The rewrite (Hugh Grant)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s ten years since we watched the 2014 film ‘The rewrite’. We hadn’t remembered anything about it, but saw a trailer for it last week, and thought it looked worth rewatching.

Hugh Grant stars as the screenwriter Keith who had a tremendous success fifteen years before the story begins. He won awards, and people still talk about his film ‘Paradise misplaced’. He did write some other screenplays, but had no more triumphs, and is now somewhat depressed, lacking money and uninspired.

Then he’s offered an unexpected post teaching screenwriting at a small university in New York. He hates the idea - he’s convinced that writing cannot be taught - but eventually agrees. He finds people very friendly - one of his potential students rather too friendly - and full of admiration for his famous film. Then he manages to upset one of his colleagues, first by being rude about Jane Austen, and then about women in films. He’s had a bit too much wine and gets himself into more and more trouble…

The Rewrite (Hugh Grant)

(Amazon UK link)

I like browsing Amazon’s recommendations now and again, looking for things to add to my wishlist. I assume that they offered this suggestion because it’s a light romantic film with some humour, and also because it stars Hugh Grant, and I have given high ratings to some of his other films.

So I was pleased to be given ‘The Re-write’ for my birthday, and last night we watched it with an adult son. Hugh Grant, as our son commented afterwards, almost always plays similar parts, and this one suits him perfectly. He plays a washed-up British screenwriter in his late forties called Keith. He had one major success some years previously, but is now struggling financially. He is offered a temporary job teaching screenwriting at a small American university, and while he doesn’t think writing can be taught, he sees no alternative…

Keith is rather naive, unsure of what he’s supposed to do in his class, overwhelmed by the seventy scripts he has to read within two days, and nervous about his new role. It’s ideal for the slightly bumbling Englishman that Hugh Grant is used to playing, surrounded by women who evidently find him attractive.

There’s a storyline involving a seductive girl in his class and a pleasanter one involving an older student who has daughters of his own. And there are some gems about writing in general, as well as insights into university life. As Keith gets to know his class, he discovers that teaching isn’t such a bad career after all, and that he can learn to care about each individual and help them in different ways.

Most of the film is predictable, and I don’t recall any particularly humorous sections, but it’s light-hearted and fun, relationship-based rather than with any great plot. I liked the way that, although most of Keith’s students are attractive girls, the two rather unattractive nerdy boys play significant positive parts in his class, and in the story as a whole.

The rating is 12 which I think is right, though it wouldn’t be of much interest to anyone under the age of about sixteen. There are implied intimacies but nothing overt; some bad language, and a great deal of drinking, but no violence.

Recommended for a light and pleasant evening’s undemanding viewing.

Review copyright 2016 Sue's DVD Reviews