"What Do They See In Each Other?!" Worst Movie Love Interests

[Morrigan2575]

Possibly a minority opinion but, I never bought the relationship/love in Jerry Maguire. I pretty much always felt that he Jerry treated Rene Zellwgere's character like a buddy/friend/roommate. 

[Trini]

13 minutes ago, Morrigan2575 said:

Possibly a minority opinion but, I never bought the relationship/love in Jerry Maguire. I pretty much always felt that he Jerry treated Rene Zellwgere's character like a buddy/friend/roommate. 

I don't even understand how this it's considered a romantic movie! He was a jerk and she was dumb for falling for this jerk.

[Morrigan2575]

Yeah, I always felt that he was a jerk and she was dumb/lonely.

I remember watching this movie with a friend and I looked over during the Living Room Scene (you had me at hello). I was incredulous that she was taking him back and, my friend was crying over how romantic it was. 

[DkNNy79]

On ‎1‎/‎17‎/‎2016 at 6:57 PM, spaceytraci1208 said:

The "love" triangle in Pearl Harbor is gross. Evelyn (Kate Beckinsale) and Rafe (Ben Affleck) get together. Rafe gets an assignment in Europe. Rafe's plane gets shot down, and he's presumed dead. He ain't. He returns home to find Evelyn now hooked up with his best friend, Danny (Josh Hartnet), and she's pregnant. Soon thereafter, both Rafe and Danny are deployed. Danny dies tragically. Evelyn and Rafe get back together and raise the baby and live happily ever after. Now, I get moving on, but back and forth between best friends?

Co-sign x1,000

One of my roommates and I always argued about this.  I thought it was an ultimate betrayal between Evelyn and Danny to hook up when Rafe "died."  You just don't do that.  You don't date exes of family or friends.

My roommate thought since Rafe volunteered for the mission w/out either of their input and that he died all bets were off.

[Spartan Girl]

Seriously?! Rafe hadn't even been "dead" a full month before those two hooked up!

Danny was a total asshole for throwing away a perfectly good friendship over a twit like Evelyn. But that might just be me, because I personally find Kate Beckinsale to be a terrible love interest in every single movie she's in. Serendipity? Whiny, superstitious twit. Click? Whiny, needy twit -- and this was a movie where Adam Sandler was supposed to be the bad one. And I haven't even seen those Underworld movies...

[ribboninthesky1]

6 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

I think having Lois in the know from the moment she meets Clark is a huge boost to the development of a romantic relationship. She's an equal partner from the word go with no secrets between them. Much healthier IMHO.

Agreed. He doesn't have to lie, and she's not dismissive of who he is outside of the suit. Whadda ya know? An adult relationship!

17 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

But that might just be me, because I personally find Kate Beckinsale to be a terrible love interest in every single movie she's in. Serendipity? Whiny, superstitious twit. Click? Whiny, needy twit -- and this was a movie where Adam Sandler was supposed to be the bad one. And I haven't even seen those Underworld movies...

Not just you. And I have seen the Underworld films.  

On 12/30/2016 at 9:44 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Margo Kidder's Lois annoyed me too, especially in the last two movies when after years of being so dismissive of Clark, she suddenly felt entitled to get annoyed and jealous when another woman showed any interest in him -- first with Lana Lang, and then with whoever that woman was in Quest for Peace. She doesn't want him, but nobody else should have him either? Again, I'm fond of those movies, but Lois was a bit of a bitch.

She was fine for me in the first film, if only because she didn't do dumb, childish shit for the sake of a story or to prove a point. Alas, it was downhill after that. Then again, Clark/Superman annoyed me as much as she did in the context of their relationship.  

[tribeca]

On 1/4/2017 at 0:41 PM, Morrigan2575 said:

Possibly a minority opinion but, I never bought the relationship/love in Jerry Maguire. I pretty much always felt that he Jerry treated Rene Zellwgere's character like a buddy/friend/roommate. 

I always felt he feel in love with the kid.  He liked being part of the family. 

