Rumor Has It - Palm Beach Post movie review

'Rumor Has It...' is a wasted post-'Graduate' effort

By HAP ERSTEIN
Palm Beach Post

Affection for an iconic movie makes one approach its sequel — especially some 38 years later — with the mixed emotions of anticipation and dread. In the case of Rumor Has It..., based on characters from 1967's The Graduate, the operative feeling, at least after the fact, is likely to be dismay.

Warner Brothers Pictures

'Rumor Has It'

D+

The verdict: Listless sequel to The Graduate, a chemistry-challenged romantic comedy with an oddly dour tone.

Director: Rob Reiner
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner, Shirley MacLaine, Mark Ruffalo, Richard Jenkins
Run time: 96 minutes
Release date: Dec. 25, 2005
Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexual content, crude humor and a drug reference.
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Chalk it up to a promising premise that never arrives at a satisfying payoff. Screenwriter T.M. Griffin (Matchstick Men) imagines a New York Times obituaries writer, Sarah Huttinger (Jennifer Aniston), who flies home to Pasadena for her younger sister's wedding and learns, a bit too easily, that she is the granddaughter of the woman (Shirley MacLaine) on whom author Charles Webb based Mrs. Robinson.

Better yet, although Benjamin never married Elaine, Sarah learns she may be the daughter of Ben's real life inspiration (Kevin Costner), then meets him and ends up in his bed.

It is the stuff of sure-fire farce, but Griffin wants to make some serious statement about love and marriage instead, and director Rob Reiner provides him with a perplexingly dour tone. Other than the ellipses after the title, are there any clues here that this is the man who made the nimble romantic comedy, When Harry Met Sally...?

Aniston mugs too much, MacLaine delivers her many crusty punch lines like the pro she is and Costner is way too smooth and assured to have any connection to Dustin Hoffman's Ben. There is no reason why a clever sequel could not be fashioned for The Graduate, but rumor has it that Rumor Has It is not it.