "Rent Movie". I'm getting excited to watch this film. I'm hoping it's good but not boring but that's what people said on this so now I know. Can't wait.

I thinking to run to the Redbox this weekend with my family member to rent it!

[Christine D.]

I am not a fan of Uma Thurman but I love Jeffrey Dean Morgan(Grey's Anatomy). He is the kind of guy that most girls would fall for. The movie was predictable and did get alittle slow at times, but we were surprised that it was pretty good. My husband is not into these kinds of movies but watches them with me and he liked it too!

[Maria]

hated Uma Thurman's acting, an Anniston or Lopez or even a Heigl would have been better choices.
LOOOOOVE Jeffrey Dean Morgan...he deserved a better leading lady.

[Trisha T.]

I liked the movie!!!! It is pretty clean, cute, and maybe that is why people don't like it. It is nice having a movie that doesn't have excessive swearing and sex scene after sex scene. I kept it longer so I could watch it again and of course will end up paying more for it. It is a romantic comedy and I am consider buying it for my movie collection.

[Anne B.]

All films cannot be Oscar material. Since I don't watch TV, Jeffrey Dean Morgan was new to me and far more interesting than Colin Firth. Even with its predictability, I enjoyed this little film thoroughly. In addition, the New York scenery is an added bonus.

[Lisa]

I loved it. Romantic comedies are my fav. I absolutely love Jeffrey Dean Morgan and to see him in a fireman uniform, O my gosh :) I think it is refreshing to see a movie without all the sex, vulgarity and violence in it and that's mostly why alot of folks didn't care for it. The majority of movies coming out these days are either horror flicks or violence of some sort and people can't get enough of that, go figure, Satan is a busy man...

[Tracy Beavers]

Me and my daughters loved it so much we have been trying to find it to buy with no luck.Romantic comedies are my favorite. I absolutely love Jeffrey Dean Morgan. I think it is refreshing to see a movie without all the sex, vulgarity and violence in it then the whole family can enjoy it, that's probably why a lot of people didn't care for it. The majority of movies coming out these days are ones that do not interest me do to either horror flicks or being violent , I liked the movie I have watched it over and over my two teenage girls also loved the movie and said mom you've got to buy it!!!! It is nice having a movie that doesn't have excessive swearing and sex scene after sex scene.

[Katz]

Honestly speaking, the ONLY highlight of this movie is Jeffrey Dean Morgan. That man can literally charm a woman just with his smile. Hence, the movie is worth watching just for his sake. The talent of Colin Firth is wasted. Albeit he had good amount of screen appearence, the character lacked the impact that would have made his role commendable. Uma was alright. Jeffrey dean Morgan is cute and does a decent job. Although on the technicality of the movie, something was off in terms of the arrival of the plot. It just happened too quickly, and everything from there was like okay. Like the review said, it was very predictable, but it was a good watch. Just a sweet romantic slow paced movie for a friday.

[Maria]

I didn't like this movie, it felt like I was watching a bad play with boring dialogue and contrived situations. The uma getting drunk part I did not buy for a second, it was stupid. I started playing a solitaire game while i was watching this and I didn't miss anything.

[moviegoer123]

Great, it doesn't have much adult material, that's good to know. Getting some better reviews on it, now I will be seeing it since now I'm getting better reviews.

[Kim]

This is definitely a clean movie, for those worried about that, but it was way to predictable. There is no building up any suspense and no surprises. When it ended, I thought, "That's it?" There was not much of a plot. I didn't mind the acting. They did a decent job given the material they had to work with. I love romantic comedies and expected so much more from this.