The Rewrite (2014)

The Rewrite (2014)

Recommendation: See

Vitals

Runtime: 107 minutes

Directed by: Marc Lawrence

Written by: Marc Lawrence

Starring

Hugh Grant (Love Actually, Notting Hill)
Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny, The Wrestler)
J.K. Simmons (Whiplash, Juno)
Allison Janney (The West Wing, Mom)
Chris Elliot (Groundhog Day, Saturday Night Live)
Enid Graham (Mare of Eastwood, Mindhunter)
Whit Baldwin (Ladder 49, Dance on Broadway)
Vanessa Wasche (Mouse, Person of Interest)
Steven Kaplan
Bella Heathcote (The Neon Demon, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies)

Synopsis

Keith Michaels (Hugh Grant) is a struggling screenwriter living in Los Angeles. He is not having any luck selling his latest script, so he contacts his agent. She finds a job for him as a screenwriting professor at the University of Binghamton in New York. He is not pleased by the opportunity, but out of desperation, he decides to take it. He initially does not take to teaching very well. He draws ire from his fellow professors, who do not like his apathy, and from the students, who do not feel they are learning anything. Eventually, he runs into Holly Carpenter (Marisa Tomei), a student around his age working at the school bookstore whose screenplay was rejected for his class. He develops a friendship with her and admits her to his class. At the same time, he begins seeing Karen (Bella Heathcote), one of his students. Over time, he develops an interest for teaching, especially after noticing one of his students, Clem, (Steven Kaplan) has tremendous talent. However, after he breaks up with Karen, she exposes their relationship and Keith is told he will be fired. Facing the prospect of returning to his Hollywood life, he realizes he actually has a passion for teaching and decides to make amends with the faculty so he can stay. His agent calls and says she has an opportunity for him back in Hollywood, but he decides to turn it down so he can remain in New York to teach and write a screenplay about his experiences.

Analysis

On the surface, this would appear to just be another low budget Rom Com. However, even though I am not a Rom Com fan, I found this movie enjoyable. I did not have lofty expectations and watched it with an open mind. At the time I saw this, I had not seen Hugh Grant in many movies, so I had a nearly blank slate to begin with.

I found the plot unique and interesting. It could be considered trite in that it is the classic story of an unsuccessful Hollywood screenwriter/actor/director/etc. who has to find work doing something else and is a typical fish out of water. However, this film was unique enough that it worked.

J.K. Simmons plays his typical small bit role with some witty lines and gruff, authority figure demeanor. Chris Elliot is in classic form as the goofy colleague of Keith. Allison Janney had an excellent role as the reserved, hardscrabble English professor who is obsessed with Jane Austen. That part was a bit of a cliché, but she made it work with her own take on the role. She also plays well off Keith Michaels’ ineptness.

I will admit I was not overly taken by the character of Keith Michaels. He initially comes across as a sexist, philandering stereotypical Hollywood type who is only motivated by his own sexual pursuits. This is evidenced by his initial rudeness to Allison Janney’s character as well as his decision to predominantly pick attractive women as the qualifier for attending his class. While he does come to acknowledge this shortcoming and make improvements, he was so far gone to begin with that I could never really come to like him a lot.

Marisa Tomei was great as the motivating force for him to get his life together. Her role as a charming single mother not only helps Keith learn to care about teaching his students, but also inspires him to try to reconnect with his own estranged son.

The students in Keith Michael’s class are delightful to watch. They help bring an additional comedic element to the film that saves it from being a one-dimensional movie. The students were reminiscent of the students from the movie Hamlet 2.

This movie is good if you like Hugh Grant, Marisa Tomei, Rom Coms, or just want a light movie to enjoy on a weekend. As long as you do not expect too much from this film, I think you will find the hour and forty-seven minutes well spent.

Notes

Portions of the film were actually filmed at the University of Binghamton, the alma mater of director Marc Lawrence.

The carousel featured in this movie can also be seen in Now You See Me and Face/Off.

Trailer