With ideas gathered from the science section of that bastion of
knowledge, The New York Times, talk show television producer Jane
Goodale (Ashley Judd) develops a theory as to why her office romance
with executive producer Ray Brown (Greg Kinnear) went so suddenly sour.
She refers to her discovery as "the new cow theory." Bulls, it turns
out, can't be tricked. Once they've serviced one cow, they are ready to
move on to the next. Repeat business is of no interest to them. So,
Jane decides, it must be thus with human male members of the animal
kingdom.
The sweet and cute SOMEONE LIKE YOU is a whimsical romantic comedy which
is compartmentalized into nifty sounding little chapters, including
"Establishment of Intimacy," "The Vocalization of Emotions," and "A Call
to Arms." You may not laugh a lot, but you won't mind since you'll be
too busy being charmed.
Jane, the producer for Diane (Ellen Barkin), a new talk show host with
Emmy ambitions, falls head over heels for Ray from the moment he joins
the show's team. On the rebound from a spoiled three-year relationship,
he returns her affection. Just before Ray jilts Jane, she gives up her
apartment to move in with him. This forces her to accept the offer to
share the apartment of the show's smart-mouthed writer, Eddie (Hugh
Jackman), whom she loathes. An obnoxious smoker who lives a life of
casual sex with a different woman nightly, Eddie is Jane's exact
opposite. Judd portrays Jane as a shy, girlish type, who slurps on her
straw, wears proper, little short sleeve blouses and can be coaxed into
late night cheerleader demonstrations. Just as in magnets, opposites,
of course, eventually attract.
In one of her typical supporting character parts, Marisa Tomei plays
Liz, Jane's buddy and counselor in the ways of love. Liz is a failure
with her own love life, but that doesn't dissuade her from dishing out
non-stop advice to Jane. Jane also seeks help from a nose doctor. No,
she doesn't want a smaller schnozzola. She wants the doctor to inhibit
her ability to smell since whenever she gets a whiff of Ray in the
elevator, she is reminded of how he "smells of soap, fresh laundry and
vanilla," which drives her crazy.
As a way to work through her emotions after the breakup, Jane becomes a
bookworm, reading everything she can on the male species in all forms of
animals. "Men never fail to do what's in their nature," Jane cynically
informs Eddie based on her research. Through a suggestion of Liz's,
Jane turns her hobby into a famous sex column, which she writes under an
assumed name in the magazine for which Liz works. Soon, everyone wants
to find this mystery woman and interview her.
Director Tony Goldwyn (A WALK ON THE MOON), normally an actor, is
certainly an actor's director. Letting his actors establish their own
paces and rhythms, he comes up with a natural feeling, relaxed film
that's easy to enjoy. Of course, having such a likeable star as Judd
makes his job seem a lot simpler than it probably is.
SOMEONE LIKE YOU runs a fast 1:33. It is rated PG-13 for sexual content
including dialogue, and for some language and would be acceptable for
kids around 12 and up.
Copyright © 2001 Steve Rhodes
