Movie Review: The Rewrite – Surprisingly Funny and Unabashedly Charming

Movie Review: The Rewrite

Studio: RLJE/Image Entertainment

Written/Directed by: Marc Lawrence

Cast: Hugh Grant, Marisa Tomei, Bella Heathcote, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons, Chris Elliott, Aja Naomi King

Release Date: Friday, February 13, 2015 (In Theaters, VOD, and iTunes)

MPAA Rating: NR

Runtime: 107 minutes

Reviewer Rating: 4 Stars ★★★★★

SYNOPSIS: Once upon a time, Keith Michaels (Hugh Grant – About a Boy, Love Actually) was an Award-winning Hollywood screenwriter, but divorce and a string of unsuccessful films have left him with nothing but bad debts and blank pages. So when his agent arranges a job as guest screenwriting professor at a remote university in upstate New York, a desperate Keith can’t say no. Initially hoping to give minimal effort to actual teaching so he can focus on his next script, Keith unexpectedly finds himself becoming invested in his students lives, including Holly (Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler), a single mom looking to start her own new chapter. The Rewrite features an all-star cast, including J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), Allison Janney (“Mom”), Chris Elliott (Groundhog Day) and Bella Heathcote (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). – RLJE/Image Entertainment

In reading a film’s synopsis, most people decide whether they’ll go the theater to see the movie or stay home and rent the film on VOD or DVD service. While the synopsis for The Rewrite isn’t glamorous or filled with power words, this film is an absolute delight for those who love a good romantic comedy. I found myself becoming sad as the ending drew near because I simply didn’t want The Rewrite to end. In little more than an hour and a half, I fell in love with the quaint town of Binghamton, NY and the students attending Binghamton University. Well, almost all the students.

L-R: Holly wants to take Keith’s screenwriting class, but will Keith even read her pages?

What I want from a good romantic comedy is not the obvious head-over-heels adoration of the lead characters—in this case, Keith Michaels, adeptly played by the dashing Hugh Grant, and Holly, the feisty single mother played masterfully by Marisa Tomei. No, I want the characters to quietly discover their mutual affection for one another without too much fanfare and overly sexualized scenes. The Rewrite hits the nail on the head on all points.

The Rewrite is unabashedly charming. The humor is done perfectly without being too sarcastic or constantly in your face. I re-fell in love with Grant while watching The Rewrite. Grant does an amazing job injecting his delightful British humor and colloquialisms, infusing his downtrodden character Keith, an endearing but jaded writer, with just the right amount of pompous jerk to balance his undeniable charisma. At first, Keith comes across as a bit of a self-serving jackass but underneath it all, he’s just a man trying to find his way in the world. He’s an alcohol fueled, womanizing Hollywood big shot who loses his way, as well as his family. He worries about what his estranged son Alex (not seen in the film) thinks of him and distances himself to avoid disappointing both himself and his son. In taking a job as a screenwriting teacher nearly 3,000 miles away from the limelight of tinsel town, Keith finally realizes why he wanted to be a writer in the first place, thanks to his students.

L-R: Jim, Mary Weldon, and Dr. Lerner listen uncomfortably as Keith inserts his foot into his mouth insulting “female empowerment”

The supporting cast—Simmons, as Dr. Lerner, a man with four daughters, plays his character with grace and subtle humor. His complaints about having “five women” at home are mere camouflage for his true feelings – he’s a happy man who cries when showing photos and talking about his family. Janney, as a slightly rigid teacher, flawlessly portrays Professor Mary Weldon as a spinster type who immortalizes Jane Austen a little too much, and isn’t impressed with Keith during their first encounter at a faculty event. Granted, Keith insults her when saying something about her “svelt” figure while simultaneously attacking “female empowerment.” Heathcote, as Karen, one of Keith’s love interests, does a great job of making you dislike her character one minute and then empathize with her the next. In the end, though, you aren’t sure whether you actually like her because when all is said and done, you can’t help wondering whether she learns any lessons from her erratic behavior or is too consumed with her daddy issues to care. Chris Elliott plays Jim, a professor whose expertise lie in all things Shakespeare. I was pleasantly surprised to see Elliott in a subdued role as he is known for his wild antics and comedic roles in many of the movies he chooses. Most notably, in my mind at least, is Scary Movie 2 where he plays the eccentric butler Hanson with the weird hand. Seeing Elliott as a lowly professor trying to make friends and find love is quite a change— as well as Tomei, are all superb. Tomei is more of a confidant for Keith and tells it like it is. She calls him on his bullshit, holding nothing back.

Keith initially dismisses his class for a month at the beginning of the semester, but he’s forced to change his lesson plans or lose his job.

The students taking Keith’s class all have their own uniqueness about them. There are nerdy references to Star Wars for the inner geek in you, courtesy of the socially awkward Billy (Andrew Keenan-Bolger). The angst award goes to Sara Liu (Annie Q.). Emily Morden portrays Andrea Stein-Rosen as adorably daft and sweet but don’t let that ditzy façade fool you; she’s got substance if you look deep enough. Clem (Steven Kaplan), the up and coming writer, is an unassuming geek who just wants to win the affection of fellow student and aspiring writer Rosa (Aja Naomi King). As an aside, I enjoyed seeing King in a different role from that of the uptight law student Michaela Pratt on ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder and the conniving medical resident in The CW’s short lived series Emily Owens, M.D.

I found The Rewrite to be an honest and realistic look at what it takes to be both a writer and a screenwriter in Hollywood, particularly with Keith’s blunt description to his class, “You know, it all fades; it all turns to dust. It’s very hard to know why any of you would want to do this in the first place because you will be rewritten, discarded, fired, forgotten – that’s if you’re lucky enough to work in the first place. So, don’t be under any illusion that this will bring you immortality or happiness. Perhaps it’s better to not even try.” But with all good romantic comedies, you want a happy ending and while The Rewrite’s ending isn’t the cliché type of blissful happy ending where the guy gets the girl, sweeping her off her feet in a romantic kiss, we do get a believable ending that will possibly lead to happiness. If you’re looking for a funny, quirky, and charming romantic comedy, The Rewrite is it.

Check out the trailer for The Rewrite.

For more on The Rewrite and other films from Image Entertainment, go to http://www.watchimage.com/

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Judy Manning

Dream chaser extraordinaire! Judy tends to be a tad sarcastic and kind of goofy! She is an avid admirer of all things supernatural, paranormal, celestial and mystical. She loves to read, write, and watches way too much TV. She enjoys many genres of film and music (and let's be honest, most music from the 80s). She also has a wicked sweet tooth. Cupcakes beware.