Parents' Guide to French Girl

Likable actors can't save this uneven, cringe-worthy romcom. There was possibly a time in the late '00s when Braff's brand of adorkable charm could have been irresistible enough to turn this predictable comedy into a winner. But decades later, it's hard to think of his "sweet, funny man-child" routine as anything but embarrassing. The overly familiar plot makes French Girl feel like a less charming, French Canadian take on Meet the Parents: A brown-haired everyman with a historically woman-associated job accompanies his beautiful blonde girlfriend home, where he's introduced to her tight-knit family's macho patriarch, sweet mother, comic-relief siblings, and unimpressed pet. He even has to meet the rich and talented ex, whom the family still adores. The man, riddled with self-doubt, makes a fool of himself until he can convince himself he's deserving of his partner. Same story, different decade. The only twist here is that the family is in Quebec, and the attractive and ambitious ex is a woman.

Despite the movie's repetitive nature, Woods and Wright do a commendable job of highlighting the beauty of Old Quebec City, as well as the cozy, cuisine-filled meals of a boisterous family celebrating the return of their daughter/sister. There's a lovely warmth and authenticity to the dinner table scenes at the Tremblay family farm, and the entire immediate family is played by talented Quebecois actors. Luc Picard and Antoine Olivier Pilon stand out as tough-but-loving father Alphonse and MMA-fighting son Junior. Brochu is almost too earnest in her performance as the seemingly perfect Sophie, a stark contrast to the scenery-chewing Hudgens, who's clearly loving the villainous ex-girlfriend role. And Braff's bland-but-kind Gordon makes so many missteps that it's hard to keep rooting for him by the time of the climactic grand gesture. For neither the first nor last time, romance fans might cheer for the heroine to choose neither of her suitors. But the show, and the happily-ever-after, must go on.