Meg Ryan is back. She’s writing, directing, and starring now. Blazing her own path. Perhaps, maybe, she shouldn’t. I love Meg Ryan, and I’ve long thought her exile from Hollywood was unfair. The idea that she reached a certain age, or didn’t look the way she once did while trying to live up to unreasonable standards of beauty, took nothing away from her acting. she never lost her charm. Sure, in the early 2000’s, she seemed more interested in chasing dramatic role than romantic comedies, but let the woman pivot back. For a machine that keeps finding ways for Liam Nelson to exhibit his particular set of skills, and gives Nicolas Cage some truly awful films every year, not to mention prolonged the careers of men like Cuba Gooding Jr, Steven Seagal, John Travolta, Wesley Snipes, and many other former A-listers long past their box office stardom, they seem to have very little idea as to what to do with women.
Which has led Meg Ryan to direct this dumpster fire. She’s brought along David Duchovny, another actor whose career is on life support, and the two of them play former lovers who run into each other while stranded in an airport. it’s a rather abandoned airport. Honestly, I watched this with someone else who gave this film too much credit and thought the twist at the end was that they were dead, or in purgatory or something. No, it is just a left over shitty covid film where there are only 4 credited actors on IMDb, one is just doing voice work. So in this busy airport, Ryan manages to direct the one film where they can’t run into anyone, or interact with anyone, or do anything. That would require extras.
So, these two, who have zero chemistry, have to sustain through conversation a full feature. Don’t worry, because the voice that comes on over the loudspeaker to announce delays and arrivals talks to them too. It’s fucking weird. The only saving grace in here is that Meg Ryan is good in this. It didn’t make me think she was done, and there was nothing left in the tank, but it made me angry that she has to do this shit to work. She’s just as talented as she once was, and is acting circles around Agent Ambien.
This film has audio description, should you hate yourself enough to try and watch this. I got it from the Apple Store during their Valentine’s sale, when the price to buy the film (4.99) actually was cheaper than the price to rent it (5.99), so I now own this forever and ever. Just in case I feel like punishing myself years from now, I can pull this up. Meg Ryan should not write or direct, but for the love of God, please give this lady her career back. With all the streaming shows, all the movies, why on earth can we not find something decent for her to star in?
Final Grade: D
