Review of Rumor Has It... (2005) by Markb. — 03 Jan 2006

The major questions asked by this unsavory, uninspired and mostly unmemorable romcom are: Is Sarah's mother the real-life basis for Elaine in The Graduate, and is her grandmother the real Mrs. Robinson, and if one or both are so, what does that make Sarah? These are hardly the most important questions Rumor Has It.

.. brings up; audience members will more likely be asking themselves some of the following (which the producers should've themselves before greenlighting this thing); Didn't Under the Rainbow, the dreadful Chevy Chase "comedy" about the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz, prove once and for all that movies whose entire premise depends on the existence of other, classic films basically have no right or reason to exist? Isn't the script's need to place the film's events in 1997 (complete with Bill Clinton references) rather than today an indication of how forced and unworkable this concept is? Don't the writer (or more likely, writers) and director realize that an eleventh-hour slathering of bogus sentimentality makes the movie's offensive undertones (which involve, among other things, possible incest) even more, not less so? Even though Rumor Has It.

..'s one genuine asset is its likable cast, don't Jennifer Aniston's, Kevin Costner's, Shirley MacLaine's and Mark Ruffalo's recent terrific performances in, respectively, The Good Girl, The Upside of Anger, In Her Shoes and Just Like Heaven indicate that these folks have far, far better things to do with their time? And Finally, does Rumor Has It.

.. prove once and for all that Rob Reiner must have sold his soul to the devil to have made This Is Spinal tap, When Harry Met Sally..., The Princess Bride, A Few Good Men and everything else he did up to and including The American President, at which point the devil immediately came to collect.

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