A Life Less Ordinary

Since my last two posts have been movies about rich girls pretending to be kidnapped, I thought I'd go for broke and do one more with this theme, 1997's A Life Less Ordinary.

This time around, Cameron Diaz plays the spoiled little rich girl who's trying to get her dad's, Ian Holm, attention. While being lectured by her dad in his office, a disgruntled janitor, Ewan McGregor, who was just fired by her dad goes on a tirade. In the midst of the chaos, Diaz dupes McGregor into kidnapping her, and the two hit the road. The two bicker and butt heads, but two angels from heaven, Holly Hunter and Delroy Lindo, are on a mission from God to make sure that these two fall in love.

This cross between Excess Baggage and Two Of A Kind is a little odd. I'll admit I wasn't real crazy about it when I first saw it. It was directed by Danny Boyle and written by John Hodge, the same team that brought us Trainspotting and Shallow Grave. I think with those two, and their star from the previous efforts McGregor, I, like a lot of people, was expecting something a little more darkly comic. Don't get me wrong, this has it's dark moments, but it comes off a lot liter than their earlier collaborations. In repeated viewings however, it's quirky charm has grown on me and I actually enjoy it now.

Most of the cast, especially McGregor, is great. Diaz kind of grates of the nerves after a while however. Boyle has put together another great soundtrack as well that includes Beck, R.E.M., Squirrel Nut Zippers, and Elvis Presley.

The film tanked at the box office and I think this is due to it being released around the same time as the similar Excess Baggage, which also flopped. I guess nobody was in the mood for fake kidnappings of wealthy young women at that time.

A Life Less Ordinary is far from perfect, but it's a decent enough, quirky little time killer.

It's available on dvd.