[vibeology]

9 hours ago, tribeca said:

I always felt he feel in love with the kid.  He liked being part of the family. 

Exactly this. Jerry wanted the family and the love and comfort that came with it but didn't want to put in the effort. I have no idea why Renee's character takes him back at the end other than she settled for someone rather than have to do all of it alone. The idea that they're in love is bizarre. He crushed on him, he showed up at her house drunk and then suddenly they're in love? Awful.

[dusang]

On 1/4/2017 at 1:58 PM, DkNNy79 said:

Co-sign x1,000

One of my roommates and I always argued about this.  I thought it was an ultimate betrayal between Evelyn and Danny to hook up when Rafe "died."  You just don't do that.  You don't date exes of family or friends.

My roommate thought since Rafe volunteered for the mission w/out either of their input and that he died all bets were off.

Although in principle I agree with you, I would bet a lot of money that in real life there's a lot of bed-hopping in wartime -- it's an intense situation, you could be killed at any time ... people cope with stress and death in different ways and frequently "coping" is "having sex with people you really shouldn't."

I mean, the movie is still ridiculous but I can overlook the hook-up.

[BigBeagle]

Billy Crystal and Debra Winger in Forget Paris. I like both, and Crystal had rom-con cred from When Harry Met Sally, but they just didn't work in this one.

[topanga]

On 1/23/2017 at 8:47 AM, vibeology said:

Exactly this. Jerry wanted the family and the love and comfort that came with it but didn't want to put in the effort. I have no idea why Renee's character takes him back at the end other than she settled for someone rather than have to do all of it alone. The idea that they're in love is bizarre. He crushed on him, he showed up at her house drunk and then suddenly they're in love? Awful.

The most realistic part of that movie was when Renee's character told Jerry she married him knowing he loved her kid but only liked her. This was when they were about to separate. It would've been sad, but much more plausible than Jerry suddenly falling in love with her because of what? Because Cuba Gooding, Jr. told him she's a good person and that he should love her?

[Spartan Girl]

Tom Cruise in Knight and Day was basically a crazy, drugging, Bond wannabe.

[SherriAnt]

I've never seen Tom Cruise have chemistry with any actress, even when he and Nicole Kidman were "falling in love" during Days of Thunder. It might just be me, but I find him way too smarmy to be believable as loveable.

[ribboninthesky1]

Funny you should mention that. I watched some of Top Gun a few days ago, and saw zero chemistry between Cruise and Kelly McGillis. I really have no idea what her character saw in his.  I haven't seen Cocktail in a long time, but I remember thinking he and Elizabeth Shue had nice chemistry. 

[MsNewsradio]

Rewatched Midnight in Paris the other day and while I love the film, I cannot for the life of me see Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams' characters as a couple. I mean, clearly a central conceit of the film is that they aren't right for each other, but they seem SO at odds personality wise, I can't see how they ever went on a second date with one another, let alone stayed in a relationship long enough to become engaged. 

[SherriAnt]

See, that's funny because I felt like Elisabeth Shue and he had more of a sibling vibe! Ha! And as for Jerry McGuire, he had more chemistry with Cuba Gooding Jr.!

[SherriAnt]

Just now, MsNewsradio said:

Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams' characters as a couple

I really like Owen Wilson, but I cannot for the life of me, watch him in any kind of romantic movie! I keep waiting for the banana peel moment. And nnothing can beat the relationship he has with Ben Stiller.

[ribboninthesky1]

2 hours ago, SherriAnt said:

See, that's funny because I felt like Elisabeth Shue and he had more of a sibling vibe! Ha! And as for Jerry McGuire, he had more chemistry with Cuba Gooding Jr.!

Ha! No argument from me on Jerry Macguire.  When I finally saw the film after all of the hype died down, I didn't think he had chemistry with Renee Zellweger, either. 

