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I'm With Lucy
Lucy (Monica Potter) is convinced the man she's dating is the one that's going to be "forever" — it's just a feeling that she has from her head to her toes. The only problem is that he dumps her in a crowded elevator, casually listing off their sexual incompatibilities. Thus, it's back to the single life for one of the cutest girls in Manhattan, provided she can work up the nerve. Urged on by her friends, she finds herself in the very awkward world of blind dates, hoping one of them will turn out be Mr. Right. However, she discovers that first impressions and $2.85 will get you a latte at Starbucks. Directed by Jon Sherman from a screenplay by Eric Pomerance, I'm With Lucy (2002) is a modestly entertaining romantic comedy, and while it's neither terribly romantic nor terribly funny, it conveys a sense of warmth and humanity. It also scores points by actually trying to be original in a genre that's crowded with boilerplate characters and predictable finales. In some ways the movie perhaps tries to be too clever — the asynchronous plotting tells us right away that Lucy will marry in one year, and then invites us to guess which one of the fellows will be waiting for her at the altar. But the cut-up technique also has its appeal — since the story really isn't sustained by plot mechanics, the fun comes out of the many small vignettes that only tangentially relate to each other. As Lucy, Monica Potter is an appealing star — she's cute, determined, fussy, slightly neurotic, and entirely believable as a smart, single woman headed for her 30s. The five men in the story are likewise appealing actors. Scotsman Doug (John Hannah) is a researcher who's recently left a long-term relationship, only to wind up on a date with Lucy while she's blind drunk. Gabriel (Gael García Bernal) is a playwright whose Latin-lover sensibilities get Lucy into bed with him far sooner than she should. Bobby (Anthony LaPaglia) is a self-important former New York Met who cannot believe that Lucy doesn't recognize him as a bona fide celebrity. Tax accountant Barry (Henry Thomas) might be a nice guy, but he and Lucy wind up at her parents' house on their date, where she's completely embarrassed by their earnest eccentricities (Harold Ramis and Julie Christie are particularly good here). And Luke (David Boreanaz) is a handsome, Porsche-driving doctor who has a fondness both for Lucy and the poetry Walt Whitman. Which guy will she choose? Our girl does pick one man in the end, and while it's not entirely predictable, we're not forced to accept some sort of "clever" twist ending either, but one that's much more genuine. A good choice for rom-com fans who are looking for a change of pace, Columbia TriStar's I'm With Lucy features a solid anamorphic transfer (1.85:1) with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Trailers, keep-case.
—JJB
