My One and Only(2009)- User Reviews

Before realizing that this movie was based on the real life story of the young George Hamilton, I decided it was better than it had any expectation to be so. It's a good film, not a memorable one, but it will engage viewers with its vibrant pace and the ensemble work of its main characters. Renee Zellwiger, who is inconsistent in her acting performances, delivers one of her better ones here. She perfectly matches the character, as she just has that aura of the southern damsel out of place in the contemporary world (think Blanche Dubois). Give her credit; no amount of disasters in trying to land a wealthy husband stops her from pushing forward with optimism and energy. This amuses her passive, openly gay elder son, and simultaneously frustrates and fascinates the younger George. He is quite mature for his age and has a better understanding of what is going on in this mish-mash of a life. Enamored of his filandering father, he is crushed when he believes that the bandleader dad hasn't cared for him after all once his parents' divorce becomes more and more a reality for him. The final impact of this push-pull relationship will take place near the finale, one I will not disclose. The setting in the 1950's makes this fun to watch (get a look at that wacky Cadillac convertible), nostalgia without the kitsch. Morals are taught subtley and in such a way that one can accept or reject them. A preachy version would have been a disaster. There a both laughs and tenderness to be had here.