HOW DO YOU KNOW

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures
A former team USA softball star finds herself in limbo in love and softball in the latest James Brooks romantic comedy, HOW DO YOU KNOW.

Resse Witherspoon is Lisa, a softball veteran recently cut by team USA, who isn’t sure what to do now that she isn’t playing the game. Lisa is dating Matty, a womanizing, but likable Washington Nationals relief pitcher played by Owen Wilson. She’s also been set up by one of her friends on a blind date with George, a businessman who is about to be indicted by the feds.

George, played by Paul Rudd, is in legal hot water, and is left to sink or swim by the company’s CEO and owner, Charles, his father, played by Jack Nicholson.

HOW DO YOU KNOW would be an interesting companion piece to Ricky Gervais’s THE INVENTION OF LYING. Gervais’s comedy was a somewhat scathing look at what life would be like if everyone told the truth. THE INVENTION OF LYING was occasionally funny, but drenched in cynicism.

HOW DO YOU KNOW features four characters who also always tell the truth, ones which wear their emotions on their sleeves, and a script that is hopeful about human nature. Although the dialogue in HOW DO YOU KNOW doesn’t always sound realistic, it does evoke emotions from the characters that are honest and revealing.

By allowing his characters to speak their minds and their hearts, director James Brooks has concocted a messy, but thoroughly enjoyable romantic comedy, one which adeptly balances both humor and heart.

A film like this wouldn’t work without strong and likable leads. Witherspoon and Rudd are naturally charming, but do not have an instant spark. This actually plays to the strength of HOW DO YOU KNOW by allowing both Lisa and George time to learn about one another and fall in love.

Owen Wilson also creates a winner in Matty, a confused womanizer who believes he’s finally met the woman for him. By creating such a strong supporting character, Matty creates suspense for Lisa’s romantic decision.

The only disappointment is Nicholson, who is saddled as the controlling father figure, and is alloted only a last minute moment of redemption.

HOW DO YOU KNOW is not a conventional romantic comedy, allowing the viewer to not only see within the characters, but also hear it.

Grade: B-