Did You Hear About the Morgans?

Stars: Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker, Mary Steenburgen, Sam Elliott

Director: Marc Lawrence

Amiable, if forgettable, old-fashioned romantic comedy about an estranged New York couple (Grant, Parker) who accidentally witness a murder and find themselves in the witness protection programme in faraway Wyoming.

Here, they bunk down with the local sheriff (Elliott) and his wife (Steenburgen) and duly reconcile.

The fish-out-of-water story is made rather unrelaxed by the performances of its stars, Grant tries too hard in one of the least appealing performances, while Parker is as out of her depth as her character.

And yet, in a second-grade kind of way, it entertains well enough. Steenburgen, as usual, is worth the price of admission alone, and the dialogue has its moments. Confronted by a (not very menacing) hitman (Michael Kelly) at the end, Parker, who has proved a promising shot, exclaims 'Oh my God I'm out of bullets.' 'That's something,' responds Grant, 'that I never expected to hear you say.'

David Quinlan

USA 2009. UK Distributor: Sony (Columbia). Colour.
102 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: PG.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 27 Dec 2009