It's strange that James L. Brooks should take so long to make his movies (this is his first since 2004's Spanglish, and only his sixth since his Oscar-winning debut, 1983's Terms of Endearment), since he started out writing for TV shows like That Girl and My Mother the Car. It's even more disappointing that he still mines the easy jokes, pandering sentimentality, and predictability of sit-coms. Where's the Brooks of Broadcast News? Here, Paul Rudd is so likable as unemployed investor George that, even though he's broke, on the rebound, and the target of a federal investigation, you never doubt he'll end up with Lisa (Reese Witherspoon), a pro softball player just cut from her team. Besides, Lisa has no chemistry with Matty (Owen Wilson), the "essentially monogamous" pitcher she's dating. The thing is, if George takes the fall for his corrupt father (Jack Nicholson), he'll save dad from "25 years to death," but he'll lose Lisa. Six years in the making and this is As Good As It Gets?
