Plot: What’s it about?
As the television show “Friends” ended, Jennifer Aniston’s career as a “movie star” is just beginning. She teamed with Clive Owen in the thriller “Derailed” and this romantic comedy directed by Rob Reiner is her follow-up to that (her next is another romantic comedy entitled “The Break Up” with Vince Vaughn later this year). Of all the “Friends”, Aniston’s future looks the brightest. I’ve been a fan of Rob Reiner’s movies for years mainly because he has a broad range. If you look at his films, the same man has directed great comedies (“This is Spinal Tap”, “When Harry Met Sally” and “The Princess Bride”), dramas (“Stand by Me” and “A Few Good Men”) and plenty in between. “Rumor Has It…” has an all-star cast and a very interesting twist in the storyline (I’ll get to that a little later, though).
Sarah Huttinger (Jennifer Aniston) is engaged to nice guy lawyer Jeff Daly (Mark Ruffalo). As the two head back to Pasadena, CA for her sister’s (Mena Suvari) wedding they decide not to tell their family that they’re getting married so as not to steal any of the thunder from her sister. Sarah’s always been the black sheep of her family and she doesn’t really know why. However it’s suggested to her that she might not be the biological offspring of her parents. It seems that the book and movie “The Graduate” were based on a family in the Pasadena, CA area and that Sarah’s grandmother (Shirley McClaine) just might be the actual “Mrs. Robinson”. This consumes her and she sets out to find out who her real parents are. This leads her to Beau Burroughs (Kevin Costner), an internet millionaire who she believes to be her father. Things go from bad to worse when she sleeps with him and I’ll leave the rest up to the viewer.
“Rumor Has It…” is an interesting film with an interesting premise. Shirley McClaine is in top form at the ripe age of 72 and steals nearly every scene she’s in. For some odd reason the movie is supposed to take place in 1997. I’m assuming that they couldn’t pass off Jennifer Aniston as a 44 year old (the affair was set to take place in 1962, so in 1997 she’d be 37 years old) though nothing looks too dated. If you take the movie with a grain of salt, you’ll enjoy it. Howver, given the star power here, I was expecting a bit more. Aniston plays is well though I’ve seen her do better in some more risky roles. Still, the film has some classic Rob Reiner moments and even Kevin Costner plays is low key (which is always good for him). Again, take it with a grain of salt and you’ll enjoy it. I did.
Video: How does it look?
“Rumor Has It…” is presented in a 1.85:1 anaomorphic transfer that, for the most part, looks very good. This is a day and date DVD release and most of the scenes look amazing. There’s no edge enhancement, black levels are rich and deep and flesh tones look warm and natural. There are a few scenes that appear to be somewhat grainy and a couple of scenes seem to be a bit over exposed. That said, it’s nit picking by me but hey – that’s what I’m supposed to do, right?
Audio: How does it sound?
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is nothing to get too worked up about. It’s a standard mix that serves its purpose and nothing more. The movie is dialogue-driven for the most part with some added ambiance coming in on some key scenes. There’s not a whole lot else to say here, it’s a romantic comedy and those aren’t always noted for their dynamic audio tracks.
Supplements: What are the extras?
All you’ll get here is the original theatrical trailer.
