Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sandra Bullock plays a stalker in unappealing romcom.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
All About Steve
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
Based on 18 kid reviews
Kids say that the film is a mixed bag, offering a mix of humor and romantic elements, but some viewers feel that it sometimes sends iffy messages. While many found it funny and enjoyable, others criticized it for lacking comedic depth and labeled it as more of a bad romance movie with some suggestive content.
- funny moments
- mixed reviews
- inappropriate messages
- suggestive content
- age recommendation
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Mary Horowitz (Sandra Bullock) is a know-it-all crossword-puzzle editor at a small Sacramento newspaper. Temporarily living with her parents (Howard Hesseman and Beth Grant), Mary agrees to go a on a blind date they've set up with Steve (Bradley Cooper), a cameraman for a cable news channel. Mary immediately realizes that Steve is a catch and aggressively pounces on him, only to turn him off when she won't stop talking. After losing her job for making the weekly crossword all about her new crush, she decides to stalk him as he tracks down news stories with cocky on-air reporter Hartman (Thomas Haden Church).
Is It Any Good?
Without denying the considerable comic talent of Bullock and Cooper (for proof, see their far better comedies The Proposal and The Hangover), this film is neither funny nor romantic. Instead of seeming nerdy cute like so many male protagonists in romantic comedies, Mary just seems stunted and desperate. It's disingenuous to believe that a walking encyclopedia who loves words so much would be so shallow. One meaningless tussle in the back of a car does not a romance make.
Bullock, so charming even in her lesser films, can't save this nearly unwatchable mess. Cooper does his best acting either put-upon or crazed, and Church earns the movie an extra star for actually eliciting a few laughs. His ambitious, arrogant reporter is a caricature, sure, but he's a welcome break from the train wreck that is Mary and Steve.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about obsessive relationships. Is Mary a stalker? Do you think that it's OK for the movie to find humor in that situation? What would be the consequences in real life?
How would the movie change if the main characters' genders were reversed? Would it be just as funny, or would it seem scary if a man was doing the stalking?
Does the movie send a negative message to "book smart" young women, or is it a positive one?
Movie Details
- In theaters : September 4, 2009
- On DVD or streaming : December 22, 2009
- Cast : Bradley Cooper , Sandra Bullock , Thomas Haden Church
- Director : Phil Traill
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 99 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sexual content including innuendos.
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate