Shes the One

(1996)
Though in general I like Ed Burns more as an actor than as a filmmaker, I thought Sidewalks of New York had a certain something to it, and I had sort of wanted to see this film for a while (took me eight years, so obviously I wasnt hankering to see it too badly). Ive long enjoyed the movies soundtrack completely composed by genius Tom Petty and last week I finally got to see what all those songs were about. Shes the One is a typical Burns ensemble piece where New Yorkers bitch about their love lives. Unlike his later Sidewalks, though, no one here is particularly redeemable. Burns himself plays the most positive character, an underachieving cab driver named Mickey Fitzpatrick. Mickey, though he wont admit it, has issues with his ex Heather (Cameron Diaz), issues that he will admit to with his money-hungry, status-driven brother Francis (Mike McGlone), and maybe some issues with his dad (John Mahoney), although they dont seem to trouble him all that much. Like Sidewalks, this film is really less about an individual character (though its more centered on Mickey than Sidewalks was on Burns character) and more about the problems we all have in relationships. As it turns out, none of the relationships in this film are healthy, though Mickey more or less gets along with his new wife Hope (Maxine Bahns). Oh, and for color, and the reason I ended up watching the film in the first place, brother Francis is unhappily married to Renee (Jennifer Aniston). What this movie really should be called is Ed Burns has Issues. At least in Sidewalks there was a little bit of true love and redemption; here, a younger, more bitter Burns seems to think that no relationship can really work. Everyone either neglects or cheats on someone else, and all of them have trouble not only dealing with their partners feelings but with their own. Francis has a thing on the side with Heather; Dad ignores Mom so much (she never actually appears on screen) that she leaves him for the guy at the hardware store; and so on. Burns seems to be saying through this film You know, this whole love thing stinks, and youre gonna get burned. Burns himself is fine but he plays his essential core character the guy whos okay but was burned in the past and is perpetually on guard now (see also Sidewalks, Life or Something Like It, etc.) McGlone gives Francis just the right smarmy yuppie/slick urban edge, making it really hard to like him. Cameron Diaz, whom no one ever mistook for an actress, is fine here, mostly because her role isnt that large, and shes only asked to play a one-note conniving bitch. Mahoneys very enjoyable, though thats not a huge surprise as he usually is. Most of the supporting players were all pretty effective with one exception; Aniston is woefully miscast as Renee. Hailing from a family of Lungilanders, both of Renees parents and her sister (Amanda Peet) have the L.I. accent down perfect. Aniston not only doesnt do the accent, she never even seems to be part of the same family. The other thing that irked me about the film, and it was so prevalent I feel it needs commenting on, is that R.J. Reynolds must have been a sponsor. EVERY single character is a smoker, except Burns, who even now and again has the occasional cigar (with dad). But everyone else chain smokes through the whole picture, and it was done with such abandon that it was first noticeable and then irritating. It was like a long ad for cigarettes. Shes the One mines similar territory as Sidewalks and there are some good laughs, mostly from Mahoneys one-liners with his sons. But its not a film I would particularly recommend, unless you really happen to like Burns films. There are many better relationship issue films

than this one (Burns even made one himself) that you would be better spending your time with. July 6, 2004