Reviewed by EWAN McDONALD
(Herald rating * *)
"In Friends, Jennifer Aniston is a wacky-yet-sexy waitress with long hair who acquires an uptight brainy boyfriend after his marriage fails," wrote an English critic.
"In this movie, on the other hand, she's a wacky-yet-sexy waitress with long hair who acquires an uptight brainy boyfriend after his marriage fails."
To be fair, there's a little more to it. Not much, but a little more. Reuben Feffer (Ben Stiller) flies a desk for a big insurance firm in the Biggest Apple. The long-time bachelor has just married Lisa (Debra Messing), a real estate agent.
But following the long-established romantic comedy rule that you can never trust a woman named Lisa, they're still on honeymoon when Reuben finds her practising deep-breathing techniques with her diving instructor (Hank Azaria).
Sandy (Philip Seymour Hoffman), his best friend, sends Reuben to a party, where he will meet up with the girl from high school, Polly Prince (Aniston).
They will have nothing in common but will predictably fall for each other, thus giving writer-director John Hamburg every opportunity for hilarious, embarrassing and downright vile situations. By the time Reuben has to choose one of the women, you couldn't care less.
Stiller fans will get most out of the DVD, as Hamburg and Aniston fawn about the man's talent in the making-of feature. There are several fortunately deleted scenes, an outtakes reel and a commentary track from Hamburg.
DVD, video rental
Along Came Polly
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