The new movie "Bounce" has the rebound of a lead balloon and just about as much charm. The story concerns a guy named Buddy who, one snowy night at O'Hare gives his boarding pass to Tony, a husband and father, keen to get home to his family. But the plane crashes and Tony dies. Buddy goes into severe trauma, who wouldn't, and alcoholism. When he gets to whichever AA step it is that requires him to make amends, he seeks out Tony's widow to make sure she's okay. She isn't. They fall in love, and all is rosy until she discovers who he is and what he hasn't told her.

Buddy is Ben Affleck, who won an Academy Award for Good Will Hunting--as a WRITER. And as far as this performance goes, he needs to stick to the quill. I heard co-star Gwyneth Paltrow say that this role really stretched Affleck's skills. I didn't see any stretching. I saw a deadpan, tedious performance that might earn a high schooler a B. Might.

Paltrow plays Abby, the widow, and if there is one reason to see the movie, it's just to see Gwyneth. She has a human fragility that was almost tangible, and very convincing.

The rest of the cast is there to make up the numbers in an equation typical of Hollywood. Paltrow has the obligatory neighbor who tells her what to do and how to do it, and of course gets the kids out of the way at any given moment. Affleck has a know-it-all sidekick who isn't afraid to tell him what's what. In this case it's Johnny Galecki as a gay recovering alcoholic.

Bounce is written and directed by Don Roos, or perhaps I should say badly written and misdirected. The dialogue limps, the premise of the movie is lame, and the end result is not good. Gwyneth Paltrow is delightful, and if you gain any satisfaction from the film, it is only because of her. Lest I'm too hard on Ben Affleck, I doubt even Cary Grant could pull off this role.

I recommend you catch Bounce when it rebounds to the video shelves.


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