RUMOR HAS IT . . . — ** — Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner, Mark Ruffalo; rated PG-13 (vulgarity, profanity, brief sex, brief drugs, brief partial nudity); Carmike 12 Theaters; Century Theatres Salt Lake; Century Theatres Union Heights; CinemaStar 5-Star Cinemas; Cinemark 24 at Jordan Landing; Megaplex 12 at the Gateway; Megaplex 17 at Jordan Commons; Westates Holladay Centre Cinemas.
"Rumor Has It . . . " is the unfortunate victim of comparisons to "The Graduate." Obviously, there's no way the film can possibly stack up to the 1967 comedy classic, directed by Mike Nichols, which spoke to an entire generation of young filmgoers. But it is also the victim of comparisons to earlier romantic comedies by its director, Rob Reiner. And it serves as a sad reminder about just how much Reiner's filmmaking skills have eroded in the past decade or so.
This flat comedy also squanders its best comic opportunities and wastes the efforts of a game cast. Jennifer Aniston stars as Sarah Huttinger, a New York obituary writer who reluctantly returns to Pasadena for the wedding of her younger sister, Annie (Mena Suvari).
Sarah is accompanied by patient boyfriend, Jeff Daly (Mark Ruffalo), who has recently popped the question. And even though she did say "yes," Sarah is already having doubts about their relationship.
The nuptial weekend goes from bad to worse when Sarah finds evidence to suggest that the novel (and the subsequent movie version of) "The Graduate" was inspired by her mother, and her grandmother, Katharine Richelieu, played by Shirley MacLaine.
So the would-be snoop tries to track down the one person who can confirm whether her theory might be true: Beau Burroughs (Kevin Costner), who may have had a relationship with both women, and now has his sights set on Sarah.
The one thing the film has going for it is MacLaine, who's a hoot as Sarah's boozy grandmother (Mrs. Robinson, anyone?).
As for Aniston, she and Ruffalo don't have much chemistry. And she doesn't have much with Costner either.
And for a film that begs comparisons to earlier classics, the plotting is fairly standard and pedestrian. Ted Griffin's script doesn't seem to have inspired Reiner, whose direction is workmanlike, at best.
"Rumor Has It . . . " is rated PG-13 for crude and sexually suggestive humor and references, scattered use of strong profanity, brief sexual contact, brief drug content (references), and brief partial female nudity. Running time: 97 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com