Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Steve Zahn, Woody Harrelson, Fred Ward
Dir: Stephen Belber
Rating: 2/5
Mike Cranshaw (Zahn) is a man with little ambition but lots of heart who works at his parents’ motel in small-town Arizona. When paint-saleswoman Sue Claussen (Aniston) stops at the inn, Mike immediately plots an awkward plan to seduce her.
Things go better than either of them would have guessed, but Sue still leaves for her home in Maryland. Mike impulsively follows her east, beginning an uncomfortable but heartfelt courtship that takes the road less travelled.
Sue’s move from Maryland to Washington does little to deter Mike, but the reappearance of her ex-boyfriend, ex-punk Jango (Harrelson), could throw him off course.
It's difficult to know where to start with the movie as it has so very little going for it as it's not the funny upbeat movie promised in the trailer but another poor attempt at a romantic comedy.
It's major saving grace is Steve Zahn in the lead role, who does bring humour to the role, but it's his innocence and goofiness that makes him so endearing to the audience.
Woody Harrelson also turns in another great performance, despite being desperately underused, as he brings off the wall wackiness to every role he takes on, this being no exception.
Him running around with a gun shooting at Mike while Mile is trying not to drown in his pool is one of the best in the film.
But sadly Jennifer Aniston brings little to the movie that we haven't seen before and having been cast in nothing but romantic comedies this year she is getting a little tiresome.
There appears to be no chemistry between the pair and the relationship, throughout the whole film, feels forced and contrived, even the end.
The script is weak, Mike stalks Aniston and quite frankly it's downright creepy, how his actions make her want to sort out her life and address the issues she has with herself and the people around her is anybody's guess.
Romantic comedies are flying around left right and centre and this is another that is way off the mark.
Management is out on DVD now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw