A Smile Like Yours

This film is about a young couple having difficulties to conceive a baby. She(Holly)constantly surprises her unsuspecting husband(Kinnear) on the most unusual places. And each time she uses a new, self-made aphrodisiac and they have sex. However, something seems to be wrong with the man's potency. They go on and try everything they can, including a clinic with some bizarre fertility instruments.

This is the premise for a romantic comedy about fertility, having a baby and the problems that can come out of this. It doesn't really work that well on a comic level. There are some modest chuckles in it, but not really funny-funny scenes. The actors however make this pretty enjoyable and carry the film along way. Given its length(98 min), you can't blame the film to be overlong either. The best moments come out of the conversations between some of the characters. Joan Cusack has some of the better scenes in the film and Shirley MacLaine has a ( very)small(too small?) part as Holly's mother.

The makers also decided to put in some sort of affair of Kinnear's character with a beautiful colleague-architect(Hennessy), but this doesn't add much to the story. All in all this is pretty watchable and amiable stuff. There are "romantic comedies" that are far worse than this one, given the pretty silly premise. So if it's on TV and you've got nothing else to do, you might consider watching it. On the other hand, there are films that are also much better than this one. Good films about (having) babies are however very hard to find. 6/10(it doesn't really deserve the BOMB-rating of Leonard Maltin)

Danny (Greg Kinnear), an engineer, is happily married to Jennifer (Lauren Holly). Jennifer owns a specialty gift shop and designs perfume, on the side, to sell at her store. The one thing the couple longs for is a child but, so far, they can't conceive. This is in spite of the many planned trysts that Jennifer arranges for the couple almost every week. Finally, Danny agrees to see an infertility specialist, which hurts his pride, and on top of that, the new female boss at work is after him! Will the couple be able stay together and have the family they long for? This slight but very sweet picture is fueled by the power of the two leads. They are good looking, charming, and funny. Joan Cusack does her usual wonderful work as Jennifer's dear friend, and Shirley MacLaine makes the most of her small role as Jennifer's mother. The scenes at the infertility clinic are priceless, as Danny tangles with one very determined nurse. Those who gravitate naturally to the romantic comedy aisle will find this one very fulfilling. All others, by contrast, may find it superfluous.

This is meant to be a comedy but mainly bad taste, and nothing remotely causing a smile in the film. The movie is about a couple trying for a child, and those people in real life who are in that situation will wince at the depictions that are portrayed. For instance scenes at a fertility clinic are not in the least funny and are quite frankly embarrassing. The male lead who plays a construction worker and in his hard hat comes across as a poor excuse for a reject from Village People. The female lead is trying to look 20 years younger than she is. Both leads come across as unappealing,unattractive and completely unconvincing. There are various ridiculous and totally unassuming gratuitous scenes in the film, for example with a budget airline, which is devoid of any humor. The only reason I give this 3/10 instead of 1/10 is one mark for Shirley Maclaine, who is a a class above anything else in the pic, and one mark for some half decent(albeit old) music.

In San Francisco, Danny Robertson (Greg Kinnear) and his wife Jennifer (Lauren Holly) are happily married except they disagree on having a baby. Steve Harris (Jay Thomas) is his best friend and works for him on his construction site. Lindsay Hamilton (Jill Hennessy) is the hot new architect. Jennifer runs a perfume shop with her best friend Nancy Tellen (Joan Cusack).

Nothing is truly offensive but this is terribly flat like the couple's singing. It's meant to be funny but it's just mildly annoying. Neither Kinnear nor Holly are real comedians. They could be good if the comedic material is great. That's not this movie. The material is not close to being funny. Maybe if one of them is played by a good comedian. The jokes are barely jokes even if they're performed perfectly. This has the comedic roadmap but lacks the funny bone to write the jokes. It has the structure but not the stuffing to fill it out. It doesn't help that fertility is not automatically funny and the writing has nothing funny for it.

This movie was so old I held off on watching my recording, thinking I might realize I had seen it. I guess the reason I surely hadn't was that people thought it was bad.

There's not that much to make me recommend this. I sort of liked the story. It eventually had the expected twists and turns a romantic comedy should. And I found the ending satisfying.

Greg Kinnear is considered a respected actor, I think. Just not here. He was likable enough, I guess.

I know the name Lauren Holly. But the reason she seemed familiar had nothing to do with her. I finally realized she looked just like Christina Hendricks in the highly regarded "Good Girls" TV series, a much better actress. I will give Holly points for her scenes negotiating for a better deal on her perfume.

Jill Hennessy.is a familiar name and I guess she did a good job, but wow, did she look good in her sexy outfits, even her dress for success outfit with a very short skirt.

While they may not have appealed to me personally, I think the actors who stood out here had small roles. Jay Thomas is an exception in that I liked him, probably better than anyone else. I've seen him in lots of good roles, and he made a good best friend.

Joan Cusack I didn't like, but it doesn't change the facts. She was quite good as the best friend and business partner who liked sex too much.

Shirley MacLaine was good as usual in a brief role as Jennifer's mother.

Marle Gaines was an exceptionally perky airline ticket agent who sounded like a recording.

Helen Swee had all of one line as a nasty flight attendant.

Ben Stein did his usual style narrating a video about how children are born.

And the best performance of all, one I found very unpleasant, but one I feel many should enjoy. Marianne Muellerleile was described as the woman who used to be Nurse Ratched, making a fertility clinic experience miserable for Danny.

The "I Love Lucy" scene where Lucy told Ricky she was pregnant was a highlight.

Some people might enjoy the karaoke performances. They were good, with at least one notable exception the movie's stars. It doesn't help that The Captain didn't sing, but Tennille did, in the original. Most of the music was Motown, which I can enjoy now but might not have developed a taste for when this movie was made. Then there was junk (my opinion) like the Tracie Simpson song about rain, which young women probably would like. Natalie Cole did the title song, which wasn't quite my taste. I like her better when she does music more like her father's.

This isn't family friendly at all. The sex talk and various sex-related scenes were about as naughty as what broadcast TV will allow. And yet some people might like the naughty humor. And based on one imdb review, there may be something I didn't get to see and for that I am grateful.

Is it worth seeing? Probably. Just don't expect too much and be happy with what is good.