You know that couple who met in a bar and discovered they both loved [Werner Herzog/Father John Misty/trips to Cabo/the color blue] so they began dating, and even after they realized they had nothing else in common it was easier to stay together than break up?
We’ve all been around them. But do you want to watch their movie? Maybe, if you’ve also been them, or are willing to admit you’re still in a relationship that fits the above description.
Everyone else, though, may find their patience running thin with Hallie (Emma Roberts) and Owen (Michael Angarano), the two young, bland Los Angelenos at the center of Sam Boyd’s romantic indie “In a Relationship.”
They’re both about 25, so it’s hard to understand why Hallie is pushing insistently to move in together. In fact, it’s a lot easier to see why Owen’s resisting. They fight all the time and don’t seem to share anything other than their own relationship. Since they’re not nice to each other, we’re never given the chance to invest in them together. But because they don’t have much else going on, it’s also tough to care about them individually.
More interesting are Hallie’s cousin Willa (Dree Hemingway, “Starlet”) and Owen’s best friend Matt (Patrick Gibson, “The OA”). Willa is, we’re repeatedly told, a blonde goddess who is far too good for the slightly goofy, inexperienced Matt. But he adores her, and she’s intrigued at being treated like a human rather than a conquest for a change. Because each is aiming for more than they’ve had before, the stakes are just a little bit higher, giving their storyline a tender undercurrent.
Boyd has put together a solid team for his feature debut, in which a range of well-chosen locations are shot with crisp precision by Martim Vian.
All the actors are pros, and every character is likely to remind you of someone you’ve vaguely known. Of the four, though, Matt feels the most real. Like the others, he has one primary trait (insecurity, in his case), but Gibson fleshes him out enough to engage us in his feelings.
While Boyd expanded the movie from a short film, he has left some important elements out of his script. It would have helped if we knew the characters’ back stories, or family histories, or even just more about their inner lives. We’re meant to understand exactly who Willa and Matt are when she orders a vodka water, and he requests “the lightest beer you have.”
But if Boyd’s perspective is limited, his focus is sharp. Most of all, the movie represents that post-collegiate period in which you’re still Figuring Stuff Out. It’s about trying to balance out-sized bills and crappy jobs with random parties and awkward dates, wondering if it’s better to be a little lonely with someone else, or hidden inside your apartment drinking your self-pity away.
Actually, that description alone should be enough to help you decide if this one’s worth the 90-minute commitment. For some, the sense of familiarity will feel comfortable and easy. Others will know instantly that they’re looking for more.
17 Beloved Rom-Coms for Valentine's Day, From 'Notting Hill' to 'Silver Linings Playbook' (Photos)
It may be a Hallmark holiday, but these beloved films still bring us to tears every Valentine's Day.
Back in the 1940s, "The Philadelphia Story," Katherine Hepburn set the bar for fiery feminism as a society girl choosing between two beaus, Cary Grant and James Strewart.
MGM
The 1971 cult hit "Harold and Maude" is the best movie about an affair between a suicidal teen and an 80-year-old woman ever made, thanks to Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort.
Paramount
Woody Allen's witty and bittersweet "Annie Hall," which he directed and starred in with Diane Keaton, won the Best Picture Oscar and would be perfect for a 1977 time capsule (if you can watch Allen four decades on without squirming).
MGM
In the John Landis-directed 1988 hit "Coming to America," Eddie Murphy taught us -- hilariously -- to love whomever we want, just do it for the right reasons.
Paramount
Rob Reiner's 1989 hit "When Harry Met Sally..." is still remembered for Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan's iconic deli scene that prompted the line "I'll have what she's having" to be repeated by millions of movie-goers.
Columbia
Julia Roberts and Richard Gere were a prostitute and a businessman in the iconic Cinderella story, "Pretty Woman," and the 1990 R-rated romance raked in $460 million at the worldwide box office for Disney.
Disney
Andie MacDowell turns jaded weatherman Bill Murray around ... and around and around in 1993's "Groundhog Day." It only grossed $70 million for Columbia but became a huge home entertainment hit.
Columbia
Without Ben Stiller's burning love for Cameron Diaz, the Farrelly brothers' 1998 hit "There's Something About Mary" would have been just a $390 million-grossing gross-out flick.
Fox
Richard Curtis' followup to "Four Weddings and a Funeral" saw travel bookshop owner Hugh Grant woo Hollywood superstar Julia Roberts in the hip London neighborhood of "Notting Hill." The 1999 British comedy won over moviegoers on both sides of the Atlantic and earned a worldwide gross of $364 million.
Fox
Mel Gibson got more than he bargained for when he started reading the mind of Helen Hunt and other females in "What Women Want." So did Paramount, when the 2000 film took in $182 million domestically and $191 million abroad.
Paramount
Renée Zellweger had a tougher time loving herself than her two beaus in "Bridget Jones's Diary," which grossed $218 million globally in 2001.
Miramax
Nia Vardalos and John Corbett had Americans going "opa!" in 2002 as "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" took in $241 million domestically for IFC Films, which is still tops for both an indie film and a rom-com.
Universal
Katherine Heigl and Seth Rogen were a very odd couple in Judd Apatow's 2007 raunchy comedy hit "Knocked Up," which made $219 million at the box office.
Universal
Sarah Jessica Parker finally landed Mr. Big in the 2009 "Sex and the City" movie, and New Line joined in the celebration after bagging $415 million at the box office.
Warner Bros.
Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper fought mental illness and themselves to find love in David O. Russell's "Silver Linings Playbook," which grossed $236 million in 2012 for The Weinstein Company.
Weinstein Company
Battling the too-friendly frat boys next door strengthens the bond between Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen in "Neighbors," which took in $270 million worldwide in 2014.
Universal
"Trainwreck" put Amy Schumer's career on the fast track with its $110 million breakout at the box office in 2015.
Universal Pictures
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TheWrap looks back at the romantic comedies that melted our hearts
It may be a Hallmark holiday, but these beloved films still bring us to tears every Valentine's Day.