The Holiday

If you're unfortunate enough to rent The Holiday because someone said it was "cute", here's what you need to do:

Pop in the DVD and hit mute before the beginning credits roll.
Fast forward about half an hour until Jude Law enters the scene.
Admire Jude in all his charming glory, ignoring Cameron Diaz who keeps obstructing your view.
Fast forward to the next Jude scene.
And repeat.

I rented this movie last night because I was home (Gigi was sick) while the boys went out to a 4th of July party. I had no idea it would be equally as long as it was dull. It was so boring I paused it repeatedly to do something more interesting, like toast my corn dog or ... pee.

You'd think a strong cast of Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Cameron Diaz and Jude Law would be capable of holding up a romantic comedy. No dice. Kate gave it her best shot, and so did Cameron, but the script was so trite they ended up looking awkward and cheesy. And Jack's character was too forced to be anywhere near believable. He's a comedian. Don't make him do schmaltzy.

And for God's sake, what happened to editing? I kept imagining the cutting room floor as totally barren. It's as if each scene was shot - and kept! - in one take because the director was too shy to be demanding. And yet, I watched the entire thing in hopes of a payback.

I'd like to say I've learned my lesson, and that next time I'll read more reviews before choosing a rental. But this is far from the first time I've rented a romantic comedy only to be disappointed and bitter about wasting two hours of children-asleep time. So if anyone out there has a recommendation for a good night-on-my-own RC, bring it on. Just don't say it's "cute."