'In the Land of Women' fits 'chick flick' mold
By Anna Williams, Staff Writer
May 2, 2007 | 7 p.m.
“In the Land of Women” is a humor-filled chick flick with a mostly female cast, one incredibly good-looking lead man, plenty of tears and several dramatic situations.
Carter Webb (Adam Brody) is a soft-core porn writer who has recently broken up with his high profile model/actress girlfriend of four months. He is stuck in the transition of becoming an independent adult, knowing full well that a career as a porn writer is not ideal.
With a broken heart and an undesirable job, Webb decides to leave his life in Los Angeles and move to Michigan to help his hypochondriac grandmother, who believes she is dying. It is here that he meets his new neighbor Sarah Hardwicke (Meg Ryan), a 40-something housewife with problems of her own. Because they are both at crossroads in their lives, the two bond. He also becomes close with Hardwicke’s teen-aged daughter Lucy (Kristen Stewart). The meat and potatoes of this movie develops from these relationships, leading to a number of dramatic circumstances.
“Everything is going to be okay” is the mantra of the film. But, of course, this phrase is put to the test. A bridging of the generation gap forms as the characters encounter multiple hardships that they help each other endure.
Fans of Brody will undoubtedly get their “Seth Cohen” fix from this film, but Webb does not portray quite the same character (although he is emotional, from California and went to a posh private school). He makes Seth-esque witty, humorous remarks that at least keep the audience smiling throughout the movie. Brody’s character reflects his actual age (26), which allows him to play a more mature role than one to which fans are accustomed. This movie is a gradual step for his career, but not very definitive. Although he is working beside well-known actors, he still fails to separate himself from the "O.C." image.
Olympia Dukais gives an amazing performance as the grandmother, Phyllis. She redefines the crazy woman who lives down the street and brings the insanity to an entirely new extreme. After years of being alone and ignored by her family, Phyllis has become an antisocial, senile and outright desolate woman. One of the most memorable scenes involves her answering the door half-naked -- a bit disturbing and borderline creepy, but incredibly entertaining. Her role provides a good deal of the comic relief.
The soundtrack, always vital to a movie, has a delightful handful of indie and alternative music, including Mates of State’s “Goods (All In Your Head),” Rogue Wave’s “Publish My Love” and OK Go’s “Good Idea at the Time.”
Unlike the advertisements will lead viewers to believe, there is far less romance than anticipated. The movie is more focused on relationships in general rather than specifically romantic ones. So, for those looking for a sappy tale of love, look elsewhere.
The major shortcoming of “In the Land of Women” is its ending. Without a real conclusion, it runs short of meaning and leaves some of the most important situations with loose ends. Also, Meg Ryan’s collagen-injected lips were extremely distracting when she talked, which made it a bit hard to take her seriously.
Regardless, the movie was still an endearing story with a gorgeous man. As many of us know, these are the key ingredients to a mindless-but-entertaining movie that is at least worth going to the matinee to see.
Speakeasy rating: B-
Running time: 1 hour, 37 minutes
MPAA rating:PG-13 for sexual content, language and thematic elements
Genre: Drama, Comedy