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Catch and Release Movie Review Summary

Actors: Jennifer Garner, Timothy Olyphant, Kevin Smith, Juliette Lewis

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Catch and Release


A woman, following the death of her fiance, struggles to cope with the new information she learns about him. When Gray's fiance, Grady, dies shortly before their marriage, it leaves her in a horrible spot. She loses the love of her life, and, despite the millions that Grady had secretly stored in a bank account, Grady didn't have a will and, since they weren't married, Gray is left with nothing. As she can't even afford to pay her own rent anymore, she moves in with Grady's friends, the responsible Dennis and the wildly irresponsible Sam. Also with them: Fritz, Grady's childhood friend, a playboy who Gray hates after catching him fooling around with women at Grady's funeral. Soon, as Gray starts putting affairs into order, she starts discovering strange things about Grady-- he gave $3,000 to an unknown person, and she finds a cell phone with countless messages from a concerned woman asking for Grady. When Gray confronts Fritz, Fritz reveals that Grady had a kid before he met Gray, a kid he never told Gray about. When the kid shows up with his mother, Maureen, she discovers that Fritz is lying-- the kid is way too young to have been before Gray and Grady got together. With Maureen also mourning, despite Gray's discomfort, the guys let her spend time there, and Sam begins to develop feelings for her. Meanwhile, Fritz kisses Gray, shortly before Dennis confronts her and says that he's been developing feelings for her. When he finds out about the kiss, he freaks out, but Gray downplays it-- with Fritz in earshot, so he goes home to the west coast. When a DNA test reveals Maureen's kid does not, in fact, belong to Grady, Maureen has no clue how she'll afford to raise her child. Grady's mother steps in and gives Grady's money to her to raise the child. Dennis leaves the house they've all been living in, making Gray feel like the third wheel, with Sam and Maureen now happily together, so Gray realizes she has to go where she wants to be-- with Fritz. The film ends with Gray and Fritz reconciling and kissing.
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Best part of story, including ending: This is, like so many romantic dramas, incredibly bland and color-by-numbers, with predictable results to its manufactured conflicts.

Best scene in story: Kevin Smith as Sam provides some wacky physical comedy, the best of which involves an exploding blender, providing some relief to the otherwise grim proceedings.

Opinion about the main character: Gray is very sympathetic, but she is unfortunately given a slew of poor dialogue and cliched scenes to have to play out. Jennifer Garner deserves better.

The review of this Movie prepared by R.W. Hainline a Level 29 Superb Fruit-Dove scholar

Script Analysis of Catch and Release

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Plot & Themes

Time/era of movie:    -   2000's+ (present) Romance/Love/Hugging    -   Yes Inner struggle or disability    -   Yes Lover is...    -   upset over past loss of someone Coping with loss of loved one?    -   Yes Coping with loss of    -   Husband/boyfriend/squeeze

Main Character

Identity:    -   Female Age:    -   20's-30's Ethnicity/Nationality    -   White American

Setting

Small town?    -   Yes

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   generic/vague references to death/punishment Sex/nudity in movie?    -   Yes What kind of sex:    -   vague references only    -   kissing Any profanity?    -   Occasional swearing

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