[Athena]

On 2017-03-13 at 3:02 PM, SherriAnt said:

I really like Owen Wilson, but I cannot for the life of me, watch him in any kind of romantic movie! I keep waiting for the banana peel moment. And nnothing can beat the relationship he has with Ben Stiller.

This made me look at all the movies I've seen with him and he's not necessarily the best romantic lead. The only times I really see him in a romantic scenario that works is when he smitten by a more charismatic female lead. In Midnight in Paris, I could see how he's taken with Marion Cotillard's character and in Wedding Crashers, he falls for Rachel McAdams whose character is more engaging than her in MiP one. However, it didn't really mean that I thought either of the characters should end up with him. He's not really an actor you hire for romantic stories and doesn't seem to excel in typical romantic roles.

[Spartan Girl]

Maura Tierney's character in the forgettable Welcome to Mooseport.  Yeah, nobody in that movie was particularly likable, but I always feel disdain for any woman that goes on a date with another man just to make her boyfriend jealous.  It infuriates me that we're supposed to sympathize with her impatience that Ray Ramano won't pop the question; dating another man isn't exactly a good motivation to get a guy to commit to you.  It's just a cheap, low, and (I'm sorry, but I have to say it) skanky move.

I also found it hypocritcal that she was so upset about her personal life getting media attention.  Lady, you live in a small town and WENT ON A DATE WITH A FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!  Of course you're going to get unwanted attention.

[Irlandesa]

On 3/16/2016 at 11:23 AM, Spartan Girl said:

What about the asshole doctor Matthew McConaughey played in The Wedding Planner?  When you are engaged, you do not, I repeat, DO NOT GO ON DATES WITH OTHER WOMEN!  Even if nothing technically happened, it's still freaking cheating!  And the fact that the douche waits until the day of his wedding to break things off with his fiancee is just disgusting.  If you want to call off the wedding, do it before the actual day!

The Wedding Planner had two of the worst love interests in history in a romance that we're supposed to cheer for.  There was Matthew's character but there was also J Lo's character who decided to get married to someone she didn't love because she thought Matthew's character was getting married.

The movie tried to make it right by having Matthew's fiancee and J Lo's fiance both realize they couldn't get married for various reasons but it still couldn't erase the yuck of the previous 90 minutes or so.

[PepSinger]

Eh. To each their own, I still love The Wedding Planner. It's one of my favorite movies.

[SherriAnt]

My biggest problem with romance movies is the premise that you have no control over who you fall in love with. I believe you totally do have control and a choice. If you don't think of your self as available you don't think of other people that way.  I've been happily married for 25 years, I have male friends, and I've honestly never looked at another man in that way. I've thought men were handsome in an objective way, but I truly feel that if you're happy, you don't see other people as romantic partners, and if you suddenly are, then your relationship is in trouble.

[Dandesun]

I'll go a step further. I think you can be attracted to other people and even interested in them in that way when you're in a relationship with someone else. I don't think that one's libido only and completely focuses on one person. That being said, you can be attracted and interested but you still have control over yourself. Especially if that person you find yourself attracted to really isn't suitable for you in the long run, you know? Attraction is just that... a fleeting thing, really.

But if you're not happy in a relationship or if you are, you still have control over your own libido. The 'I couldn't help myself!' excuse never flies for me in television or movies. Yeah, you actually could. You just didn't want to.

[DisneyBoy]

I'm especially irritated by movies and television shows that further this notion of overwhelming attraction and passion because I think it encourages people in the real world to make really rash decisions. There was this funny supporting character on Ally McBeal named Margaret Camaro who was testifying on the stand about how ridiculous it is to marry a guy "just because you like his pecs". Her delivery was hilarious and the point always stayed with me: don't look at passion as an indicator for happiness.

Why is it we can understand that sometimes we crave a pepperoni pizza or a tub of ice cream but that we can resist that urge and eat something healthy instead and later have no regrets....but when it comes to love, meeting one person who for whatever reason temporarily gets us hot and bothered means that we have to pursue them for months or years on end? Or stay with them when it's obviously a bad situation? I honestly feel like this message comes from movies, television shows, stories and fables and it needs to stop.

