Maze

Northern Exposure's Rob Morrow gets exposure from all sides as director, co-writer and co-producer of this well-intentioned but sparkless tale of two people "caught in the maze of love." Morrow stars as Lyle Maze (get it?), a talented artist stricken with both Tourette Syndrome and his best friend Mike's girlfriend Callie (Laura Linney), who has just learned that: 1) she's pregnant with Mike's child; and 2) without consulting her, Mike, the idealistic young doctor, has just signed up for a six-month Doctors Without Borders stint overseas. In anger Callie hides the pregnancy from Mike, and then, in his long absence (surprise!), Lyle and Callie grow close. When Mike returns, the former best friends are forced to manage the trois. It's telling that the box for Maze makes no mention of Lyle having Tourette's, painting the film a "funny, sweet, touching" love story. It's a nice attempt at plot revisionism; too bad filmmaker Morrow hadn't thought of dropping the Tourette's angle sooner, for his tortured portrayal is at best distracting, and at worse, scene defeating. Ably executed and full of heart, but a maze too easily figured out, this is an optional purchase. (S.C. Sickles)