‘All About Steve’
NEW YORK (CNS) — The following is a capsule review of a movie recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“All About Steve” (Fox)
Tiresome romantic comedy about a motormouthed, trivia-spouting crossword-puzzle writer (Sandra Bullock) whose isolated life is transformed when she falls instantly for a TV news cameraman (Bradley Cooper) she meets on a blind date, her obsessive love prompting her first to throw herself at him in a bid for immediate intimacy, then to dog him from one news event to the next, egged on, as a practical joke, by a vain reporter (Thomas Haden Church) for his network. Director Phil Traill’s feature debut is hobbled by a central character whose supposed quirkiness is grating rather than endearing and, a few digs at media excess aside, neither the humor nor the more serious moments affirming individuality and emotional sensitivity succeed. Nongraphic nonmarital sexual activity, some sexual humor and references, a half-dozen uses of profanity, frequent crude or crass language, and an obscene gesture. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.