 

Back on topic: what the hell was up with Han Solo saying "I know" when Princess Leia tells him she loves him? Dude, you're about to be frozen possibly forever and all you can do is sadly acknowledged that she loves you? I guess the delivery is meant to say that he feels badly for her for loving him because he's supposed to be taken away from her, but I would have almost rather he smiled faintly at her and said nothing then stand there going "yeah, I know."

Edited April 11, 2017 by DisneyBoy

[Athena]

10 minutes ago, DisneyBoy said:

Back on topic: what the hell was up with Han Solo saying "I know" when Princess Leia tells him she loves him? Dude, you're about to be frozen possibly forever and all you can do is sadly acknowledged that she loves you? I guess the delivery is meant to say that he feels badly for her for loving him because he's supposed to be taken away from her, but I would have almost rather he smiled faintly at her and said nothing then stand there going "yeah, I know."

The original Lucas script has Han saying "I love you too," but Harrison Ford (and I think Carrie Fisher) didn't really consider that dialogue to be in character for Han so Ford improvised/ad libbed the "I know".

[dusang]

5 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

Back on topic: what the hell was up with Han Solo saying "I know" when Princess Leia tells him she loves him? Dude, you're about to be frozen possibly forever and all you can do is sadly acknowledged that she loves you? I guess the delivery is meant to say that he feels badly for her for loving him because he's supposed to be taken away from her, but I would have almost rather he smiled faintly at her and said nothing then stand there going "yeah, I know."

 

4 hours ago, Athena said:

The original Lucas script has Han saying "I love you too," but Harrison Ford (and I think Carrie Fisher) didn't really consider that dialogue to be in character for Han so Ford improvised/ad libbed the "I know".

"I know" is generally considered to mean "I love you, too" coming from Han.

[Spartan Girl]

Sally in School Ties. The second she finds out Brendan Fraser is Jewish, she dumps him because she can't stand the embarrassment and scrutiny of her friends. Fucking bitch.

[krankydoodle]

Apart from looking like Andie MacDowell, I'm not sure what Hugh Grant's character saw in Carrie in Four Weddings and a Funeral. She sleeps with him shortly before her own wedding and then pops up right before his to tell him she's separated from her husband. 

[Spartan Girl]

Yeah, she was a walking tease.

Cant believe this hasn't been mentioned yet, but Rose in Get Out. From the very beginning, you get the feeling that this girl isn't as nice as she appears to be. The whole "my parents are so nonracist that it would be racist to tell them you are black before meeting them" just rings the wrong way. If her answer had been more along the lines of "of course they know you are black, I post pics of us all the time on Facebook" or even "well, no, I haven't told them, but it doesn't matter what they think, and if they don't like it, it's their problem", that would have been acceptable (or at least honest). But that kind of whitesplaining crap is a big fat red flag.

So in retrospect, it isn't that shocking

 

she turns  out to purposely target any black friends/lovers for her family to take over their bodies

.

Edited April 11, 2017 by Spartan Girl

[amaranta]

I don't mind Julia Roberts and think she can sometimes bring the chemistry with her leading men.  I was even OK with Larry Crowne.  But the worst chemistry I have ever seen was Roberts with Nick Nolte in I Love Trouble.  It didn't help that it was a terrible movie; plus I read somewhere that behind the scenes she couldn't stand him.

[Irlandesa]

13 hours ago, DisneyBoy said:

Why is it we can understand that sometimes we crave a pepperoni pizza or a tub of ice cream but that we can resist that urge and eat something healthy instead and later have no regrets....but when it comes to love, meeting one person who for whatever reason temporarily gets us hot and bothered means that we have to pursue them for months or years on end? Or stay with them when it's obviously a bad situation? I honestly feel like this message comes from movies, television shows, stories and fables and it needs to stop.

I think it's a chicken or an egg question.  Did this notion come from movies, books, stories and fables or did this get written into movies, books, stories and fables because it was part of human nature?  And not everyone can or does resist those bad foods either.

