Catch and Release (II) (2006) User Reviews

Enjoyable romantic drama whose weighty central metaphor doesn't quite work

[Moristoteles · 7/10 · 30 August 2007]

The title of Susannah Grant's 2006 film refers to the practice of catching a fish for sport then releasing it (rather than frying, broiling, or sauteeing it). The central character Gray (played most fetchingly by Jennifer Garner) is coming to terms with the death of her fiancé and in the process learning a good deal more about him than she thought there was to know. Loosening up about two-thirds through the film "in the company of his friends: lighthearted and comic Sam, hyper-responsible Dennis, and, oddly enough, his old childhood buddy Fritz, an irresponsible playboy whom she'd previously pegged as one of the least reliable people in the world" (as IMDb puts it), she admits that though she never told her fiancé or his friends, she abhors their practice of catching and releasing fish for sport. "If you're going to put a poor fish through the agony of being caught, you ought to have the decency to eat it" (that's a paraphrase).

"Catch and release" seems intended as a symbol of the coming to terms with the loss not only on the part of Gray, but also on the part of the fiancé's friends and mother (played effectively by Fiona Shaw). All of them have significant adjustments to make. But the association of this mental and emotional process with the abhorrent act of torturing a fish doesn't seem to me to work. The psychic process emphasizes the person dealing with loss (the fisherman, as it were), while the sport seems to emphasize the poor fish (which suffers in the catching, while the fisherman invests no psychic effort whatsoever in releasing it).

Though the film invites viewers to reflect on the patience that a significant loss demands of us that we may release and let go, it doesn't really drive the point home. Like the fishing metaphor, the film seems to be more about the catching of the next fish (a new love interest).

Love yourself (and others)

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 22 December 2018]

A bit overlong it may be (it is), but it is very likeable. That is, if you are not fed up or generally annoyed by romantic comedies. Jennifer Garner is someone almost everyone can relate to and an indiviual that most people can fall in love with. Or at least find enchanting.

And then you have Timothy Olyphant. A really good actor, who can be tough, but also very fragile and loving. Something his character totally plays into. The cast in general is pretty good, having to keep the audiences attention for that long. It has the usual trappings of romantic movies, but that was to expect and nothing that should void the fun you can have with the movie

Jennifer Garner charming and Kevin Smith cracking jokes

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 1 February 2014]

This movie starts with the funeral of Gray (Jennifer Garner)'s fiancé Grady. His friend Fritz (Timothy Olyphant) has sex with a server. Dennis (Sam Jaeger) is insanely responsible and his other friend Sam (Kevin Smith) is having his own difficulties. But Fritz is hiding a secret. Grady has been sending $3000 a month to a woman (Juliette Lewis) in LA.

For a movie starting from a funeral, this has a lot of light hearted humor. Most of that is due to Kevin Smith's work. Writer/director Susannah Grant has put on a complicated heart warming struggle. It's not an easy subject to go from a depressed angry place. Jennifer Garner makes those parts work. The movie struggles when it gets to more traditional rom-com space. Overall there are enough interesting moments and Kevin Smith cracking jokes to make this a good movie.

Something to watch when nothing else is on.

[darkboarder84 · 6/10 · 11 May 2008]

Let's put it this way.... right before this movie, I had just watched 28 weeks later (highly recommend btw). It was It was one o clock in the morning, all the lights were off in my house, I was in my basement, and I was alone. There was no way I was making all the way up to my room. So I decided to stay and watch t.v. for a bit and find something cute and sweet to watch. THat is exactly what Catch and Release offered to me.

But cute and sweet are basically the only two words that I can find to correctly describe this movie. It was not good but it definitely was not bad. Its a good movie to watch when nothing else is on. Please do not waste your time and money and rent this movie but if its one o clock in the morning, you don't feel like going to bed, and nothing else is on, then I say what the heck, you might as well watch it if its on HBO or something.

Love, loss and friendship - beautifully portrayed

[kuchynata · 26 December 2006]

The opening scene of C&R could have been me when my best friend died. Susannah Grant (and Jennifer Garner with her tremendous acting) has put a touching visual to that permanent loss of a loved one. The coming together of these friends, each mourning in their own way and trying to figure out how to move forward, is captured with humor and at times is sadly haunting. Each character looks for a way to stay connected, despite their loss. The use of periods of silence with the camera hanging on an actor's face is effective in communicating all the subtext involved in love, loss and friendship. Although it was easy for me to connect to each character, it may not be so for everyone. There are draws in this movie for everyone, however. Kevin Smith is wonderfully funny. Timothy Olyphant is beautiful to watch and Ms. Grant has used his beauty (and his fantastically revealing facial expressions) to the film's advantage. Jennifer Garner is . . . Jennifer Garner. She's fabulous. I loved this movie and can't wait to see it again.

cute

[fmwongmd · 6/10 · 16 August 2018]

A romantic comedy a bit difficult to believe but with good acting and a strong song score. Jennifer Garner and Tim Olyphant were particularly strong in their roles.

