Gray Matters (2006/I)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Sue Kramer

Writer (WGA):

Sue Kramer (written by)

Release Date:

13 July 2007 (Spain)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

A romantic comedy about a brother, a sister and the girl of their dreams.

Plot:

They finish each other's sentences, dance like Fred and Ginger, and share the same downtown loft--the perfect couple? Not exactly. Gray and Sam, are a sister and brother so compatible and inseparable that people actually assume they are dating. Mortified, they both agree they must branch out and start searching for love. He'll look for a guy for her and she'll look for a gal for him.

Plot Keywords:

New York City | Advertising Executive | Lesbian Interest | Brother Sister Relationship | Gay Interest

Cast

Heather Graham	...	Gray Baldwin
Bridget Moynahan	...	Charlie Kelsey
Tom Cavanagh	...	Sam Baldwin
Molly Shannon	...	Carrie
Rachel Shelley	...	Julia Barlett
Bill Mondy	...	Jordan Phillips
Don Ackerman	...	Conrad Spring
Warren Christie	...	Trevor Brown
Alan Cumming	...	Gordy
Sissy Spacek	...	Dr. Sydney
Campbell Lane	...	Harry
Samantha Ferris	...	Elaine
Timothy Paul Perez	...	Roberto
Benjamin Ratner	...	Derek
April Telek	...	Lana Valentine (as April Amber Telek)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some mature thematic material, sexual content and language.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Philippines:R-13 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-7

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Archer Entertainment

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Gray gets out of Gordy's cab to have dinner at Raoul's, she does so at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and something; regardless of where that something is, it's not the SoHo intersection of Prince and Sullivan Streets. In fact, that far south, Seventh Avenue is actually Varick Street.

Quotes:

Gordy: I happen to think you're pretty dandy.

Movie Connections:

References E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Soundtrack:

All Kinds of Love

When all is said and done, it's nothing but a cute romantic comedy

Sure, there are a lot of things in "Gray Matters" that don't make sense. Some of the casting is slightly off, sometimes the characters slip into dialogue that seems to be cribbed from an after school special, sometimes the characters conveniently forget things just for the sake of moving the plot along. However, despite the obvious missteps, "Gray Matters", in the end, remains watchable and entertaining.

The film begins the way a lot of romantic comedies begin - with dancing. Sam and Gray waltz around a New York City loft, easily imitating scenes from their shared love of 1940's musicals. They seem the perfect couple - if only they weren't related... and therein lies the, yes, I'll admit - thin and silly premise upon which the film is based. You see, Sam and Gray are best friends and siblings. They grew up together, they live together, they speak in dialogue reminiscent of screwball comedies (or Lorelai and Rory from "Gilmore Girls", if that's the reference you prefer). Enter Bridget Moynahan as Charlie, the love interest they are about to share, to shake up their entire relationship and Gray's entire world. A wacky love triangle ensues, as do many, many romantic comedy clichés, made all the more clear by Molly Shannon as Gray's kooky best friend.

Misunderstandings and secrets abound as Gray starts to figure out who she really is, Charlie doesn't have a clue about anything, and Sam grows increasingly nervous. Despite all the silliness and illogical plot transitions, though, "Gray Matters" is, at its heart, a sweet, positive coming out movie. If you can suspend disbelief long enough to believe Heather Graham as a woman questioning her sexuality, it's easy to relate to her realization and subsequent meltdown, and the film takes just the right tone. The film has just enough exuberance to help you get over the illogical ending, too.

Granted, "Kissing Jessica Stein" does what this film attempts to do so much better, but nonetheless, "Gray Matters" is entertaining and fun.