Eight Days a Week

Although I would never call this movie a masterpiece, and I don't care to own it, I was surprised by its quality. You might say that if one's expectations are low enough, anything can seem surprisingly good, but if your expectations are that low you wouldn't rent the movie to begin with.

Although this movie didn't begin its life as a stage play, it easily could have as 90 percent of it is shot in the front yard of the character played by Keri Russell. The movie is reminiscent of John Cusak's "The Sure Thing" for the way it shamelessly admires the body and beauty of Keri Russell. And much of the humor recalls "There's Something About Mary" and "American Pie."

I do have a complaint, though, for the way the filmmaker makes buffoons out of Keri Russell's Christian parents. The consensus in Hollywood is that serious Christians are pathetic hypocrites who have no understanding or tolerance for others. Whoever made this movie must be a particularly virulent example of the Hollywood Christian-loather considering the extent to which he makes foolish villains out of Keri Russell's parents.