[DisneyBoy]

LOL, fair point.

[Spartan Girl]

Wow, three pages and nobody has mentioned Morris from The Heiress?

Seriously, that guy was the king schmuck. He preys on Catherine for her money, manipulates her shamelessly, and ditches her when her even douchier dad threatens to cut her off if she marries him. And we're supposed to believe him when he comes back a year later claiming that he really did love her, he only jilted her because he couldn't stand to see her destitute? Puh-lease.

I know the end was supposed to show how Catherine became just as vicious as her dad when she locks the doors on Morris. But you know what they say: fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice...

Say what you want about the cold new Catherine, but she proved she didn't need a man.

[proserpina65]

On ‎04‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 0:13 PM, DisneyBoy said:

Why is it we can understand that sometimes we crave a pepperoni pizza or a tub of ice cream but that we can resist that urge and eat something healthy instead and later have no regrets....

You can do that? ;-)

[Bruinsfan]

On 4/11/2017 at 11:13 AM, DisneyBoy said:

Why is it we can understand that sometimes we crave a pepperoni pizza or a tub of ice cream but that we can resist that urge and eat something healthy instead and later have no regrets....but when it comes to love, meeting one person who for whatever reason temporarily gets us hot and bothered means that we have to pursue them for months or years on end? Or stay with them when it's obviously a bad situation? I honestly feel like this message comes from movies, television shows, stories and fables and it needs to stop.

I don't know, one of my biggest life regrets is over not pursuing things further with a vacation fling I had 17 years ago. We've remained friends over the years, but I still wonder about what might have been if I'd been proactive and not let distance be an obstacle. I don't recall any snacks I passed on in 2000 that stuck with me so powerfully.

[GreekGeek]

On 4/21/2017 at 10:05 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Wow, three pages and nobody has mentioned Morris from The Heiress?

Seriously, that guy was the king schmuck. He preys on Catherine for her money, manipulates her shamelessly, and ditches her when her even douchier dad threatens to cut her off if she marries him. And we're supposed to believe him when he comes back a year later claiming that he really did love her, he only jilted her because he couldn't stand to see her destitute? Puh-lease.

I know the end was supposed to show how Catherine became just as vicious as her dad when she locks the doors on Morris. But you know what they say: fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice...

Say what you want about the cold new Catherine, but she proved she didn't need a man.

I think no one thinks of this movie when discussing bad love interests because there really is no romance and nobody gets married in the end. When I think of bad movie romances, I think of people behaving like idiots or being horribly incompatible or just having no chemistry as actors, but we're supposed to overlook all that and cheer for them to get together.

Edited April 28, 2017 by GreekGeek

[Spartan Girl]

Another one was Derek in Little Black Book. I don't know what the protocol is for telling your current girlfriend/boyfriend for telling them about exes -- IMHO you probably should if you are taking the relationship seriously. But stringing along his best friend/ex-girlfriend while dating Brittany Murphy was a million times worse.

[ruby24]

On 2/2/2017 at 10:16 AM, topanga said:

The most realistic part of that movie was when Renee's character told Jerry she married him knowing he loved her kid but only liked her. This was when they were about to separate. It would've been sad, but much more plausible than Jerry suddenly falling in love with her because of what? Because Cuba Gooding, Jr. told him she's a good person and that he should love her?

Everything in the movie concerning that relationship feels like it's leading up to that discussion, frankly. Everything she says to him there makes perfect sense. The development of their whole relationship makes it pretty clear that Jerry loves her kid and wants to have a family and can't be alone, but not that he's really in love with her in that way. If they had stayed true to that it would have been more realistic, but it ends up feeling like the movie wants to have a "happy ending," so they make him go back to her at the last minute and she takes him back.

But the truth is, they had developed that guy from the beginning as a person who really wasn't capable of being intimate with someone in the way that Zellweger's character wanted and needed. And they do a good job of showing that at every turn, especially in the comparison with Cuba Gooding Jr.'s relationship with his own wife and everything. 