Plot-wise unsurprising, but buoyed by Garner's charm

[anhedonia · 4/10 · 27 December 2006]

I saw "Catch and Release" a couple of months ago, the first screening, writer-director Susannah Grant said, of the final cut. It was a very friendly audience, but watching the movie, I couldn't help but feel Grant could have and should have done better.

The film opens promisingly, teasing us and playing with our expectations as we first see Gray (Jennifer Garner) and the circumstances she finds herself in. However, Grant never quite builds on that initial promise and soon "Catch and Release" meanders into traditional romantic comedy territory, complete with the obligatory playful and lovable sidekick - in this case, Sam (Kevin Smith) - and the friend harboring a romantic secret of his own, Dennis (Sam Jaeger).

The crux of the story is Gray's realization that her life is being turned upside down because of what she finds out about a loved one. And - I'm giving away no secrets here, because it is, after all, a romantic comedy - the blossoming romance between her and Fritz (Timothy Olyphant), who at first is seemingly wrong for her. But wanna guess if that will change?

The star of the film is undoubtedly Garner. Just as she did in "13 Going on 30" (2004), she again takes what should be a pedestrian film and boosts it considerably with her undeniable charm. She has a smile that melts the hardest heart and although "Catch and Release" can never shake its conventions, whenever the film entertains, it's mostly because of Garner. She imbues Gray with a vulnerability that's utterly convincing.

Smartly, Grant also gives Smith - essentially playing himself with cleaner language - the film's funniest lines. They're not anything novel, but it's typical Kevin Smith. She also tags on a romantic interest for Sam. It's no surprise, because Grant cannot break the shackles of the genre for something original. You can see the pairing long before it actually happens on screen.

Juliette Lewis seems an oddity in this film. I've not seen her in a film for years and her character tends to grate a bit. Lewis is a good actress, but she seems to get typecast in these off-kilter roles and there's an unmistakable sense we've seen this performance from her before.

Olyphant plays sleazy well - just watch him in the otherwise-forgettable "The Girl Next Door" (2004). In "Catch and Release," his caddish boor actually is a facade. Turns out, this chap's actually a nice guy. He has to be. After all, he has Gray to win over and Grant's doing this by-the-numbers.

And therein lies the film's problem. Despite Grant's admirable attempt to spin the romantic comedy's meet-cute moment, it's hard to believe Gray would fall for a chap who, for the lack of a better phrase, finds carnal comfort at the most unlikely occasions.

Of course, "Catch and Release" has a certain sweetness about it. How can it not when Garner's so adorable. It's polished, looks good; a cut above, say, the odd independent romcoms that tackle the trials and tribulations, the angst and adoration among a group of good friends. But it offers nothing new and relies on a few too many "movie" moments to elicit laughs. Some of those moments are funny, but you get the impression they're not exactly rooted in any realm of reality. Yet, Grant seems to want to lend her story a sense of reality, one that deals with love, loss and forgiveness.

Grant said when she recut her film, she was forced to excise some of Fritz's back story. It doesn't seem warranted, but there seems to be something missing from Fritz. We know the story's moving to get Gray and Fritz together - this is a freakin' Hollywood studio-produced romantic comedy, after all - but it all seems too orchestrated from the beginning.

Is it too much to ask a Hollywood romantic-comedy writer to be even slightly daring? Hollywood-produced romantic comedies, by their very nature, are predictable. You know going in the girl and the guy will wind up together, so it's the journey that is supposed to thrill us. Maybe even surprise us. Grant, however, chooses the safest, and therefore, least surprising, path. She hits all the points a screen writing guru without an ounce of originality would demand be seen in a romcom script. The only novelty here is that Grant got some attractive, appealing and talented actors for her directorial debut. It is they who keep this extremely conventional story from turning unbearable. Though, even Garner's considerable cuteness cannot salvage the film's ending.

Jennifer is a great "catch" and the film isn't half bad either.

