Cinema Consults: ALONG CAME POLLY

This film, which can be rentedfrom your local video store, israted on a scale of 1 to 4 caducei:

Along

Came Polly

Meet

the Parents

Keeping the

Faith

There's Something

About Mary

ALONG CAMEPOLLY (2004):Ben Stiller justseems to be amovie-making factorythese past fewyears. It seems asthough hardly aweek goes by thatone of his movies iseither in theaters or being releasedon video. That's not a bad thing,unless of course the quality of worksuffers. This is the case with . As I recall, the movieinitially did well in theaters, and thepremise showcased in the trailersseemed funny. Ben Stiller playsuptight Reuben Feffer, a risk analystfor a major insurance consultingfirm who falls for Polly Prince(Jennifer Aniston), a completelyuninhibited free spirit who is Feffer'sexact opposite. The plot trudgesalong through a series of disjointedscenes that offer few laughs andeven fewer moments of chemistrybetween Stiller and Aniston. Theonly characters worth watching areSandy Lyle, a has-been child starportrayed by the very funny PhilipSeymour Hoffman, and Claude, theCaribbean scuba instructor playedby the very versatile Hank Azaria. Ifyou are interested in seeing a greatBen Stiller movie, I am sad to saythat this is not a good choice.However, you can always rent oneof the following Stiller classics: (2000), (2000), or (1998).

Rating: 1

Lisa A. Tomaszewski,

managing editor

of Physician's Money Digest, is currently

working on her PhD in literature at

Drew University in New Jersey. She is

an avid fan of film and has taught a

summer film course at Fairleigh

Dickinson University. She welcomes

questions, comments, or suggestions for

future film reviews at 732-656-1140

ext 195 or ltomaszewski@mwc.com.