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Created Mar 04, 2009 10:26PM PST • Edited Nov 23, 2017 12:29AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Awful 0.0

   Painfully unfunny. The movie starts off cute, then immediately goes into the can, with perhaps one humorous scene stuck somewhere in the middle. The premise of a self-absorbed yuppie couple getting emotionally tortured by their self-absorbed divorced families means that the humor is all based on awkwardness and condescension. The result is uncomfortable, more wince inducing than laugh inspiring.

   Sadly, this is the sort of formulaic movie Hollywood loves to churn out, especially because it made reasonably big bucks, grossing $120 million according to IMDB.

4. Acting

   Barely OK 2.0

   Lots of good actors got paid for this piece of crap, but it is Reese Witherspoon who comes off the worst. Her trademark charm nowhere to be found, she damages her brand appearing in schlock like this, even if the movie did make money. Vince Vaughn fares badly also. He’s simply not believable in his role, and not very funny to boot. Wedding Crashers this ain’t.

   As for the rest of the notables – Robert Duvall, Dwight Yoakam, Sissy Spacek, Tim McGraw, Jon Voight, Mary Steenburgen – for shame.

   Jon Favreau did OK.

5. Male Stars Pretty Bad 1.5

6. Female Stars Barely OK 2.0

7. Female Costars Barely OK 2.0

8. Male Costars Barely OK 2.0

10. Film

    Awful 0.0

11. Direction Awful 0.0

12. Play Awful 0.0

13. Music Awful 0.0

    Doesn’t even include a decent Christmas song. How do you mess that up?

14. Visuals Bad 1.0
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 1.6

17. Sex Titillating 1.8

18. Violence Gentle 1.5

19. Rudeness Salty 1.6

21. Reality

    Glib 1.3

    In one day, this couple goes from Marin to SFO, burns time there, and then has extended visits with each of four parents all over the Bay Area. Unh-unh.

22. Circumstantial Glib 1.9

23. Biological Glib 1.8

24. Physical Natural 1.0