The ever reliable Rob Lowe plays Rob Harlan, a happily married man who, after losing his job writes a book which becomes a best seller – turning Rob into a literary phenomenon. However, as his fame spreads and his success grows, he starts to take his family for granted, and loses sight of what is important in his life.
This film was made for cable television, and is not one of Rob Lowe’s better known films, but it is definitely worth catching if you get chance. Lowe is of course perfect in the lead role, and although Rob (Harlan)’s behaviour became frustrating, Lowe just about kept the audience on his side (or this viewer at least), in that I wanted him to open his eyes and see what he was in danger of losing. Paget Brewster was great as his wife Allyson, who watches in dismay as her loving husband grows further away from here, and Frances Conroy is also very good as Rob’s agent and friend Camille. Christopher Lloyd takes a small but pivotal role as a mysterious man who pops up several times and always unexpectedly, to warn Rob of what he is putting at risk by his behaviour.
The only thing that annoyed me about this film was the ending. It’s an adaptation of a book – which I haven’t read, but which apparently the film remains pretty faithful to – and therefore, any disappointment at the ending is not really the fault of the film-makers. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, and if I told the ending, it would be a BIG spoiler, but suffice to say that it was not what I was expecting, and I don’t mean that in a good way. I mean it in a a kind of “what the heck were they going for there?” kind of way. But for a film of an hour and a half, at least an hour and a quarter of it is very enjoyable, and on that basis, I would recommend it.
Year of release: 2003
Director: Peter Levin
Producers: Stephanie Germain, Sunta Izzicupo, Frances Croke Page, Kimberley C. Anderson, Malcolm Petal, Judy Cairo
Writers: Richard Paul Evans (novel), Joyce Eliason
Main cast: Rob Lowe, Paget Brewster, Frances Conroy, Christopher Lloyd, Jude Ciccolella
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