Arlen Faber is a celebrity. He has cornered the "God market" according to his agent. Like many writers of self help books, he is a guy in dire need of some guidance himself. In a way, he is a fraud, in that he just happened to write a book that went through the stratosphere as people that relate to the subject matter made it a hit. Unfortunately, Faber, in real life is a mess. He is pompous, inconsiderate, or just plain obnoxious, for starters.
What makes Arlen change? He happens to meet Elizabeth, a chiropractor, that has a life and is exactly what he is not. Arlen, who hurts his back badly, can't even count on his agent to come to help him. What's more, the record he just put on the turntable happens to be "Isn't it Romantic" that gets scratched and Arlen has to listen to it all night long. When Arlen crawls over to Elizabeth's office, he is in for a rude awakening because his life is about to change. Elizabeth, a single mother, is a a grounded woman, so different from Arlen that one knows they will come together in the end.
Meanwhile, Kris Lucas, the owner of a small store that buys and sells books, gets an unexpected visit by Arlen. He is trying to dump on the poor fellow a bunch of books that Kris can't afford to buy. Kris has just come out of a rehab center for alcoholics. Because of his situation, he has to live with his father, an arrangement he doesn't care for. When Kris discovers Arlen's true identity, he makes a deal; he will accept the books the celebrity author gives him in exchange for answers to questions that bother him. This exchange, while not helping Kris, brings the two so different men closer together.
"The Answer Man" is a sort of romantic comedy written and directed by John Hindeman, who makes his debut, although it appears he has been involved in television. The allure of watching the film was the fine cast that was put together. The film, while enjoyable, could have been much better if we really cared more about the main character. As written, the man is an enigma, up to the end, when he appears to have come to terms with reality.
Jeff Daniels does what he can with Arlen. Mr. Daniels, a veteran of stage and screen, is a great and personable actor. Either the script, or the direction doesn't quite make us respond to him the way, we are sure, the creator wanted us to feel. Lauren Graham who plays Elizabeth has worked extensively on television and is finally getting the parts she deserves in films. Lou Taylor Pucci's Kris is not totally believable. Olivia Thirlby, Kat Dennings and Nora Dunn don't have much to do.
The film, while not a complete failure, introduces a new talent to films, John Hindman, to whom we wish the best in his future projects.
What makes Arlen change? He happens to meet Elizabeth, a chiropractor, that has a life and is exactly what he is not. Arlen, who hurts his back badly, can't even count on his agent to come to help him. What's more, the record he just put on the turntable happens to be "Isn't it Romantic" that gets scratched and Arlen has to listen to it all night long. When Arlen crawls over to Elizabeth's office, he is in for a rude awakening because his life is about to change. Elizabeth, a single mother, is a a grounded woman, so different from Arlen that one knows they will come together in the end.
Meanwhile, Kris Lucas, the owner of a small store that buys and sells books, gets an unexpected visit by Arlen. He is trying to dump on the poor fellow a bunch of books that Kris can't afford to buy. Kris has just come out of a rehab center for alcoholics. Because of his situation, he has to live with his father, an arrangement he doesn't care for. When Kris discovers Arlen's true identity, he makes a deal; he will accept the books the celebrity author gives him in exchange for answers to questions that bother him. This exchange, while not helping Kris, brings the two so different men closer together.
"The Answer Man" is a sort of romantic comedy written and directed by John Hindeman, who makes his debut, although it appears he has been involved in television. The allure of watching the film was the fine cast that was put together. The film, while enjoyable, could have been much better if we really cared more about the main character. As written, the man is an enigma, up to the end, when he appears to have come to terms with reality.
Jeff Daniels does what he can with Arlen. Mr. Daniels, a veteran of stage and screen, is a great and personable actor. Either the script, or the direction doesn't quite make us respond to him the way, we are sure, the creator wanted us to feel. Lauren Graham who plays Elizabeth has worked extensively on television and is finally getting the parts she deserves in films. Lou Taylor Pucci's Kris is not totally believable. Olivia Thirlby, Kat Dennings and Nora Dunn don't have much to do.
The film, while not a complete failure, introduces a new talent to films, John Hindman, to whom we wish the best in his future projects.