A couple quickly falls in love and marries, and then they have to deal with the ramifications. This film is remarkably uneven. It is often jaunty and farcical, but there are moments of true pathos that demand we take the action more seriously than we had been prepared for. There is also great truth in the moments when, for example, Seymour says, "It's impossible to ever truly know anybody." But immediately after we get a ridiculous scene involving everybody's therapists and people carrying on ad infinitum. The primary eponymous story offers some fairly charming moments, but the supporting stories often have little to do with the main action and only distract from the people we want to care about. The performances by Chris Messina and Jennifer Westfeldt (especially Westfeldt) often make their outlandish characters believable, and by the end of the film, I wished I knew them better and got to spend more time in their presence. Overall, there's a lot to like about Ira and Abby, but not much to like about Ira and Abby because the film as whole suffers from too much business and not enough substance.

[font=Century Gothic]In "Ira & Abby," Ira(Chris Messina) has spent the last six years of his life working on his doctoral dissertation on psychology.(Both of his parents(Robert Klein & Judith Light) are psychoanalysts.) After twelve years of therapy, his analyst can do nothing more for him and is dumping him. Unable to make up his mind about lunch, Ira at least knows that he wants to be in better physical shape, so he wanders across to a gym and fills out a member application. 45 minutes later, he wants to leave but that is when Abby(Jennifer Westfeldt, who also wrote the screenplay) shows up to give him a tour. Six hours later, they are still together, so she does the sensible and responsible thing and proposes marriage...[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Ira & Abby" is a misguided and insipid romantic comedy that seeks to mine the material and chemistry that results from two polar opposites coming together but both lead characters are so unappealing and underwritten that it is impossible for any spark to occur. For example, if Abby whose main characteristic is that she is a good listener is this drawn to every man she meets, then why isn't she less lonely? However, there is some truth expressed late, especially on the subject of marriage and why it should it not be a decision made lightly. But basically the film is just content to take its shots at the psychoanalytical profession. Yes, we all need someone to talk to but there are also cases that definitely require a professional touch.[/font]