How Do You Know (2010)
The title of this movie really has nothing to do with the story, which is why whenever my mom tries to rope me into watching it with her, she usually just calls it, “the Owen Wilson movie you don’t like.” The irony is that I don’t actually like this movie, but since I love Owen Wilson in it so much, I generally cave and watch it again. He’s such a doll – which he usually is in his movies, but he’s particularly adorable in this one. For me, there’s no contest between him and Paul Rudd. For my mom, there’s also no contest: Paul Rudd is the winner in her book. For Reese, she just doesn’t know.
Reese plays a professional softball player whose just been cut from the team. She’s devastated and feels she doesn’t have a purpose or identity, and it also adds some competition and friction in her relationship with Owen Wilson, another professional ball player. Owen is pretty superficial and doesn’t talk about deep issues with her – but not many boyfriends do like to talk about problems. Chances are, the men who do like to analyze their issues do so because their problems are so massive they’ll never stop being at the forefront of the relationship. Enter Paul Rudd.
Paul is a decent, good guy, but he’s a mess. He works for his father, Jack Nicholson, and he’s in the middle of a business investigation that could result in prison time, even though he did nothing wrong. When he meets Reese, they’re both in such a depressed state, they share a meal together without actually talking.
There are some parts of this movie that are really sweet, like Paul’s devoted secretary, Katherine Hahn. If you like Reese Witherspoon in general and feel she’s a positive role model for women, you’ll love her inspirational quotes posted to her mirror, and her total honesty with the men in her life. Even though I don’t like the film, I understand why others do. This is a Richard Brooks film, so expect a certain charm and quirkiness to the romances, and together we can all say a bittersweet farewell to Jack Nicholson in his last screen appearance. Even in this villainous role, he’s still charismatic enough to make us root against Paul Rudd. We’ll miss you, old friend.
More Owen Wilson movies here!
Reese plays a professional softball player whose just been cut from the team. She’s devastated and feels she doesn’t have a purpose or identity, and it also adds some competition and friction in her relationship with Owen Wilson, another professional ball player. Owen is pretty superficial and doesn’t talk about deep issues with her – but not many boyfriends do like to talk about problems. Chances are, the men who do like to analyze their issues do so because their problems are so massive they’ll never stop being at the forefront of the relationship. Enter Paul Rudd.
Paul is a decent, good guy, but he’s a mess. He works for his father, Jack Nicholson, and he’s in the middle of a business investigation that could result in prison time, even though he did nothing wrong. When he meets Reese, they’re both in such a depressed state, they share a meal together without actually talking.
There are some parts of this movie that are really sweet, like Paul’s devoted secretary, Katherine Hahn. If you like Reese Witherspoon in general and feel she’s a positive role model for women, you’ll love her inspirational quotes posted to her mirror, and her total honesty with the men in her life. Even though I don’t like the film, I understand why others do. This is a Richard Brooks film, so expect a certain charm and quirkiness to the romances, and together we can all say a bittersweet farewell to Jack Nicholson in his last screen appearance. Even in this villainous role, he’s still charismatic enough to make us root against Paul Rudd. We’ll miss you, old friend.
More Owen Wilson movies here!