[george.schmidt · 7/10 · 10 January 2007]

CATCH AND RELEASE (2007) **1/2 Jennifer Garner, Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, Kevin Smith, Sam Jaeger, Fiona Shaw, Joshua Friesen. (Dir: Susannah Grant)

Jennifer is a great "catch" and the film isn't half bad either.

Jennifer Garner is the ideal girl next door, beautiful in that freshly-scrubbed all- American girl type, but with a twinge of knowing naughtiness and playful fecklessness which she imbued to the nth degree in her serious ass-kicking ABC series "Alias" as a bodacious agent with pouting bee-stung lips and a lethal double-round-house to the nether regions.

Her more feminine wiles on display to the hilt in this surprisingly charming romantic dramedy with her character Gray Wheeler, a young woman facing a sudden tragedy, her fiancée is killed in a horrible sporting event accident crushing her upcoming nuptials in full blossom. Instead of a wedding she now has a funeral to deal with, and in the opening sequence her pain is immediate as well as the difficulty of making sense of what to do from this point on.

However all is not lost in the sense she is alone. Quite the contrary; her betrothed's fun-loving childhood friends are there to see her through including Sam (filmmaker Smith who steals the film with his smartly delivered one-liners and the ongoing running gag of the stout fellow in various modes of unkempt solvent shoving something down his endless gullet to high comic effect), who offers pearls of wisdom from the designer tea he works for; Dennis (Jaeger), the more level-headed of the trio, who harbors a not-so-secret crush on the young widow; and more significantly Fritz (Olyphant, late of the stupendous "Deadwood" on HBO), a voracious ladies' man transplanted back to their Boulder, CO environs from La-La- land where his stint as a budding filmmaker is really more of a hobby than his photography taking. All three men are in love with Grey (and can you blame them!) but each has their own philosophy in how her grief should ultimately lead to a happier existence.

Along the way sorting through her dearly departed's affairs she learns he has a $1M nest egg in a seemingly secret account and discovers something more personal: his doling out monies to a woman in LA, a masseuse named Maureen (the always good-naturedly daffy Lewis) who has a 4 year old son (!) Let the melodrama commence!

Written and directed by Susannah Grant (who makes her directorial debut here) does an able job overall with the usual formulaic expectations: overheard conversations misleading the truth; real-love triumphing; friendship & relationships put to the tests, etc. etc. But the cast makes it a winning diversion and a lot of fun. Great interplay between Garner as 'one- of-the-guys' and the three dudes making a fine buffet to her nubile attractiveness. There is undeniable chemistry between Garner and Olyphant (who I swear to God if you close your eyes sounds like a rakish Robert Wagner!) who effortlessly provides the sex with aplomb, and tastefully so.

The only problem is how the pieces all fall into place relatively with little effort or dismay considering how her fiancée was killed and all and how they come to accept the flaky 'other woman' with barely a ruffle of feathers. Maybe that's a bit refreshing or I'm a tad too cynical (or maybe I was just hoping for a cat fight).

Grant does allow some refreshing touches, namely making her characters likable yet flawed and not jerks, which so easily could've been the case in many plot points (i.e. Garner's mother-in-law-to-be has the inklings of villainy but really deep down shows she is not the heartless wench she appears when things get a little dicey). There are also equal amounts of chemistry between the trio of male friends who are all looking out for the best interests of Garner's character (as well as their own well-meaning agendas overall without being creepy or downright chauvinistic).

But it truly is Garner's showcase to depict her girl-next-door sexiness not unlike America's sweetheart Julia Roberts: a gal whose femininity and sexuality are not in disposable even if she is one of the guys.

The film is worth a look at to see how one can find their happiness even if it comes with little burden.

Girl Keeps Making Same Mistake

[ruthpry · 2/10 · 27 June 2007]

Girl learns that her fiancé of five years has been lying. . .about pretty much everything including having a kid with another woman while they were dating. She freaks out and then hooks up with the only one of his friends who was aware of all of his lies and who admits to walking away anytime a relationship gets serious. . . Oh, and yeah she watched him having sex with a complete stranger on the day of her fiancé's funeral.

Girl finds out that there is also a cute, non-drug using, non-long haired, non-lying, non-drug using, non-sex fiend friend of her fiancé who is in love with her but shuts him down, because. . . women are STUPID???

Of course all is well in the end because the drug smoking hippie sex fiend surfer dude who has relationship and intimacy issues is RICH. YEAH! ALL IS WELL.

