I have watched this film about 20 times over the last few months. After this many viewings, you catch a lot of points that escape notice on earlier viewings.
What starts to stand out is the stupidity of the Ashley Judd character 'Jane Goodale'. She is the helpless captive of her emotions, seeming to learn little from bitter experience. She feels an instant attraction to the Greg Kinnear character 'Ray Brown'. She eagerly accepts a lunch invitation from a man she knows is already involved with another woman. When 'Ray' calls her at home, 'Jane' drops everything to spend the night with him. 'Jane' never requires any form of commitment from this man. Any scrap of his attention is sufficient to keep her available. Call it the triumph of hormones over logic.
After being dumped, 'Jane' mopes around being miserable. It seems that her horizons are limited to the workplace when seeking a mate. In a city the size of New York, an attractive young woman can't find any desirable man to hook up with. It seems unlikely that she would fail to attract any outside attention at all.
'Ray Brown' is no mental giant either. Getting involved with a co-worker and then dumping her under such ugly circumstances is very likely to result in major problems at the work place. Being secretly involved with his boss 'Diane Roberts' and then breaking off with 'Diane' to pursue co-worker 'Jane' is not a brilliant career move, to put it mildly. 'Diane' was bound to find out about 'Ray's' new relationship in such a small work group.
The Hugh Jackman character 'Eddy Alden' was enormously reckless. He publicly returns a pair of co-worker 'Nina's' earrings, left in his bathroom. That humiliation could have hardly failed to arouse repercussions for 'Eddy'. 'Eddy' spends all his time and money in the pursuit of new female conquests. He seems to subsist on a diet of Chinese takeout food, cigarettes, and liquor. That lifestyle can hardly fail to take a toll on his looks and health, vital to the success of a playboy of moderate financial resources.
What stands out in the lives of these major characters is just a shallow regard for the pleasure of the moment. Not one of them seems to desire establishing a stable marriage relationship. A sure recipe for eventual heartbreak.
'Jane' eventually refocuses romantically on her despised roommate 'Eddy'. 'Jane' has lavished all her disdain and rage toward men on 'Eddy'. It seems that 'Eddy' never holds a grudge for all the caustic quips 'Jane' aimed in his direction. When 'Jane' hits rock bottom emotionally, a suddenly gallant 'Eddy' finds reason to comfort her in her hour of need. A bit of decent behavior and sympathy from 'Eddy' is enough to cause 'Jane' to switch her romantic sights onto him. It seems that a man only needs to provide some emotional support and 'Jane' is putty in his hands.
The conclusion of the film was strange. 'Jane' suddenly realizes she is in love with 'Eddy' and dashes out of the workplace to find him and declare her love. The fact that they live in the same apartment and will certainly soon cross paths seems irrelevant to her frantic haste. The director's comments track mentions that there was another ending to the film that was discarded. I certainly would have appreciated a chance to see the alternate ending and judge it for myself. I feel it probably was superior to the version presented.
What starts to stand out is the stupidity of the Ashley Judd character 'Jane Goodale'. She is the helpless captive of her emotions, seeming to learn little from bitter experience. She feels an instant attraction to the Greg Kinnear character 'Ray Brown'. She eagerly accepts a lunch invitation from a man she knows is already involved with another woman. When 'Ray' calls her at home, 'Jane' drops everything to spend the night with him. 'Jane' never requires any form of commitment from this man. Any scrap of his attention is sufficient to keep her available. Call it the triumph of hormones over logic.
After being dumped, 'Jane' mopes around being miserable. It seems that her horizons are limited to the workplace when seeking a mate. In a city the size of New York, an attractive young woman can't find any desirable man to hook up with. It seems unlikely that she would fail to attract any outside attention at all.
'Ray Brown' is no mental giant either. Getting involved with a co-worker and then dumping her under such ugly circumstances is very likely to result in major problems at the work place. Being secretly involved with his boss 'Diane Roberts' and then breaking off with 'Diane' to pursue co-worker 'Jane' is not a brilliant career move, to put it mildly. 'Diane' was bound to find out about 'Ray's' new relationship in such a small work group.
The Hugh Jackman character 'Eddy Alden' was enormously reckless. He publicly returns a pair of co-worker 'Nina's' earrings, left in his bathroom. That humiliation could have hardly failed to arouse repercussions for 'Eddy'. 'Eddy' spends all his time and money in the pursuit of new female conquests. He seems to subsist on a diet of Chinese takeout food, cigarettes, and liquor. That lifestyle can hardly fail to take a toll on his looks and health, vital to the success of a playboy of moderate financial resources.
What stands out in the lives of these major characters is just a shallow regard for the pleasure of the moment. Not one of them seems to desire establishing a stable marriage relationship. A sure recipe for eventual heartbreak.
'Jane' eventually refocuses romantically on her despised roommate 'Eddy'. 'Jane' has lavished all her disdain and rage toward men on 'Eddy'. It seems that 'Eddy' never holds a grudge for all the caustic quips 'Jane' aimed in his direction. When 'Jane' hits rock bottom emotionally, a suddenly gallant 'Eddy' finds reason to comfort her in her hour of need. A bit of decent behavior and sympathy from 'Eddy' is enough to cause 'Jane' to switch her romantic sights onto him. It seems that a man only needs to provide some emotional support and 'Jane' is putty in his hands.
The conclusion of the film was strange. 'Jane' suddenly realizes she is in love with 'Eddy' and dashes out of the workplace to find him and declare her love. The fact that they live in the same apartment and will certainly soon cross paths seems irrelevant to her frantic haste. The director's comments track mentions that there was another ending to the film that was discarded. I certainly would have appreciated a chance to see the alternate ending and judge it for myself. I feel it probably was superior to the version presented.