Rumor Has It… (2005)

Directed by: Rob Reiner | 96 minutes | drama, comedy, romance | Actors: Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner, Shirley MacLaine, Mark Ruffalo, Richard Jenkins, Christopher McDonald, Steve Sandvoss, Mena Suvari, Mike Vogel, Robert Lanza, Lisa Vachon, Trevor Stock, Jennifer Bini Taylor

The main joke of ‘Rumor Has It…’ is the premise that the book and movie ‘The Graduate’ is based on Sarah’s own family. Her grandmother Katherine (Shirley MacLaine) is said to be the infamous Mrs. Robinson, who seduced her daughter’s boyfriend. That boyfriend from then (masterfully played by Dustin Hoffman in the 1967 film version) is in reality not Sarah’s decent father Earl (Richard Jenkins), but the now very wealthy bachelor Beau (Kevin Costner).

In itself the premise is original and could have been the basis for a strong film, but unfortunately the ‘Rumor Has It…’ just doesn’t really take off. Unfortunately, the script has too few good jokes to succeed as a comedy and the bizarre twists and steps that Sarah takes to find out the truth are anything but believable. After initially thinking that Beau is her real father (after all, she has no connection with her own family), she begins to kiss him wildly once she is convinced that he is not. A moment to get a strange taste in the mouth, because apparently she felt attracted to him for that.

Aniston plays the way she always does (the name Rachel comes up again) and doesn’t have a great chemistry with Costner either. That’s actually crucial, especially to understand why she’s leaving her kind friend Jeff (Mark Ruffalo) out in the cold. She doesn’t come across as sympathetic.

Costner builds a bit on the routine he built up with some such roles in romantic movie dragons and can focus on the westerns and political thrillers where he comes out much better. Unfortunately, Ruffalo has little to do and doesn’t really get a chance to show his better acting. And Mena Suvari as Sarah’s sister is especially irritating by either acting hysterically happy or crying hysterically. The film is absolutely saved by the presence of MacLaine as the foul-mouthed grandmother. Where she already shone earlier that year in the much better ‘In Her Shoes’ (also as a cynical grandmother), she still does that here with some sharp one-liners. Also nice is the situation around a football match, which provides the best moments.

A handful of sparkling moments in an easily forgotten snack keep things entertaining, but ‘Rumor Has It…’ is certainly not the classic to which the film refers.