At times I was entertained; other times, I just scratched my head.
Catch and Release (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:130
Fresh:28
Rotten:102
Average Rating:4.5/10
Consensus: A romantic dramedy with boring, stock characters and contrived situations.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for sexual content, language and some drug use
Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins
Genre: , Death, Romance, Theatrical Release, Weddings
Theatrical Release:2007-Winter
Box Office: $15,269,668
Synopsis: Screenwriter Susannah Grant makes her directorial debut in this tale of love, loss, and finding new love. Gray Wheeler's (Jennifer Garner) wedding day is not going as planned. Instead of walking... Screenwriter Susannah Grant makes her directorial debut in this tale of love, loss, and finding new love. Gray Wheeler's (Jennifer Garner) wedding day is not going as planned. Instead of walking down the aisle in her wedding gown, she is at the funeral of her fiancé, Grady, following his accidental death on a trip meant to be his bachelor party. To make ends meet, Gray puts her things in storage and moves in with Grady's roommates, levelheaded and attentive Dennis (Sam Jaeger) and quirky yet lovable Sam (Kevin Smith). With childhood friend Fritz (Timothy Olyphant) in from L.A. and crashing on the couch, it's a full house. Inhabiting Grady's old room, Gray soon learns that her fiancé had been keeping some big secrets from her and may not have been the man she thought he was. Perhaps more importantly, she discovers some surprising things about herself, and her ability to heal and love again. Each of the characters in this film has to find a way to survive the devastating loss of a man who held them all together. Garner effectively conveys Gray's heartbreak and confusion without going over the top. As Fritz, Olyphant pulls off the role of the mystery man who is always charming but often misunderstood. Jaeger is earnest and heartfelt as Grady's roommate and business partner. But Smith is the scene-stealer here, with deadpan delivery and great timing as a Celestial Seasonings employee spouting philosophical quotes from the herbal tea company's packaging. Juliette Lewis appears as a sexy, slightly flaky, Californian massage therapist who is also a skeleton in Grady's closet. [More]
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Jennifer Garner, Juliette Lewis, Kevin Smith
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Jennifer Garner, Juliette Lewis, Kevin Smith, Sonja Bennett, Yorgo Constantine, Sam Jaeger, Fiona Shaw
Director: Susannah Grant
Director: Susannah Grant
Producer: Jenno Topping
Composer: BT, Tommy Stinson
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
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Reviews for Catch and Release
Unable to work as a comedy, romance or drama, this film isn't to catch or release. Best to just let this one swim on by.
Do you hear that clinking noise? It's the chains of the plot left dangling.
The movie takes subject matter that seems depressing and infuses it with humor and warmth.
Kevin Smith has a commanding, affable presence that hints his acting career may surpass his considerable directorial successes. It's a performance that would land an Oscar nomination, if only the film it came from weren't so weak.
A strange fish of a film, Susannah Grant's directorial debut Catch and Release glitters and reeks.
This fish-themed romance flops wildly all over the place, from heavy poignant moments to slapsticky comedy, with a healthy dose of soapy melodrama in between.
[Garner] is moving up the likeability ladder to Sandra Bullock/Julia Roberts levels.
Jennifer Garner leads an enormously appealing cast as the bride who wore black.
The film's slight, quirky characters are driven by a soundtrack designed to tell us exactly how to feel. And perhaps that's not such a bad thing--in this case, something had to.
Juliette Lewis helps break the monotony with a sparkling turn as a ditsy skeleton in the dead fiancé's closet and Kevin Smith spouts a few good zingers as the slacker housemate. Sadly it's not enough to catch and keep hold of your interest.
The film's a pleasant enough daydream before it turns all squoodgy at the end.
The star of TV's Alias, Garner would have been wise to use a false name.
Like a girl falling for the wrong guy, [writer/director] Grant has fallen for her own inadequate material. Her overstuffed story feels under-explained.
By the conclusion of the film, Catch and Release transformed itself from a risk-taking romantic comedy with a darkly humorous lining into a stereotypically syrupy outing...
Jennifer Garner may possess the hardest working eyebrows in show business, but Kevin Smith gets the acting kudos in this bittersweet romance.
Latest News for Catch and Release
April 27, 2007:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
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February 05, 2007:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: "Messengers" Scores Slim Win Over Super Bowl Weekend
With the Super Bowl taking males out of the picture, mothers and daughters squared off at the North American box office this weekend with the younger set earning a slim victory.... More...
January 29, 2007:
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Proving that there's always money in spoof comedies, Fox's "Epic Movie" shot straight to number one over the weekend in its debut frame beating out three other new... More...
January 25, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: "Epic" Comedy Battles Oscar's Finest
A quartet of poorly-titled films will hit the multiplexes on Friday hoping to grab some business opposite a string of acclaimed releases fresh from earning their Oscar nominations. More...
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