Sam(MatthewBroderick)isthereasonablemaninacrazyurbanworld,themanofthoughtfulnessandrefinedtasteinalandscapeofLeroyNeimanpaintingsandbeercommercials.Theguywouldsoonercookforanhouroverahotstovethansay`supersizeit.'
Bydayhe'sastoreclerkinanupscalegourmeteatery,andthesescenesraiseasmile,especiallyforanyonewho'svisitedtheactualchaininNewYorkCity--theportrayalisn'tfarofffromthereality.OurmanisbesiegedbyhoardsofcustomerswhowanttheirimportedFrenchcheesecuttoimpossiblyexactstandards.Hiseffortstoremainoutwardlypolite(whileyouknowhe'dliketotakethecleavertotherelentlessclientele)areprettyfunny,andwillwarmtheheartsofclerkseverywhere.Ingeneral,Broderickisingoodformandprovidesthemoviewithmostofwhateverlightnessitpossesses.
Sciorra'slovelorndentalhygienist,Ellen,isfineenough,too,andherunknowinginteractionwithourcheese-slicingheroshowssomehopefulchemistry,andyoumaybegintofeelyouwanttoseethesetwogettogether.
Oneofthemaincompetitorsforourlady'saffections,astockbroker(KevinAnderson),isplayedascaricature:he'sthebeerswillingfrat-boywhoseideaofafter-sexsensitivityisflippingonthefootballgame.He'skindoffunnyattimes,butthemoviemightbestrongerifhewaswrittenoractedforustolikehimmore,insteadofhavingusmerelyrecognizehimastheflat-out`wrong'guyincomparisontoBroderick'ssensitiveman.ThinkofJohnCandyinSplash,takingacigaretteandbeercantotheracquetballgame;weknowhislifestyleisnottheoneourheroshouldemulate,butwecan'thelpbutbecharmedbythelikeablegoon.Whereasthischaracterismerelyagoon,andprettyunlikableallaround.
Whileit'saniceenoughlightmovieforthefirsthalf,formethestorywassomewhatderailedbyitsunbelievable(Hollywood)presentationofsexandadultery.(SPOILERAHEAD,skiptonextparagraph.)WhenEllenreturnshomeafteranevening'smisadventures,sheisnaturallyfacedwiththequestioninghusband(MichaelMantell).Quicklyadmittingherownindiscretion,shethenimmediatelyturnsthesituationaround,demandingtoknowwhytheguyhadgoneaheadandboughtahousewithoutdiscussingit.Granted,it'savalidissue,andgranted,manypeopleusethiscounteringmaneuverinarguments.What'sunbelievableiswhathappensnext:theguystartsrespondingtoherquestion,addressingthehouse-issueinaquiet,thoughtfulmanner.WHOA.You'dbehardpressedtofindamarriedpersonintheworldwho,whenfacedwithhis/herpartner'stotallyunexpectedadultery,wouldbereadytoaddressanythingsocalmly.Theguywouldsurelybebouncingoffthewalls,orelsecrushedintosilenceandtears-butsee,thenwemightactuallyfeelforthepoorschnook,andwe'dseeSciorra'scharacterinapoorlight.Andsincethatparticularaudiencereactiondoesn'tservetheromanticcomedy,thestorytriestosneakaroundit.Youmaystarttofeelthat,likethehusband,you'rebeingtaken.
Furtherdissatisfactionisjustaroundthecornerintheending.Werealizethisiswheremisunderstandingswillgetsortedout,andourcouplewillfinallyseeaclearpathtooneanother.Wewantthesatisfactionofrootingforthem.Butit'smarredbyanotherunbelievablecharacterreaction,followedbyanabruptconclusionthatfeelsrushedandforced,tooeasyandunearned.Youmayfeelasthoughthemovie'scheatingonyouagain...