Movie: Man Up

Yesterday I didn't feel like doing anything -- still kinda jet lagged -- so I settled in for a couple of Netflix movies.

Man Up is about a 34-year old woman who wants to start dating again, after her last relationship ended three years ago, but worries that she's too old.  By chance she gets mistaken for somebody's blind date, a 40-year old divorcee (Simon Pegg) who thinks he's meeting a 24-year old triathlete.  Classic midlife crisis.  His infatuation with her bolsters her self confidence, and her interest in him makes him feel worthy.  Until the truth comes out -- then both of them must reevaluate their positions, and decide whether the attraction they both felt under false pretenses was real or not.  It was actually pretty well done and not too sappy.

Adult Beginner was less worthy, and will only serve here to allow me to raise two pet peeves about poorly-written movies.

• I hate it in movies when two people are shown in a car, and the driver looks at the passenger for long periods while talking.  In this movie it was particularly egregious, the car was in traffic and cars were zipping past and the driver never looked forward.  Sloppy filmmaking, and dangerous role modeling!
  
• Movies with kids (and to a lesser extent, pets) often introduce the kid as a plot device, and then he or she is a background element for the rest of the film.  Hello?  It doesn't work like that.  When you have a toddler they are the center of attention, everything else revolves around them.  Aren't there any writers who are also parents? Jerry Maquire was one of the few I can remember who got it right.