P...L...E...A...S...E!!!!! Women are NOT that STUPID!!

Admit It- You Liked It!

[jaddison383 · 7/10 · 17 February 2007]

The truth about this movie is that it's simply just good. It's just likable, even though you really don't want it to be. Jennifer Garner did a fine job in her lead role- she is a beautiful and very talented actress. It's not a movie about her, though. This is, at heart, an ensemble film.

And that's part of what makes it great. The supporting cast is all good in their particular roles. Timothy Olyphant, Sam Jaeger, Fiona Shaw all turn in nice and effective performances. The two who really steal the show, though, are Kevin Smith and Juliette Lewis. They make the movie. I can't imagine it without them.

It really is better than you want it to be. The ending is not great- it's definitely not what you really want. However, in a way, that's what the movie is about. Life is not a fairytale or perfection. Life is a journey, with success, loss, heartbreak, and, if you are lucky, true happiness.

Yeah, this is a good movie.

Jay Addison

The longer you watch, the worse it gets

[lotekguy-1 · 2/10 · 26 January 2007]

Jennifer Garner's fiancé is killed in an accident just before their wedding in idyllic Boulder, Colorado. He was an outdoorsy dude who ran a fly-fishing shop with one of his three pals (Sam Jaeger), who lived with a boozy, Zennish herbal tea peddler (Kevin Smith); the last of the gang, Timothy Olyphant, embodies the most shallow and lascivious of his current home, Malibu. He's the one who mourns by boinking a caterer in the upstairs bathroom after the funeral.

After their six-year relationship ends as it did, Garner is sympathetically devastated ...for a while. Then this faint echo of The Big Chill disintegrates into soapy nonsense. Her late almost-hubby fathered a child in California he'd never mentioned, while sending monthly checks from a large account she never knew was part of the package. One pal 'fesses up to the huge crush he's always harbored for Garner, silently agonizing over her naive devotion to an undeserving philanderer. The "other woman" (Juliette Lewis, riffing as a sexy, New Agey flake with no apparent effort) and their kid show up. Things get worse, as Garner learns more about the timing and other details of his secret life. She finds solace and more from an unlikely source - all in about the same time it takes for rigor mortis to set in on the stiff who stiffed her.

The more the cast members talk and act, the more alienating they become. Within an hour - if not sooner - the generally engaging Garner and her circle grow tiresome, or worse. Smith, who's mainly there for comic relief, is the least annoying of the lot. But he's just circling the margins, playing it like Jack Black on Prozac. Nothing that happens makes sense, or justifies ongoing empathy with the characters. The splendor of Colorado's pastoral summer scenery is polluted by the plot. If the EPA had required an Environmental Impact study, they might have stopped the production. Another casualty of governmental cutbacks and overworked agencies.

A dark comedy worth seeing

[Mama-C · 9/10 · 3 June 2006]

Kevin Smith was definitely the comic relief in this movie. According to Smith, he claims that he can't act and that's why he plays Silent Bob. I say -- NOT TRUE!!! Kevin Smith was perfect as "Sam" and his acting was very good. Jennifer Garner is always a pleasure to watch. She always plays her characters true to form and this movie was no different. I had a bit of a problem with Timothy Olyphant's character, Fritz. There was definitely something missing from the way he was in the beginning of the film to where we saw him end up. Perhaps Ms. Grant will add a few more scenes to eliminate the confusion. Juliette Lewis was just darling and gave a very convincing performance. This film releases in January 2007 so get ready to have some fun.

Pretty standard but decent. The hate is an overreaction

[travola-35109 · 7/10 · 10 April 2022]

This is a solid dramady. It's not gonna win awards or be done box office smash but it's a decent little small budget flick that has its moments.

Kevin Smith was the best part but of course he got most of the comic relief of the flick. If people started grading films on what they are instead of comparing them to all time great films then small movies like this would probably get more exposure. This is why in the modern age film critics are laughed at by the public. I don't think real film critics exist anymore anyway, all of them answer to studios who I'm sure own portions of major media outlets.

