The previews pretty much tell the whole plot. Gray Wheeler (Jennifer Garner) is holding a funeral for her fiancé, instead of a wedding, after he is killed in an accident on his bachelor party weekend. Los Angeles bad boy Fritz (Timothy Olyphant) comes in for the funeral and brings with him vast knowledge of the deceased's double life and child-bearing infidelities. Fritz and Gray don't think much of each other until they begin to get past appearances and stereotypes and appreciate what their mutual friend loved about the other.
While I've never been a huge Kevin Smith fan, probably based more on choice of material than anything else, he is delightful as the bumbling, guru-quoting friend Sam who takes Gray in as a roommate and provides intelligent comic relief, as well as being allowed some depth of character that is pleasant and surprising.
Spiritual significance is pretty light in this film. It's not going to make the world a better place, nor is it putting out a message that will improve the lives of theater-goers.
If I dig deep, the idea of "don't judge a book by its cover" would probably be our best spiritual theme. There's Grady, the dead fiancé, who appeared to be devoted and caring to Gray, but who really had a whole life she knew nothing about. Gray seems to be very simple and in control, but she has been holding back part of herself too. Fritz has been living as a "love 'em and leave 'em" California freewheeler, but there is a heart and soul in hiding. Sarcastic and wedding-gift-pilfering on the outside, Sam is actually guilt-ridden and grieving inside.
Pre-judging people, and being pre-judged in return, is something that goes on constantly in the world. The moment we meet, impressions are made, conclusions are drawn, and often that is all we have to go on. Clothing, hairstyle, weight, looks, everything gets thrown into the balance to create an image that is indeliblebut probably has little to do with the actual person in front of us.
General religious teaching on this front is fairly unified under a "judge not lest ye be judged" kind of theme. But isn't it just natural to want to make some kind of assessment of the people you meet? Some conclusions have to be drawn so we can remember that individual in the future.
What if those conclusions take on a more Golden Rule-based quality, instead of the judgmental one that human nature tends to lean toward? It is an on-going challenge for me, but I really make a concerted effort to see everyone around me as a divine creation with a mutual Father-Mother God that ultimately makes us brothers and sisters in this universe. I remind myself of this spiritual fact every morning. When I walk the dog through parts of our neighborhood that are under construction, I try to focus on each worker as being loved by that Parent and expressing talents he has inherited from that Source. In the grocery store, on the freeway, and yes, even in church, I try to look for the divine in each person I come into contact with.
There are times (okay, many times) when I'm not terribly successful. I've been known to call rude drivers nasty names or pre-judge someone in the grocery store. But the days that I stay on track and keep my thoughts on the spiritual truth of the universethat we are each God's and deserving of love and respectmy day is much more harmonious. Then I can hope to share and prosper that sense of harmony, instead of breeding more negative thoughts and behaviors.
Many of the characters in this film go through a transformation and prove that they can go beyond the front that they present to the worldwhether it would be seen as a good one or a bad one. Judgments are dropped and thought is opened. That's a good thing any day and not a bad message to leave the theater with, even if it is a bit of a stretch to find it.
An opening day closer to the Valentine's holiday would have probably been better for this sweet love-lost-and-love-found movie. All in all, the plot is pretty standard and the most you may leave the theater with is a major crush on Olyphant (count me in there). But if you'd rather not watch the most violent killers on the planet spend 90 minutes of machine gun fire trying to eliminate a nark, "Catch and Release" is a simple alternative. Men who sit through it just to please the woman in their life will surely earn brownie points. It's the next romantic comedy that's sure to run over and over on every estrogen related cable channel in existence.
While I've never been a huge Kevin Smith fan, probably based more on choice of material than anything else, he is delightful as the bumbling, guru-quoting friend Sam who takes Gray in as a roommate and provides intelligent comic relief, as well as being allowed some depth of character that is pleasant and surprising.
Spiritual significance is pretty light in this film. It's not going to make the world a better place, nor is it putting out a message that will improve the lives of theater-goers.
If I dig deep, the idea of "don't judge a book by its cover" would probably be our best spiritual theme. There's Grady, the dead fiancé, who appeared to be devoted and caring to Gray, but who really had a whole life she knew nothing about. Gray seems to be very simple and in control, but she has been holding back part of herself too. Fritz has been living as a "love 'em and leave 'em" California freewheeler, but there is a heart and soul in hiding. Sarcastic and wedding-gift-pilfering on the outside, Sam is actually guilt-ridden and grieving inside.
Pre-judging people, and being pre-judged in return, is something that goes on constantly in the world. The moment we meet, impressions are made, conclusions are drawn, and often that is all we have to go on. Clothing, hairstyle, weight, looks, everything gets thrown into the balance to create an image that is indeliblebut probably has little to do with the actual person in front of us.
General religious teaching on this front is fairly unified under a "judge not lest ye be judged" kind of theme. But isn't it just natural to want to make some kind of assessment of the people you meet? Some conclusions have to be drawn so we can remember that individual in the future.
What if those conclusions take on a more Golden Rule-based quality, instead of the judgmental one that human nature tends to lean toward? It is an on-going challenge for me, but I really make a concerted effort to see everyone around me as a divine creation with a mutual Father-Mother God that ultimately makes us brothers and sisters in this universe. I remind myself of this spiritual fact every morning. When I walk the dog through parts of our neighborhood that are under construction, I try to focus on each worker as being loved by that Parent and expressing talents he has inherited from that Source. In the grocery store, on the freeway, and yes, even in church, I try to look for the divine in each person I come into contact with.
There are times (okay, many times) when I'm not terribly successful. I've been known to call rude drivers nasty names or pre-judge someone in the grocery store. But the days that I stay on track and keep my thoughts on the spiritual truth of the universethat we are each God's and deserving of love and respectmy day is much more harmonious. Then I can hope to share and prosper that sense of harmony, instead of breeding more negative thoughts and behaviors.
Many of the characters in this film go through a transformation and prove that they can go beyond the front that they present to the worldwhether it would be seen as a good one or a bad one. Judgments are dropped and thought is opened. That's a good thing any day and not a bad message to leave the theater with, even if it is a bit of a stretch to find it.
An opening day closer to the Valentine's holiday would have probably been better for this sweet love-lost-and-love-found movie. All in all, the plot is pretty standard and the most you may leave the theater with is a major crush on Olyphant (count me in there). But if you'd rather not watch the most violent killers on the planet spend 90 minutes of machine gun fire trying to eliminate a nark, "Catch and Release" is a simple alternative. Men who sit through it just to please the woman in their life will surely earn brownie points. It's the next romantic comedy that's sure to run over and over on every estrogen related cable channel in existence.