Joy can be spontaneous, disappointment has to be planned
Joy can be spontaneous, disappointment has to be planned
Member since:31.08.2009
Reviews:32
Members who trust:3
Being a heterosexual man, I suppose I could lose a lot of street-cred by liking this film (if I have any) but it has to go down as one of my all-time favourites.
Slotting loosely into the RomCom genre, it is actually a tail of one man's struggle to raise a child in the wake of his wife's untimely death and it is heart-wrenching almost to the point of being depressing to start with.
The man in question is the eponymous Jack (played by Richard E Grant) who has a successful job in a city law firm and, along with his heavily pregnant wife, Sarah (Imogen Stubbs), is busy managing the renovation of their new home. Shortly after moving in, Sarah goes into labour in the night and Jack, in his haste to get her to the hospital, falls down the stairs, rendering himself unconscious and requiring an ambulance himself.
At this point the comedy subsides and when Jack regains consciouness in hospital, the gravity on the faces of his parents (played by Judy Dench and David Swift) betrays the fact that something went terribly wrong during the birth. There follows a period of alcohol-fuelled depression as he, with the help of his new found vagrant friend (Sir Ian Mckellen), refuses to either face up to Sarah's death or acknowledge the existence of the baby - who has to be looked after in the meantime by his parents and Sarah's mother.
Cunningly, Jacks father sees fit one day to enter the house while Jack is sleeping off another drunken night and place the baby next to him in the bed, hoping that he is spurred to take responsibility - which, after an initial spell of resentment, he reluctantly does, naming the baby Sarah.
As Jack grows into his role as a father, the comedy returns to the film and a heartwarming relationship is forged, with Sarah now accompanying him everywhere, even to work.
Cue the entry of Amy (Samantha Mathis), a kindly American waitress that happens to lose her job on the day when Jack and Sarah had popped in to eat, leaving Jack feeling partially responsible. He rushes out of the cafe to catch up with her when she is dismissed but to no avail, she has gone.
Some weeks later, after having used the equality argument to gain entry to a ladies' toilets to change the baby, Jack chances upon Amy again and, seeing how good she is with Sarah, offers her a job as a nanny - not realising that Amy took it to mean a live-in job, turning up with all her belongings.
A bitter-sweet time follows with Jack gradually coming to terms with the death of his wife and Amy trying to reconcile her own emotions for her ex-lover. This inevitably leads to a growing mutual attraction and a growing tension between them as they try in their own way to ignore it, coming to a head when Amy lays into Jack after a date with his female boss and Jack throws her out.
Following a spell apart, Jack fears the worst one day when he spots Amy at a wedding and assumes that she is the bride. Luckily he was wrong and his mother-in-law is on hand to arrange a secret emotional reuinion for the pair - and all's well that ends well, with the wedding scene at the close of the film providing one final twist.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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This is my first film review. I value your opinions. Thank you
CPTDANIELS 31.08.2009 21:43
I agree with the points below your opinion is the main thing that people want to know about.
Calypte 31.08.2009 21:26
Sorry, but a bit too much given away about the plot, I feel. Would rather read more about why you find it so appealing! Don't let this put you off Ciao at all - keep scribbling!
The story of a father and baby daughter, 1995'sJack and Sarahis the best cinematic ... more
depiction of what came to be known as "the 90s man". No matter how bad things get we know Richard E Grant will eventually learn to get in touch with his feelings and exp...
Postage & Packaging: £2.69 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The story of a father and baby daughter, 1995'sJack and Sarahis the best cinematic ... more
depiction of what came to be known as "the 90s man". No matter how bad things get we know Richard E Grant will eventually learn to get in touch with his feelings and exp...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
The story of a father and baby daughter, 1995'sJack and Sarahis the best cinematic ... more
depiction of what came to be known as "the 90s man". No matter how bad things get we know Richard E Grant will eventually learn to get in touch with his feelings and exp...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Jack (Richard E. Grant) has it all - a perfect marriage, a successful career and a dream ... more
home. But his world crumbles when his wife dies giving birth to their daughter Sarah. Even though he is struggling to cope with his broken heard and a new-born bab...
![Jack And Sarah [VHS] [1995]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/83949602.jpg "Jack And Sarah [VHS] [1995]")
![Jack And Sarah (1995) [DVD]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78521467.jpg "Jack And Sarah (1995) [DVD]")
Aug 31st, 2009
somewhat helpful by (100%):
