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Music and Lyrics is rarely laugh-out-loud funny (excepting the aforementioned hamstring incident), but it is witty and relatively cliché -free. A strong supporting cast helps to keep things engaging. Kristen Johnston (best-known from Third Rock Under the Son) is a propelling force as Sophie's older sister Rhonda, the food-obsessed manager of a line of weight loss clinics who is old enough to still have a nostalgic crush on Alex. Just the right mix of bossiness and tenderness make Rhonda a great foil for Sophie's reticence and pathos. As Alex's manager, Garnett has less material to work with than he did on any given episode of Raymond, but he still manages to add levity and heart to the film. Jason Antoon makes the most of his brief appearances as the embittered lyricist who doesn't get the gig, and Aasif Mandvi is used to great comic effect as the tone-deaf doorman who gets to hear Sophie and Alex's efforts first.

The music and the lyrics inevitably get together

Most of Music and Lyrics' music and lyrics were written by Fountains of Wayne bassist and songwriter, Adam Schlesinger. Spoofy songs like "Pop Goes My Heart" and Cora's "Bootytown" are terrific. The song Alex and Sophie write for Cora—assumed in the plot to be a legitimately great pop tune—is hooky and innocuous. Unfortunately, some of the other music along the way (often written by Marc Lawrence) is a bit cringe-worthy. Sophie's words for a ditty called "Love Autopsy," for example, are meant to establish her promise as a lyricist; they do no such thing. And Alex's melody for the same tune, proclaimed by Sophie to be wonderful, is likewise underwhelming. Still, on the whole, the music is lightweight but enjoyable—much like the film itself.

Talk About It

1. Cora feels pressure to keep her musical act sexually provocative in order to have commercial success. Why do you think pop music is so dominated by sexuality? Is sex appeal important in genres other than dance? How do you think the emphasis on sexuality affects the young fans of the music?
2. Music and Lyrics assumes that a man and woman who collaborate creatively will also be attracted romantically. Is this always the case?
3. Sophie's literary professor and ex-boyfriend accuses her of being a successful mimic (as a writer) but unoriginal. Is there such a thing as original writing? (See Ecclesiastes 1:9-14, and consider this quote from U2: "Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief.")

The Family Corner

Music and Lyrics is rated PG-13 for some sexual content—mostly the body-baring costumes and provocative dance moves of the fictional pop singer Cora and her troupe. Otherwise, sex (outside of marriage) is implied in one scene and one other storyline, but not shown.

Photos © Copyright Warner Bros. Pictures

© Carolyn Arends subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

Hugh Grant is still playing the same kind of romantic lead that has always worked for him … even if his leading ladies seem to be getting younger.

In Music and Lyrics, Grant plays a burned-out pop star, whose ridiculous '80s music videos give us great send-ups of that decade's regrettable style. Ready to revitalize his career with inspiration and romance, Drew Barrymore delivers the kind of effortless charm that have made her an audience favorite.

And yet, while the stars shine, the move flickers and then fades out.

Christopher Lyon (Plugged In) says the movie "fits easily into the spirit of the '80s pop songs it celebrates. It provides a romantic, feel-good atmosphere while remaining relatively empty-headed, ridiculously earnest and pleasantly forgettable."

Christa Banister (Crosswalk) says, "Unlike the majority of romantic comedies that often—unsuccessfully—try to have a greater underlying message, something usually along the lines of 'stay true to yourself' or 'love conquers all,' Music and Lyrics doesn't pretend to be anything more than it is—cute, light-hearted fun. And for that reason alone, and undoubtedly, the pitch-perfect portrayal of '80s music nostalgia … Music and Lyrics will hit most of the right notes with the masses."

Mainstream critics are giving it mixed reactions.

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