A bunch of seriously emotionally repressed/stunted adults living in Boulder, CO

[sfcruz · 2/10 · 7 October 2007]

If this movie had been classified as a dark satire, I think I would have been less disturbed. I've read a number of critiques about the acting, the direction, the odd casting, but this movie is horrible because of the complete lack of honesty in any of its characters. And yet it is so sincere in its direction, it scares me to think people actually think behavior like this is acceptable or healthy. Either the characters have the repression skills of a psychotic or there is a sequel which will display the emotional fallout. And yet, I've read no review where anyone has a problem with this. Let me break it down (and again, many spoilers are in this review - although how can you spoil such a rotten movie). Opening: Jennifer Garner's character, Gray Steele, attends her fiancé's funeral instead of their wedding (he died in a boating accident). During the funeral, she catches one of his best friends sleeping with the caterer (classy). Next phase, she's struggling for money so she moves in with another 2 of her fiancé's best friends. And of course, the one who slept with the caterer happens to be crashing there as well (hmmmm - wonder where this is headed). Next phase, Gray discovers the secret life of her fiancé - he had tons of money squirreled away, he's been having an affair with a bimbo in LA (no one calls her that but she is obviously portrayed as such - geez, why else would they cast Juliette Lewis), and he's been giving this woman money to raise the 4 year old boy whom she claims is his son. Next phase, one of the best friend's tries to kill himself by swigging a bottle of vodka and sleeping pills. Next phase, Gray and the sleazy best friend (caterer dude) end up sleeping with each other and, I guess, begin falling in love. Next phase, another best friend confesses his love to Gray - a love he's been harboring for years. And of course she rejects him because she's banging another best friend. And through all this, Jennifer's character is calm and poised. Sure there are a few tears, but no anger or rage - and it's presented as a good thing! It freakin' gave me the creeps - I kept waiting for her to snap. Especially when her to-be mother-in-law asked for the engagement ring back or when same mother-in-law accused her son's affair as being Gray's fault. What?! Later Gray also overhears the bimbo saying in her oh-so-bubbly manner that basically Gray was so perfect, her boyfriend acted like it was a vacation when he was away from her. And what is Gray's response? "Well, I steal library books . . ." during some freakish dinner they all have together. I guess to 'make peace' or something. And in the end, Gray goes after sleazy best friend, everyone's happy and moving on. Perhaps all the anger and rage was being dealt with - but if you want your characters to appear to have resolved these things, we need to see them dealing with it. Otherwise, the river in Egypt happens to be flowing pretty strong through Boulder.

Lightweight chick flick

[JohnDeSando · 23 January 2007]

She has dimples in the right places, an upper lip that looks like a hammer just hit it, and acting not always superior, but she gets the best roles Hollywood can offer a young woman. As that Julia Roberts glides into middle age, her younger version, Jennifer Garner may be the heir apparent but not for her role as the heroine of Catch and Release. Susannah Grant, who penned Julia's triumphant Erin Brockovich, tries to direct Garner as Gray Wheeler, but with much less energy and a poorer script.

Wheeler has just before the wedding lost her fiancé to a skiing accident. Not a bad premise that she discovers throughout the film more than she should about his life away from her. As she does about herself as she investigates his finances and romances. The film has nothing new to say about grief or healing, just about unchecked lusts for love and food (the latter the province of Kevin Smith, whose turn as the sloppy, overweight lovable friend, is sometimes funny, as when erotic massage therapist Maureen, played by Juliette Lewis, literally jumps his bones.

That Wheeler falls into the cute arms of Timothy Oliphant's Fritz is a given for this lightweight chick flick that would have us believe she would fall for a womanizer who scores a babe in the bathroom at the funeral while the grieving Wheeler listens aghast behind the shower curtain. That heavy-set Smith's Sam should overeat and have the best ironic comic lines could be predicted the minute you see Clerk's director on screen. That 60's Simon and Garfunkel type of music with a message should appeal to the audience of the 21st century, which may not demand character development in order to understand plot.

Catch and Release, a multiuse title referring to both the loss and a fishing motif, is a romantic comedy whose romance is low-grade (she just lost her fiancé for goodness sake) and comedy low-ball. Witnessing this failure should make you as sick as Sam after binge eating bags of potato chips.

Catch and Release Explores New Founded Relationships ***

[edwagreen · 7/10 · 8 August 2007]

Interesting film where Jennifer Garner finds out that her fiancé, who has died unexpectedly, led a very different life than what she could have ever envisioned.

The guy was a millionaire who had a one night stand with Juliette Lewis and was supporting the child from this alleged liaison.

This story is basically dealing with the relationships formed after the death of Gray, the groom-to-be.

We see the interactions among the friends and the ultimate rediscovery of love among them.

When a DNA test proves otherwise, we see the noble actions of a mother who is willing to continue sharing her son's wealth.

The film is well worth watching due to the strong interpersonal relationships that are depicted here.