I've seen that movie too many times, lol. But I always believe that Jerry is a guy who is NEVER going to be able to change, so that ending is unrealistic and I think they're ultimately doomed as a couple. And he'll move on to someone else of course.

[Spartan Girl]

One of Roger Moore's early film roles was the 1956 historical romance Diane, which was about King Henri of France's passionate affair with Diane de Poitiers (Lana Turner).  Moore was so young he was almost unrecognizable.

However, his character was a terrible love interest.  He treated his wife, Catherine de Medici, like crap, humiliating her by giving his mistress Diane more power, and even making it so that their own children like Diane more than her.  When he dies at the end and he warns Diane that Catherine will probably take her revenge on her, I was like, "No shit, Sherlock."

At least this movie didn't fall back on the usual portrayal of Catherine as a scheming murderer.  While the movie showed her to be hard and cunning, she wasn't evil.

[Spartan Girl]

So I was watching Terms of Endearment, and why are we supposed to like John Lithgow's character as a love interest for Emma? He was a spineless weenie -- and oh yeah, he was married with children!

If Emma wanted to cheat to get back at Flap for cheating on her, whatever. But couldn't she have done it with a better guy? Cheating on your unfaithful husband with ANOTHER unfaithful husband is just so redundant.

[Wiendish Fitch]

I could never understand why Benji (Mark Linn-Baker) was so ga-ga over KC (Jessica Harper) in My Favorite Year. Sure, she's cute, but she's also appallingly dull and vacuous, has the personality of a dryer sheet, has nothing in common with him, and can't even tell a joke. Seriously, when they go on their first date, all I could think was that it would also be their last.

Apparently, the screenwriters agreed, because KC is practically forgotten about at the end. 

[Spartan Girl]

Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain.

Ennis at least seemed conflicted and a bit guilty about using his wife as a beard. But Jack seemed to show no conflict or remorse at all. It was really, really hard to sympathize with Jack's disappointment that Ennis didn't want to move in with him right after his divorce when Jack still had a wife and kid on the side that he hadn't cut loose yet. Yeah, maybe he was waiting for the green light from Ennis before going there, but still...

[ennui]

I recently watched American Gigolo, which I hadn't seen since the 1980s. The attraction between Lauren Hutton and Richard Gere didn't seem realistic. Julian is pretty and speaks five languages, but he's not very bright. I was thinking that Michelle would quickly get bored with his vapid narcissism. 

And today I realized that Pretty Woman was the same film, without the crime. I never bought that wealthy Edward would fall for hooker Vivian. (And honestly, I hate PW.)

[DollEyes]

On 7/11/2017 at 7:30 PM, Spartan Girl said:

Jack Twist in Brokeback Mountain.

Ennis at least seemed conflicted and a bit guilty about using his wife as a beard. But Jack seemed to show no conflict or remorse at all. It was really, really hard to sympathize with Jack's disappointment that Ennis didn't want to move in with him right after his divorce when Jack still had a wife and kid on the side that he hadn't cut loose yet. Yeah, maybe he was waiting for the green light from Ennis, but still... 

 

  I somewhat disagree. While Jack was stuck in a marriage of convenience, I understood his frustration. Jack loved Ennis but hated that they couldn't be together as much as he wanted because of circumstances mostly beyond their control, like where they lived and when they lived, hence the classic line, "I wish I knew how to quit you." 

  Jack &  Ennis wasn't "perfect," by a long shot, but their feelings were. If Jack didn't love Ennis, he wouldn't have stolen/kept his favorite shirt  to remember him by & if Ennis didn't love Jack, he wouldn't have hugged that shirt like he held Jack when he found it among Jack's personal effects nor would he have hung their shirts together in his closet, as a tribute to Jack & what they had. Jack & Ennis' love wasn't pretty, but it was love nonetheless.

