The reason I recorded the film when it played on an early afternoon weekday, was the plethora of famous names involved. Halfway through the film my wife complained feeling embarrassed about the way the women have been portrayed, with the exception of Jessica Biel, who was the only one who took her role serious and delivered the best acting in this film. All other females swooned the moment Gerald Butler came into sight and never stopped no matter how he treated them. They must have stepped out of a screenwriters wet dream.
The children are almost a relief, as they play what they are. Of course, you also get the usual unbelievable "grown-up talks" of them once in a while, In German this kind of statements by kids is called "altklug," don't know if "precocious" describes it as well. One thing Hollywood very seldom gets right is convincing kids talk.
Gerald Butler is completely unconvincing as a has-been soccer ace still in love with his ex-wife but bedding every hot mother he meets through his coaching a soccer kids team. Beside the Biel character, everyone acts as still going to high school, including Dennis Quaid, whose role lies completely undefined between harmless jerk and sinister maniac, we never learn where his money comes from or what he really wants from Butler. The same goes for the whole film, the characters are mostly cardboard-thin, but still we get the heartbroken Butler, and it takes Jessica Biel all she has got as an actress to make us believe that she will take him back after all.
I just read from another reviewer that he did not want them to get together again and I completely agree with him, me too! My wife and I hoped so much that Jessica Biel's character will be strong enough to keep her distance, but no, the screenplay asked for a happy end, which we considered an unhappy end!
The children are almost a relief, as they play what they are. Of course, you also get the usual unbelievable "grown-up talks" of them once in a while, In German this kind of statements by kids is called "altklug," don't know if "precocious" describes it as well. One thing Hollywood very seldom gets right is convincing kids talk.
Gerald Butler is completely unconvincing as a has-been soccer ace still in love with his ex-wife but bedding every hot mother he meets through his coaching a soccer kids team. Beside the Biel character, everyone acts as still going to high school, including Dennis Quaid, whose role lies completely undefined between harmless jerk and sinister maniac, we never learn where his money comes from or what he really wants from Butler. The same goes for the whole film, the characters are mostly cardboard-thin, but still we get the heartbroken Butler, and it takes Jessica Biel all she has got as an actress to make us believe that she will take him back after all.
I just read from another reviewer that he did not want them to get together again and I completely agree with him, me too! My wife and I hoped so much that Jessica Biel's character will be strong enough to keep her distance, but no, the screenplay asked for a happy end, which we considered an unhappy end!