A good movie? Yes.

[yvonneho-93 · 7/10 · 13 June 2010]

My favorite part of the movie was the romance between Jennifer Garner and Timothy Olyphant's character. The scene where they kissed in the garage just made my heart jump! I consider it as one of the best movie kissing scenes ever. It was hot and full of passion. Even though their romance wasn't really the main part of the story, it was the only part I really liked about the movie. Other then that it was pretty light-hearted and funny. I adore Garner's character who is humorous and not afraid to speak her mind. Olyphant's character is just... sexy and seductive. Overall this is a good movie. One of my favorites? No, not quite there yet.

Extremely Boring

[norbertgc · 2/10 · 4 May 2007]

I like romantic movies, like "Holiday" or genre... But in this movie, even though I liked the actors, I liked the landscapes, the rest is lame. Bad story, so boring and so without any freshness, someone could fall asleep. An extremely slow death of the entire space saved only by the last part. The whole problem is that almost half a movie was an unthinkable and unbelievable trick. No one could make love on the funeral of his best friend. And lately, this guy becomes a hero. He gets his best friend's fiancée and throw no tears or anything the whole movie. And us, we should applause for that! Don't bother, try something else!

Typical romantic comedy, but still cute and worth seeing

[megwelchdendlercs · 7/10 · 23 January 2007]

The previews pretty much tell the whole plot. Gray Wheeler (Jennifer Garner) is holding a funeral for her fiancé, instead of a wedding, after he is killed in an accident on his bachelor party weekend. Los Angeles bad boy Fritz (Timothy Olyphant) comes in for the funeral and brings with him vast knowledge of the deceased's double life and child-bearing infidelities. Fritz and Gray don't think much of each other until they begin to get past appearances and stereotypes and appreciate what their mutual friend loved about the other.

While I've never been a huge Kevin Smith fan, probably based more on choice of material than anything else, he is delightful as the bumbling, guru-quoting friend Sam who takes Gray in as a roommate and provides intelligent comic relief, as well as being allowed some depth of character that is pleasant and surprising.

Spiritual significance is pretty light in this film. It's not going to make the world a better place, nor is it putting out a message that will improve the lives of theater-goers.

If I dig deep, the idea of "don't judge a book by its cover" would probably be our best spiritual theme. There's Grady, the dead fiancé, who appeared to be devoted and caring to Gray, but who really had a whole life she knew nothing about. Gray seems to be very simple and in control, but she has been holding back part of herself too. Fritz has been living as a "love 'em and leave 'em" California freewheeler, but there is a heart and soul in hiding. Sarcastic and wedding-gift-pilfering on the outside, Sam is actually guilt-ridden and grieving inside.

Pre-judging people, and being pre-judged in return, is something that goes on constantly in the world. The moment we meet, impressions are made, conclusions are drawn, and often that is all we have to go on. Clothing, hairstyle, weight, looks, everything gets thrown into the balance to create an image that is indelible—but probably has little to do with the actual person in front of us.

General religious teaching on this front is fairly unified under a "judge not lest ye be judged" kind of theme. But isn't it just natural to want to make some kind of assessment of the people you meet? Some conclusions have to be drawn so we can remember that individual in the future.

What if those conclusions take on a more Golden Rule-based quality, instead of the judgmental one that human nature tends to lean toward? It is an on-going challenge for me, but I really make a concerted effort to see everyone around me as a divine creation with a mutual Father-Mother God that ultimately makes us brothers and sisters in this universe. I remind myself of this spiritual fact every morning. When I walk the dog through parts of our neighborhood that are under construction, I try to focus on each worker as being loved by that Parent and expressing talents he has inherited from that Source. In the grocery store, on the freeway, and yes, even in church, I try to look for the divine in each person I come into contact with.

There are times (okay, many times) when I'm not terribly successful. I've been known to call rude drivers nasty names or pre-judge someone in the grocery store. But the days that I stay on track and keep my thoughts on the spiritual truth of the universe—that we are each God's and deserving of love and respect—my day is much more harmonious. Then I can hope to share and prosper that sense of harmony, instead of breeding more negative thoughts and behaviors.

Many of the characters in this film go through a transformation and prove that they can go beyond the front that they present to the world—whether it would be seen as a good one or a bad one. Judgments are dropped and thought is opened. That's a good thing any day and not a bad message to leave the theater with, even if it is a bit of a stretch to find it.

