The Back-Up Plan

Most movies about romance have the typical plot of a couple meeting, getting married, then having a family. However, in this film we have a reverse order of events where a single woman has given up on finding romance and decides to go it alone and become artificially inseminated. Little does she know that fate has something in store for her, and that the day she goes to the clinic she finally meets her Mr. Right.

With her having twins and being a stay-at-home mom recently I was interested in seeing how Jennifer Lopez was in her “comeback film.” I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with her performance, with some funny lines and scenes, but the movie is just a bit too lighthearted, and therefore it is best to wait for it to come out on DVD.

The film starts in a good fast pace with Jennifer Lopez as single girl Zoe, who runs a successful pet store, in a doctor’s office. As she runs out into the rain a guy ends up stealing a cab from her. A few days later she runs into the guy, Stan, at a market where he makes his own cheese, and after he begins to wine her and dine her they end up falling in love. What follows are some hilarious scenes when Stan faints in the doctor’s office after they are told the result of Zoe’s test that she is pregnant, not surprising with twins, and when Zoe goes to the single pregnant mothers support group and collapses when one crazy lady gives birth in a pool. There are also some clichés of the cynical friends, a guy Stan meets in park who confirms all his worst fears of parenthood and old people and their crazy habits.

Director Alan Poul’s previous work included directing Rome and Six Feet Under for HBO.  Although the film had a good sense of humor, the only mis-step was the ending, which dragged on for a bit too long with its corny scenes. Although I had trouble finding Alex O’Loughlin a believable leading man at first, I must say that with a winning performance by Jennifer Lopez it didn’t really matter, and allows the film to overcome a predictable rom-com plot. I was surprised in some ways that Jennifer Lopez chose this as her comeback film, as it is not a potential major Hollywood blockbuster in terms of storyline or computer graphics, and doesn’t star any other actors who have kept their names in front of audiences these last few years, and therefore not making the movie be based just on her. In some ways Jennifer Lopez reminds me of another Jennifer—Aniston—with both of them having taken similar romantic plots in their careers so far. The differences are that Ms. Lopez is also a major pop singer, a more believable actress, and can claim to have had both a No.1 film open at the Box Office at the same time as having a No.1 album. Overall, with its happy ending I must say this romantic comedy made the audience cheer, and if you are looking for a relaxing and not too complicated film after a stressful week, then this is just the film for you.

The Back-Up Plan • Dolby® Digital surround sound in select theatres • Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 • Running Time: 106 minutes • MPAA Rating: R for some drug material, language and violent content. • Distributed by CBS Films