Fool's Gold

The weekend before Valentines Day is prime real estate for a romantic comedy—the brief break from the late winter moviegoing doldrums when studios like to trot out the best of their date movies. The timing means the marketing pretty much writes itself, and only a spectacularly botched ad campaign (or a spectacularly lame movie) could squander what's usually guaranteed bank at the box office. (Still, Over Her Dead Body—opening two weekends before Cupid's big day—somehow managed to misfire in both regards.)

But of course, movie studios don't just give this opening slot to any ol' romantic movie—generally, it takes a proven star, like a Tom Hanks or an Adam Sandler, to earn the prize. Or, in this case, proven directorial prowess. Andy Tennant only has a few movies under his belt (including Ever After and Sweet Home Alabama), but with 2005's blockbusting Hitch, Tennant proved to be one of the reigning kings of romantic comedy, more than earning dibs on the Valentines slot for his new movie, Fool's Gold.

Matthew McConaughey as Finn and Kate Hudson as Tess

Hitch was a surprise charmer of a movie, doing big business because of its smart humor, heartfelt storytelling, and the charisma of its leading man and lady. And if Fool's Gold isn't nearly as good, it's also far from a total disappointment—and easily the best romantic comedy playing right now. And it does a commendable job overcoming its obvious disadvantages when compared to Hitch.

Like, for instance, the story. Hitch's plot—about a "date doctor" who was great at advising others about relationships, but muddled up his own love life—provided a perfect platform for down-to-earth, character-driven comedy. But where Hitch was all about the characters, Fool's Gold is much more concerned with external plot elements, infusing its rom-com storyline with treasure hunting a la Indiana Jones or National Treasure.

Fool's Gold stars Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson as a couple of deep-sea diving, history-buff treasure seekers who fell in love while scouring the depths for the wreckage of an old sunken ship, eventually marrying. After eight years of fruitless searching, however, Hudson's character, Tess, is fed up with husband Finn and his empty promises; the movie opens with the couple divorcing.

Donald Sutherland as Nigel Honeycutt

But they are thrown back together for one final adventure (Twister, anyone?) when Finn is left at sea by a couple of nasty thugs to whom he owes money, only to be saved by the yacht of multi-millionaire Nigel Honeycutt (Donald Sutherland)—a yacht on which Tess just happens to work as a server. After getting cleaned up and calming a furious Tess, Finn explains to everyone that he has found a significant clue that should lead them to the discovery of the treasure they've been after all this time—an endeavor that is, of course, complicated by tension between the two ex-lovers, to say nothing of a competing treasure-hunter (Kevin Hart) who won't hesitate to kill them all if it means he gets the prize.

This kind of plot works both for and against the movie; on the one hand, it's got all the ingredients for a big, flashy date movie—glamorous movie stars, tropical locations, slapstick physical comedy, adventure, buried treasure, and a love story. Still, one can't help but miss the smaller-scale storytelling of Hitch, where it's all about the characters rather than the far-fetched circumstances in which they find themselves. Fool's Gold is pleasant and frequently compelling, but it lacks the heart of Tennant's last movie, and the treasure-hunting adventure stuff grows tiresome after a while.

But Hitch had two other things going for it that are sorely missed in Fool's Gold: The effortless charm of Will Smith and the inspired silliness of Kevin James, not to mention the allure of Eva Mendes. The Fool's cast isn't bad, but it just doesn't capture that same magic. Hudson and McConaughey are natural fits for this kind of movie—it isn't the first time they've been paired in a rom-com—because neither has a ton of personality, but they're adept at simply being likeable and getting by on their good looks and charm.

Finn and Tess, in search of treasure

Sutherland is fine as well, but Alexis Dziena—playing his bratty, ditzy daughter—is disappointing; her bimbo schtick wears thin in a hurry, and she seems to be here mostly to appear in skimpy bathing suits. After her turn in Broken Flowers, it's a bit alarming to see how willing she is to appear in roles that come across as simply demeaning. Also frustrating is Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who appears in a small role; he seems eager to distance himself from Theo Huxtable, even after all these years, using a lot of profanity and faking a Caribbean accent that is anything but convincing.

And of course, there's really no one here to fill the Kevin James role, which means that the comedy is derived more from slapstick than anything, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Even if it doesn't charm quite the way Hitch did—even if the laughs are a bit easier, and the romance a bit less combustible—Fool's Gold is still a modestly entertaining genre pick that doesn't take itself too seriously and seeks to provide nothing more than a good time, and delivers on that promise enough to make it worthwhile.

Talk About It

1. What view do you think this film takes of divorce? Does it treat the subject too lightly?
2. Do you think either Tess or Finn bears more responsibility in the deterioration of their relationship, or is it a mutual thing?
3. Discuss the relationship between Gemma and her father. Do you think he is a good dad? Do you think she is a good daughter?

The Family Corner

Fool's Gold is rated PG-13 for action violence, some sexual material, brief nudity, and language. There is some slapstick comedy and some action scenes, but nothing graphic or bloody. Sex is implied a couple of times, and talked about a bit, but never seen. As for the nudity, we see very brief glimpses of a topless woman and a man's bare backside, but both scenes are very quick. The language involves about a dozen or so swear words, including one or two misuses of God's name.

Photos © Copyright Warner Brothers

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