| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that this romantic dramedy about a marriage counselor trying to save her own relationship as well as that of her parents isn't too likely to appeal to tweens and young teens, despite the fact that Kellan Lutz (of the Twilight movies) and Mandy Moore star. The subject matter is a bit mature -- including discussions of affairs and allusions to strip clubs -- and the pacing is slow. There's also some drinking, light swearing, and loud arguing.
Eva (Mandy Moore), a psychologist who's newly married to her boyfriend of two-and-a-half years, Charlie (Kellan Lutz), believes in happily ever after. That is, until her own parents' relationship -- which was the inspiration for her career as a marriage counselor, since they worked so well together -- starts to unravel. Eva's mother (Jane Seymour) is still smarting over a perceived infidelity when she and her husband were separated; Eva's father (James Brolin) is suddenly religious. Obsessed with helping them work through their problems, Eva starts to neglect her own marriage. Then she discovers that Charlie has a secret of his own.
LOVE, WEDDING, MARRIAGE is as ho-hum as the advice that the supposedly wise Eva dispenses to her hapless clients. The dialogue and plot are ridden with cliches -- for example, during an argument with Charlie, Eva complains, of all things, about the empty toilet paper roll in the bathroom.
Though Moore and Lutz try their best, they just don't have chemistry. (On the other hand, Alyson Hannigan makes a cameo and nearly steals the show. And Seymour is fairly authentic and grounded.) And must every workshop coordinator be loud and quirky? Ultimately, this is one of those paint-by-numbers dramedies that you're better off skipping.
Families can talk about infidelity. How does the media typically portray it? How does this movie compare? Do you think it's believable?
How does this film compare to other romantic comedies about marriage and honesty? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding relationships.
| Studio: | IFC Entertainment |
| Director: | Dermot Mulroney |
| Cast: | Jane Seymour, Kellan Lutz, Mandy Moore |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 91 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | June 3, 2011 |
| DVD release date: | September 12, 2011 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | sexual material and language |