An opening day closer to the Valentine's holiday would have probably been better for this sweet love-lost-and-love-found movie. All in all, the plot is pretty standard and the most you may leave the theater with is a major crush on Olyphant (count me in there). But if you'd rather not watch the most violent killers on the planet spend 90 minutes of machine gun fire trying to eliminate a nark, "Catch and Release" is a simple alternative. Men who sit through it just to please the woman in their life will surely earn brownie points. It's the next romantic comedy that's sure to run over and over on every estrogen related cable channel in existence.

Botched up but released anyway

[MartianOctocretr5 · 3/10 · 26 February 2010]

Film is a schizophrenic hodge-podge of elements from chick flick sentimentality and a frat beer drinking party sideshow. The attempt to mix the two is handled with little cohesion, and never seals the deal for either audience (and certainly falls short of appealing to both, which is what it seems to want).

We meet a grieving woman (Jennifer Garner) who was engaged, but her fiancé dies just before the wedding. That would seem to be an emotional story of healing and moving on, right? Wrong. At the funeral, we meet his idiot friends (Kevin Smith and two other jokers, all who turn in rotten performances). What one of them is doing at the funeral home is appalling; to put it bluntly, the guy is a jerk. OK, so it's supposed to be a sophomoric comedy? Wrong again.

Grit your teeth, there's still more clichéd characters coming. Enter the blonde bimbo, and her weird kid. A lot of the plot revolves around these two. She mumbles about yoga; the kid just stands around robotically throwing CD's on the floor. Real cute; I wanted to throw a ten ton crate of CD's on his head. Anyway, these two have a secret that drives the plot along. Presence of kid = suspicion. If you catch my drift.

People do stuff that doesn't add up. There's a romance that has as much chemistry as two patches of dead seaweed. The attraction makes no sense, either, in light of earlier events in the story. Most characters suddenly change in odd ways, rather than evolve logically. Random sight gags evoke no laughs. The kid continues to be obnoxious.

Nobody in the cast except for Garner makes any effort; they just don't seem to care. Even Ben-Jen's work here is not quite up to par, in light of her proved potential in other roles.

The ending is ridiculous (and about as likely as the odds of winning a 50 million dollar lottery). It's like somebody tagged it on, because they didn't know how to close out the thing. The movie never does figure out which genre(s) it wants to be, either.

The longer I watched it the more I liked it

[bmiller59 · 7/10 · 31 August 2022]

A redemption story at its best. It started off slowly and I didn't really like it. I am such a huge fan of Jennifer Garner I couldn't give up on it. There were three separate stories that coalesced into one and then ended separately. I didn't know which way I wanted to go, but, as I said it was redemption for everyone.

I'm not a big fan of Kevin Smith, but he came across enjoyable here. After reading the trivia as it pertains to Jennifer Garner and Kevin Smith, I was surprised. Jennifer Garner as always comes across so likeable, that's why I'm a fan of hers.

I was excited that it was filmed in Boulder, a big cycling town and there were scenes with lots of cyclists........and then I see much was filmed in British Columbia, how disappointing.

I can't believe this is first time I have seen/heard of Catch & Release, we enjoyed it.

This gives a bad name to "Chick Flicks"!

[deanbean317 · 2/10 · 13 June 2009]

This film is very easy to sum up; Lazy meandering plot, no chemistry between ANYONE, uninspired performances and hackneyed (supposed to be clever and amusing) dialog. This film also contains a scene that makes me wince every time I see it (and I have seen it in countless movies) and that is the old "turning on the blender with no lid" shtick. Does any idiot ever do that? I watched this at my wife's urging and stopped watching about three quarters of the way through when she advised me that it didn't get any better. This now makes about eight Jennifer Garner movies that I've seen and I haven't liked her in ANY of them. Maybe that will be my red flag for future films.

Excellent Date Movie

[happycat4242 · 10/10 · 24 January 2007]

Not going to lie, this movie totally surpasses expectations. On the surface, it looks like a total chick flick, but it totally delivers for guys too. Lots of laughs and a very realistic and introspective look at coming to terms with the secret lives of the people we love.

Features a brilliant and very likable performance by Kevin Smith as Sam. Relative newcomer Sam Jaeger as Dennis delivers an extremely authentic and sincere performance. Their relationship as best friends offers both witty comic relief and another dimension to the plot. Very enjoyable.

Jennifer Garner is, of course, amazing and beautiful. She gives her character a sense of depth and grace that is really refreshing on screen.

All the boyfriends who get "dragged" to this are going to love it--whether they admit to afterwards or not is a different story.

