Studio: Dimension Films
Director: Robert Iscove
Screenwriter: The Drews
Starring: Freddie Prinze, Jr., Claire Forlani, Jason Biggs
Genre: Comedy
MPAA Rating: PG-13

The Story: Freddie Prinze, Jr., stars as Ryan, and Claire Forlani as Jennifer. They meet on a plane when they’re junior high age, and immediately dislike each other. But they keep meeting throughout high school and college, become friends, and eventually decide they want more. Although the road to love is full of potholes and detours, eventually it all comes together in the end.

UMSFC Review: To be perfectly honest, I’m not much of a fan of Freddie Prinze, Jr., in general and especially not of his romantic comedies. They’re not traditional enough for my taste – his romantic heroes are, not to put too fine a point on it, wimps. They mope around letting the girl do all the work, then pout when she gets impatient and goes after a more “manly” man. Boy meets girl, girl pursues boy, boy shows no interest so girl drifts off, boy sulks because now he realizes what he’s lost, girl drifts back, boy finally gives in . . . it all gets old after a while.

There is one bright spot in this otherwise lackluster piece, and that is Matt’s one scene as Jennifer’s occasional boyfriend Paul (scene 12 on the DVD, if you’re counting). Paul’s tousled hair and confused scowl are the perfect foil to Ryan’s polish, and the utter incomprehension on Paul’s face at a silly joke shared by Ryan and Jennifer is well worth the price of a rental. It’s a refreshing departure, no matter how momentary, from Matt’s usual villainous roles, and hints at an as-yet-untapped potential for comedy that one can only hope Matt will find time to explore.