Review of Bounce (2000) by Alison O — 11 Apr 2006

Best in Show: Gwyneth Paltrow.

One for the future:: Gwyneth Paltrow.

Stand-out scene: Restaurant exchange.

Brainer or no-brainer: Brainer.

Stands up to one viewing or repeated?: Repeated.

DVD commentary any good?: n/a.

TV.

Can it really be a coincidence that similarly themed movies come in pairs? Consider Dante's Peak/Volcano; Armageddon/Deep Impact; The Descent/The Cave; A Bug's Life/Antz..I could go on. Well to nick a term from Stephen King, this movie's twinner was Random Hearts, which just about edged the jump seat on this release date wise. However, this is the only instance where the aforementioned Harrison Ford/Kristin Scott-Thomas vehicle outdoes Bounce and where the former is mawkish and blatantly manipulative on the emotions front, the latter is understated and semi-realistic. Director-writer Don Roos showed a similarly deft touch with the screenplay to Boys on the Side back in the mid nineties - not bad for a man who cut his writing teeth on series such as Hart to Hart and The Colbys back in the day. Ben Affleck is obnoxious ad exec Buddy Amaral, stuck at Chicago's O'Hare airport immediately before Christmas when his flight is delayed. After bonding with two fellow stranded passengers (played by Natasha Henstridge and Tony Goldwyn) when the flight is finally due to go ahead he allows the latter to take his place in order that he can fulfil his promise to his son to go Christmas tree buying together. When disaster strikes and the plane is downed in bad weather with all souls lost, Buddy attempts to drown his guilt in booze but as the Voice of the Beehive once said, sorrow floats. A spell in rehab and a new assistant (Johnny Galecki who played Darlene's boyfriend in Roseanne - I was racking my brain to recall what i'd seen him in before; praise be for the internet!) later he guilt leads him to track down the family of the bloke he was bounced from the flight for ostensibly to ensure they're financially sound. When he falls for the widow however, something that's already very complicated becomes further muddled. Worth a look.