Alex, Nick, and Judy are friends in Los Angeles. Alex is the one with the hotshot job and the lethal spending habits. By his own confession, he has 40 plus pairs of shoes. On the other hand, Nick is relatively poor, as he slaves away in a coffee shop while writing, hopefully, the great American novel at night. And, Judy has a routine career in the cosmetics department of an upscale shop; she also has a suitor named Bob who, though never seen, appears to be an upwardly mobile, straight-arrow, true gentleman. They need each other desperately, these three friends, for each is trying to muster the support to avoid their approaching futures. Alex knows he cannot continue his feeding-frenzy purchases, his unethical job habits, and his unrealistic love interests, yet the other shoe has not fallen yet. Making it big as an author, Nick admits, is achieved by so few and, still, he can't fathom a life without writing. Judy, meanwhile, doesn't know whether she wants to accept Bob's marriage proposal. Should she play it safe or wait for adventure? And, how many people get their engagement rings sent by UPS anyways? This movie is an understated and not quite successful look at life's difficult choices and consequences. Everyone is always asking themselves, aren't they, if outward appearance matters more than inner goodness, if dreamy possibilities are better than semi-satisfying realities and so on. The script has a mix of great and more mundane qualities and the pace is slower, so the movie will only appeal to those who like their films on the subtle side. Langton is very lovely and acts well, and the male friends are also quite appealing, however, so these factors add to the movie's enjoyment. Try this one if you like to ponder life's unanswerable questions and want to watch beautiful young people grapple with the same.
