Filmmaker Marc Lawrence's romantic comedy stars Hugh Grant as down-on-his-luck screenwriter Keith Michaels, who pitches ideas to Hollywood execs that are repeatedly shot down. When his agent points out an opening to teach a screenwriting class in upstate New York, the financially strapped Michaels agrees to take the gig, even though it means moving cross country and doing something he deplores. What follows is a predictable elongated sitcom as Michaels finds himself in front of a class of quirky students in a soggy comic riff on films like Dead Poets Society. Michaels predictably has an affair with a much younger coed, which riles the rigid ethics committee chair (Allison Janney), although the dean (J.K. Simmons) overlooks his misbehavior with a tolerant smile, suggesting that there is no academic impropriety that he hasn't seen before. And even though he tries to shirk off his job responsibilities, Michaels does actually assist one student in selling a script, and also develops a relationship with Holly (Marisa Tomei), an older student returning to school. An obvious final twist will not only put the stamp on the writer's redemption as a person, but also jumpstart his career. All of this is mildly amusing, thanks primarily to Grant's trademark dithering dialogue delivery, but ultimately this Rewrite feels underwritten. Optional. (F. Swietek)
The Rewrite
Image, 107 min., not rated, DVD or Blu-ray: $29.98, Mar. 31 Volume 30, Issue 3
The Rewrite
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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