She's the One (1996)

This is, as the summary says, one of my favorite comedies, despite the flaws pointed out by others. The reason is that it works as a metaphor for life better than it does as a literal story--parts of it are a stretch. But I think it is a wonderful comedy with some great things to say about relationships and life.A big part of why I like it is the writing, which strikes me as natural, believable, and unforced--which is certainly aided by the acting performances. Some of the lines are simply hilarious: "You don't want to cheat on your girlfriend with your wife?" Or "That's an interesting theory. I hope you didn't hurt yourself coming up with that one," just to pick two. I also mostly like the acting performances. Burns and McGlone play off each other very well, and if McGlone's character can seem a bit over the top, I think that's a directorial choice to help make the point. And for those people who don't care for Maxine Bahns, I think she's better than she is given credit for. She has some moments that are just terrific, like when she first pops over the front seat of the cab and introduces herself with the story of her friend under the sink. This was the performance that convinced me that Jennifer Aniston really can act well--the scene where McGlone says he wants a divorce is wonderfully played by her-- that mix of anger and hurt and shock are portrayed beautifully. And John Mahoney is great, as is Cameron Diaz. The structural parallels are also terrific, as they illustrate the differences in the two couples. Shopping in a thrift shop as opposed to an upscale boutique, the contrast in apartments, etc., are all great devices to illustrate and underline the differences between the two brothers and couples. And using McGlone's driver as a kind of chorus worked very well, at least for me. In conclusion, this film is a ton of fun, and conveys meaning beyond what one would expect from a romantic comedy (if I have to categorize it). Is it flawed? Of course. But for me, this is a film that transcends its flaws and works on a number of levels, both literal and figurative. I highly recommend it.

While I can't say there's any real moral compass to the storyline (with everyone cheating on everyone else), if nothing else EDWARD BURNS can consider himself a Long Island Woody Allen--because the story told in brief vignettes is exactly the sort of tale that Allen likes to spin about ditsy relationships and dysfunctional human beings.It may lack the more subtle wit and dry humor found in some of Allen's works, but it's safe to say that if this had been penned by Allen Hollywood would be jumping all over it with awards.As it is, EDWARD BURNS as the older brother--a cabbie aptly described by another as probably the only English-speaking cab driver in the city of NY--is excellent, even if some of his motivations aren't crystal clear, like the casual decision to go to Paris with his girlfriend when both of them are clearly broke. MIKE McGLONE is fine as his financially solvent but mentally challenged brother who works on Wall Street but is hopelessly in love with a trashy blonde, CAMERON DIAZ, in another one of her bubble-gum roles.None of it rises above the level of a good TV script and the language is pretty salty throughout, dealing as it does with SEX almost exclusively. But Burns directs it at a good pace and it moves briskly to a satisfying conclusion which finds him reunited with his girlfriend after a series of misunderstandings.A pleasant way to spend an hour-and-a-half but don't expect anything great. Burns and McGlone were much better in THE BROTHERS McMULLEN the previous year.

I am a fan of Edward Burns' movies. For the most part I thought "She's the One" was an enjoyable film. However, there was some definite ups and downs: Ups: Characters and Acting. I really liked the characters in this film Hands down, my favorite was John Mahoney as the father. He was superb has an uber-Catholic Irish hard ass father with a soft spot for his boys. Maxine Bahns was absolutely beautiful and lovable in this film as well. I also really liked the brother relationship between Edward Burns and Mike McGlone. I also have a brother that is close an age and Burns did a really great job capturing the competitive nature between siblings.Downs: Triteness. I could not watch this movie at some parts because of how cheesy some of them were. Burns did nothing to set "She the One" apart from every other 90's coming-of-age relationship film. While I thought there was some good dialogue, it could not save the film from becoming just another typical 90's dramatic comedy about relationships.Although I did enjoy this movie and always put it on whenever it I see it on HBO, this is not Edward Burns' best film. Go see Brothers McMullen, Sidewalks of New York, and the Groomsmen for better Edward Burns films. And if you have some free time..."She's the One" will do OK.

A major distraction is that almost everyone smokes throughout the movie. Smoking not only adds nothing to character development, it actually distracts viewers from the dialog and the plot. In the past, smoking was used to distinguish good characters (protagonists) from the bad (antagonists), much as the good guys in cowboy movies wore white hats,while the bad guys wore black. In this movie, even the good guys (including Jennifer Aniston's character) smoke, and we found it to be unrealistic and distracting.It seemed to be just one long "sickaret" commercial.Can't help but wonder who was given how much money to have almost every actor in the movie smoke.