Sam(MatthewBroderick)isthereasonablemaninacrazyurbanworld,themanofthoughtfulnessandrefinedtasteinalandscapeofLeroyNeimanpaintingsandbeercommercials.Theguywouldsoonercookforanhouroverahotstovethansay`supersizeit.' Bydayhe'sastoreclerkinanupscalegourmeteatery,andthesescenesraiseasmile,especiallyforanyonewho'svisitedtheactualchaininNewYorkCity--theportrayalisn'tfarofffromthereality.OurmanisbesiegedbyhoardsofcustomerswhowanttheirimportedFrenchcheesecuttoimpossiblyexactstandards.Hiseffortstoremainoutwardlypolite(whileyouknowhe'dliketotakethecleavertotherelentlessclientele)areprettyfunny,andwillwarmtheheartsofclerkseverywhere.Ingeneral,Broderickisingoodformandprovidesthemoviewithmostofwhateverlightnessitpossesses. Sciorra'slovelorndentalhygienist,Ellen,isfineenough,too,andherunknowinginteractionwithourcheese-slicingheroshowssomehopefulchemistry,andyoumaybegintofeelyouwanttoseethesetwogettogether. Oneofthemaincompetitorsforourlady'saffections,astockbroker(KevinAnderson),isplayedascaricaturehe'sthebeerswillingfrat-boywhoseideaofafter-sexsensitivityisflippingonthefootballgame.He'skindoffunnyattimes,butthemoviemightbestrongerifhewaswrittenoractedforustolikehimmore,insteadofhavingusmerelyrecognizehimastheflat-out`wrong'guyincomparisontoBroderick'ssensitiveman.ThinkofJohnCandyinSplash,takingacigaretteandbeercantotheracquetballgame;weknowhislifestyleisnottheoneourheroshouldemulate,butwecan'thelpbutbecharmedbythelikeablegoon.Whereasthischaracterismerelyagoon,andprettyunlikableallaround. Whileit'saniceenoughlightmovieforthefirsthalf,formethestorywassomewhatderailedbyitsunbelievable(Hollywood)presentationofsexandadultery.(SPOILERAHEAD,skiptonextparagraph.)WhenEllenreturnshomeafteranevening'smisadventures,sheisnaturallyfacedwiththequestioninghusband(MichaelMantell).Quicklyadmittingherownindiscretion,shethenimmediatelyturnsthesituationaround,demandingtoknowwhytheguyhadgoneaheadandboughtahousewithoutdiscussingit.Granted,it'savalidissue,andgranted,manypeopleusethiscounteringmaneuverinarguments.What'sunbelievableiswhathappensnexttheguystartsrespondingtoherquestion,addressingthehouse-issueinaquiet,thoughtfulmanner.WHOA.You'dbehardpressedtofindamarriedpersonintheworldwho,whenfacedwithhisherpartner'stotallyunexpectedadultery,wouldbereadytoaddressanythingsocalmly.Theguywouldsurelybebouncingoffthewalls,orelsecrushedintosilenceandtears-butsee,thenwemightactuallyfeelforthepoorschnook,andwe'dseeSciorra'scharacterinapoorlight.Andsincethatparticularaudiencereactiondoesn'tservetheromanticcomedy,thestorytriestosneakaroundit.Youmaystarttofeelthat,likethehusband,you'rebeingtaken. Furtherdissatisfactionisjustaroundthecornerintheending.Werealizethisiswheremisunderstandingswillgetsortedout,andourcouplewillfinallyseeaclearpathtooneanother.Wewantthesatisfactionofrootingforthem.Butit'smarredbyanotherunbelievablecharacterreaction,followedbyanabruptconclusionthatfeelsrushedandforced,tooeasyandunearned.Youmayfeelasthoughthemovie'scheatingonyouagain...