Edited July 23, 2017 by DollEyes

[topanga]

On 3/13/2017 at 2:30 PM, ribboninthesky1 said:

Funny you should mention that. I watched some of Top Gun a few days ago, and saw zero chemistry between Cruise and Kelly McGillis. I really have no idea what her character saw in his.  I haven't seen Cocktail in a long time, but I remember thinking he and Elizabeth Shue had nice chemistry. 

But he had great chemistry with Anthony Edwards. I'm just sayin, Be yourself, Tom. It gets better!

[methodwriter85]

On 7/20/2017 at 10:17 PM, topanga said:

But he had great chemistry with Anthony Edwards. I'm just sayin, Be yourself, Tom. It gets better!

The really funny thing is that Kelly McGinnis FINALLY came out as a lesbian like in 2009. There were the long-standing rumors about her and Jodie Foster when they were filming the Accused.

Honestly, I can't really think of any movie of Tom Cruise where I'm into a relationship he's in. It's funny because he is/was a leading man who has starred with a string of beautiful leading ladies. Maybe Rebecca DeMornay in Risky Business? It's been such a long time since I've seen that movie so I'm not sure if I'm right about that.

[SlovakPrincess]

On 8/10/2016 at 4:24 PM, PatternRec said:

Garden State I don't recall the characters' names but they were horrible for each other. There should be a sequel called crash and burn, where we all learn that: 

1. There's no such thing as a manic pixie dream girl for more than a week; then she turns back into a pumpkin real person, and

2. if you have genuine mental illness the love of a woman will not replace your meds, even if those meds were prescribed by an irresponsible family member.

Also, what's with this plot point of controlling parents trying to be their children's psychiatrist? It's a plot point in Unreal as well, and I've always found it an implausible and awkward plot point.

I saw this one a little differently.

 

1.  I don’t think of her as a manic pixie dream girl since she has her own life and job and problems and isn’t just there to fix him.  (Compare to Kisten Dunst’s character in Elizabethtown, who just comes out of nowhere to devote herself full time to healing the main character’s pain and give words of wisdom, and seems to have no concerns of her own).

2.  I thought the point was that he was depressed over circumstances in his life, but didn’t have the issues his dad claimed and didn’t necessarily need meds.  The meds weren’t helping him, they were numbing him, and he had to come to terms with his family history and really have it out with his father.  

 

 

On the topic of Julia Roberts as gorgeous dream woman:  this only works when her character gets to smile and laugh and show off her great hair.  Then she’s absolutely stunning, and I totally see it.  But when the audience is told she’s irresistible but her character is making sour faces the whole time (Closer, Oceans Eleven) it doesn’t work for me.  Notting Hill kind of doesn’t work for me for that reason — the things they do with her hair and clothes in that movie are often baffling, and the character is kind of a miserable unsmiling drip for a lot of it.  

[Spartan Girl]

Hannah in Made of Honor, who was basically the female version of Michael in My Best Friend's Wedding.  She rushes into an engagement with Colin just to get over Patrick Dempsey's character, and only RIGHT BEFORE the wedding starts to have hangups about Colin, who was a perfectly nice guy.  It annoyed me at the last minute she starts having a problem with Colin being a hunter, and even worse, not letting her grab food right off his plate.  FYI, it's usually considered rude to do that, so why she sulks just because he gently tells that he'd be happy to share if she just ASKS first, is beyond me.  

[proserpina65]

38 minutes ago, Spartan Girl said:

Hannah in Made of Honor, who was basically the female version of Michael in My Best Friend's Wedding.  She rushes into an engagement with Colin just to get over Patrick Dempsey's character, and only RIGHT BEFORE the wedding starts to have hangups about Colin, who was a perfectly nice guy.  It annoyed me at the last minute she starts having a problem with Colin being a hunter, and even worse, not letting her grab food right off his plate.  FYI, it's usually considered rude to do that, so why she sulks just because he gently tells that he'd be happy to share if she just ASKS first, is beyond me.  

Colin was too good for Hannah.