There's something special about it

[Green1998 · 6/10 · 11 April 2022]

I saw this movie back in 2010ish as a young teen, and while the plot wasn't memorable, I remember it being comforting and interesting. Since it's currently on streaming services, I decided to revisit it 12 yrs later. I am happy to say that it has held up pretty well. It's not incredible, but there's definitely some things that are special that make it stand out from the rest.

The film is about a mid/late 20s woman Gray (Jennifer Garner), whose fiance dies very suddenly. Her world falls apart both mentally and physically - she has no spousal support due to a lack of a will, she's unable to afford to continue living in her dream house, and she finds out that her late fiance was cheating on her with another woman and had a secret child. The film depicts Gray's ups and downs as she navigates this totally new life, with the help of some old friends, including a budding new romance between her and her late fiance's best friend Fritz (Timothy Olyphant).

To start, the concept of the film is well done - it's set in Colorado, which is a refreshing change of pace from the streets of NYC. The cinematography is fresh, and the color palette, full of lush greens, browns, and blues, is nice to look at. There's also a certain mid-2000s charm to the characters' outfits, lifestyles, sets, and of course, the soundtrack, which hits me right in the millennial feels.

There's something very special and memorable about the plot element of Gray deciding to move into her fiance's old house. It's very obvious the director took care to make sure the setting of the house was cozy, lived in, and full of the types of quirks that you'd imagine young renters in Colorado would put up with, like converted bedrooms, sliding doors, and a sticky front door that's just annoying enough... This type of attention to detail contributes to us viewers feeling truly immersed in the characters' lives. It also makes for quite interesting character interactions, in which the house becomes highly incorporated into pivotal scenes, such as Gray and Fritz's first night together, and Gray subsequently sneaking around and hiding the relationship from the other housemates.

I also especially liked how all of the characters are shown dealing with their grief in different ways, following the loss of their best friend/roommate/fiance. Sam, for example, eats and drinks his feelings and skips out on work. Dennis keeps himself busy at all times and hovers around Gray trying to feel useful. Gray and Fritz are both surface-level keeping it cool, but on the inside are in a lot of turmoil. Their character dynamic works well together, the chemistry between the actors is palpable, and I was rooting for them to get together.

I think what doesn't work in this film, and probably the reason it has mixed reviews, are the major plot holes and slightly unexplained storyline elements.

The parts concerning Gray's late fiance's will and legal issues require more attention from viewers, or else it's easy to miss why she's broke. Additionally, Fritz and Gray's relationship could have used a lot more exposition and development. I think the director intended us to find Fritz gross, vulgar, and immature, so it was a little confusing why they wouldn't have had a few more clashing moments to build the tension before their big kiss.

My desire to know more about Fritz also extends to Sam and Dennis. There's too many moments where viewers are left to "choose their own adventure" and fill in the blanks. I acknowledge that it's often hard for directors to strike a good balance between telling the audience the story, while being sure not to hold their hands, but unfortunately this film teeters on being a little too vague. It's a shame because again, the concept and plot of the film are super interesting and creative - it's just that it's missing that extra layer of character and story development that would make this film a real hit.

Overall, I think this film has earned a place in the early 2000s romcom/dramedy lineup. The characters are easy to like, the acting performances are well done, and the story is a realistic look at how grief upends people's lives and emotions. It's not necessarily a 10/10 film, but I'm comfortable saying it's a hidden gem for people who love the genre.

I am really only giving this a half of a star...

[skot-watson · 1/10 · 24 September 2007]

I've had some very painful root canals and some major surgeries where I thought I was going to die and while I watched this movie with my wife I found myself longing for those times because they were far less painful than having to sit through this movie. In my opinion the movie couldn't have been cast any worse then it was, Jennifer Garner couldn't have played a worse character even if she were cast as Aileen Wuornos in Monster it would have paled in comparison to this horrible hollow character. As far as the chemistry between Garner and Olyphant, a love story about a plastic bag that falls in love with a piece of cardboard would be far more exciting and frankly far more realistic. I was hoping that he would go crazy and pull out a razor and start killing people like in his other movies. At least then SOMETHING would have happened. It amazes me the garbage that gets green lit these days and that people actually spent money making this shallow, predictable snore fest. I guess the 8 year old girl that wrote the script while in the hospital recovering from her lobotomy was the daughter of one of the big movie executive with all the money. On the good side the DVD makes a wonderful coaster or pizza cutter, therefore the half-star.