Cast: Angelina Jolie, Edward Burns, Stockard Channing, Melissa Errico, Tony Shalhoub
Director: Stephen Herek
Producers: Kenneth Atchity, John Davis, Arnon Milchan, Chi-Li Wong
Screenplay: John Scott Shepherd and Dana Stevens
Cinematography: Stephen H. Burum
Music: David Newman
U.S. Distributor: 20th Century Fox
This movie has all the earmarks of a great premise that was dumbed down to appeal to an increasingly less adventuresome multiplex audience. There are several points during the proceedings when things could have gone in interesting and edgy directions, but the filmmakers backed away, preferring instead to wander down familiar paths. The ending, like too much of the film, opts for the safety of the uncontroversial - a move designed to pacify, not anger, those who make this a date night outing. Life or Something Like It has its share of high points, but it misses too many opportunities.
One could easily question whether this movie is a romantic comedy with meditations on the meaning of life thrown in, or whether it's a meditation on the meaning of life with some romantic comedy interludes interjected. Given the generally lighthearted tone and avoidance of sustained moments of introspection, I would opt for the former. The latter is what Life or Something Like It would have been had it been produced for the art house crowd.
Lanie Kerigan (Angelina Jolie) is a rising star at Seattle's KQMO4-TV, where her sprightly personality and platinum hair (styled after Marilyn Monroe) have caught the attention of network execs, who are considering offering her a job on the morning show, "AM USA". During her audition period in Seattle, Lanie's boss decides to pair her up with his best cameraman, Pete (Edward Burns), to make her look better on the air. Unfortunately, Lanie and Pete have a history, and it's not a friendly one. They mix like oil and water, and it comes across as a typical fighting-as-foreplay situation.
One day, Lanie is interviewing "Prophet Jack" (Tony Shalhoub), a homeless man who has a reputation for being a psychic. He makes three on-air predictions for her: the Seahawks will win their next game by six points, it will hail tomorrow, and Lanie will die next Thursday. After the first two come to pass, Lanie becomes obsessed by her mortality, and, in the process, realizes that perhaps her values are skewed. She re-assesses her life and goals, and does what she can to make her last week on earth meaningful. And, as part of that plan, she allows herself to open up to Pete, who tells her a surprising story about why he moved from New York to Seattle.
When it comes to asking the big questions about life, Life or Something Like It falls short. Lanie's moments of revelation tend to be obvious and easily telegraphed, such as one painfully over-the-top sequence in which she leads a group of protesters in an impromptu rendition of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction". I like the song, but the way it is used is painful. The quieter scenes, especially those in which she and Pete are discussing what is meaningful, represent the film's best moments.
It is worth noting that director Stephen Herek is apparently fascinated by the idea of what it means to be famous. This is the third straight movie in which he has dealt with this subject. In Holy Man, he made Eddie Murphy into a new-age media star. In Rock Star, he took a nobody and turned him into the lead singer of a rock band. And here, he focuses on a woman whose lifelong dream is to become a daily fixture in the homes of millions of Americans. Of course, Herek also directed feel-good films like The Mighty Ducks and Mr. Holland's Opus (the only movie of his that I liked).
Angelina Jolie can probably play just about any role well - I have yet to see a part where she can't adapt her chameleon-like personality to fit. Edward Burns seems at home in this kind of endeavor - a drama laced with humor. Burns has a self-deprecating style that makes him instantly likeable, and it serves him well in circumstances like this. He and Jolie effectively mesh, which is a necessary ingredient for this sort of motion picture to work. No one else in the cast has much to do. In a supporting role, Tony Shalhoub is suitably cynical as the street prophet. And Stockard Channing plays the hard-as-nails Barbara Walters clone whom Lanie idolizes.
I suppose I have an unfortunate tendency to expect Hollywood movies that tackle big issues to do so in a meaningful and interesting manner, rather than to water them down for mass consumption. Yes, Life or Something Like It confronts questions of mortality and the pursuit of a purposeful existence, but the approach is shallow and perfunctory, and often seems like little more than a setup to get Lanie and Pete together. As a romantic comedy, Life or Something Like It is affable, but, as something with more ambition, it disappoints. Herek has once again found the feel-good path to mediocrity.
© 2002 James Berardinelli