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Rumour Has It [2005]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Rumour Has It brings together several people whose film career could usefully use a jolt. Kevin Costner, the excellent and pretty much unseen The Upside Of Anger aside, is long in need of a hit. Director Rob Reiner is some distance away from the heights of his big successes such as When Harry Met Sally and A Few Good Men. And the calibre of Jennifer Aniston’s movie CV has her still mainly regarded as Rachel from Friends.

Sadly, Rumour Has It does none of them any favours. It follows Aniston’s quest to dig into her family history, believing as she does that her mother and grandmother inspired the book of The Graduate. It’s a fun premise, yet the film does little with it. The script is lightweight, the humour is thin on the ground, and only good performances from Costner and the scene-stealing Shirley Maclaine lift it in any way.

As for Rob Reiner, he’s very much a director for hire here. He’s considerably far off his best work, and while Rumour Has It isn’t, ultimately, a poor film, it is an entirely unessential and sparse one. A waste of all the talents concerned, each of whom is easily capable of bettering this.--Simon Brew

Editorial
Synopsis

With the romantic comedy RUMOUR HAS IT, director Rob Reiner (WHEN HARRY MET SALLY) attempts the tricky task of creating a film based on an already celebrated classic, 1967's THE GRADUATE. Starring Dustin Hoffman and based on a novel by Charlie Webb, the original film revolved around the love triangle between a recent college-graduate, his girlfriend, and her famously seductive mother. Here, Reiner casts a chain-smoking Shirley MacLaine as the supposed real-life inspiration for Mrs. Robinson, and Jennifer Aniston as her granddaughter. Set for the most part within the gossipy community of Pasadena, California, the film follows Sarah Huttinger (Aniston) and her fiance (Mark Ruffalo) as they travel home for her perky sister's (Mena Suvari) wedding. Having nothing in common with her family, Sarah is intrigued upon learning that she may actually be the secret love child of her deceased mother and Beau Borroughs (Kevin Costner), the man whose affairs with both Sarah's mother and grandmother supposedly inspired Charlie Webb, a classmate and friend of Beau, to write THE GRADUATE. From here, Sarah seeks out Beau, interested in him as a father-like figure and possibly more. Aniston brings a Rachel-like (FRIENDS) comic vibe to her character, frequently expressing her neuroses by talking to herself out loud in a sitcom-ish style. Costner is plenty capable in his role. Reiner's script veers away from the classic romantic comedy formula by keeping Ruffalo's character at the sidelines. Rather, RUMOUR HAS IT focuses on one woman's journey towards adulthood, self-realisation, and acceptance of her origins via a path that while strange seems to be family tradition.

Rumor Has It
Review date: 2007-08-17 Rating: 2 out of 10

I was expecting a comedy - but was sadly disappointed. I can't believe that someone actually sat down to write the script to this film. My dog could have done better - and he doesn't even have opposable thumbs!


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Reviews


The Graduate revisited
Review date: 2007-05-01 Rating: 6 out of 10

Having watched Rumour has it - I find myself at odds with the majority of reviews...........The film, albeit light and frothy, is easy on the eye and combines a refreshing humour with the dead pan lunacy of the plot...The cast are relaxed and the zany thread running through the film are just good escapist fun. Kostner and Mclaine steal the picture with their excellent timing and delivery of the script.....A criticsm? Yes. An overblown sequence of shouting and domestic mayhem when the cast come together in Pasadena should have been cut.........It spoils an otherwise cool and stylish presentation.

David Turner (Ealing London UK)

Acting by rote
Review date: 2007-04-19 Rating: 4 out of 10

None of the actors were very convincing, though Shirley Maclaine's character was occasionally entertaining. (Still only a pale imitation of her character in "Steel Magnolias" -- Grandma here lacks the vinegary wit of her previous interpretation of a Southern eccentric.) All of the actors were okay, but didn't seem to be trying very hard. Aniston seemed to be playing a strange and not very endearing mix of Rachel and Monica from "Friends;" Costner hardly projected any charisma and his laid-back brand of smarmy smugness hardly explained his alleged attractiveness to three generations of women from the same family; Ruffalo played a slightly pathetic long-suffering boyfriend; Suvari, unfortunately, fell victim to her rather perfect looks instead of surpassing them with her acting abilities as she has done in the past. You could go on (and on), but what would be the point? "Rumour Has It" is watchable. But only if you are wanting a non-demanding, only slightly comic way to fill an hour or so of your time. It lacks spark, it lacks effort -- could do better all around. B minus.

Rumour has it....that this is an excellent movie..
Review date: 2007-03-22 Rating: 6 out of 10

There are only two good aspects to this movie - the nice soundtrack and the end (and I don't mean that in a bad way). Generally the story is different which is a plus but the acting leaves a lot to be desired. It gets a bit tedious after a while with the cheesy dialogue and the poor character development. There is something inspiring about the ending however as the story picks up and the characters grow a little. The movie stops being silly and there are a few decent, meaningful conversations which are pulled off with a touch of class. Hardly a reason to blow [...] on a dvd though.



Watchable with some great moments
Review date: 2007-01-16 Rating: 8 out of 10

I watched this with no pre-conceptions as I'd not really read anything about it before. I was pleased to find it really enjoyable. Gentle, light-hearted and very easy to watch. I'd definitely recommend it as a chick flick.
I probably wouldn't bother to watch it more than once unless I'd forgotten what happened the first time though!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Shirley Maclaine
Mark Ruffalo
Jennifer Aniston
Kevin Costner
Richard Jenkins

Creators:
Jennifer Aniston (Primary Contributor)
Kevin Costner (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Warner Home Video
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
EAN: 7321900701358
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2006-05-22
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 93 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2005
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)

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