Music and Lyrics

When I first heard about this romantic comedy I didn't think it would work. I just couldn't picture Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore together. Aside from the age difference, something just wasn't meshing for me. Yet once I saw Music and Lyrics, I had to admit it was a cute movie.

Hugh Grant is the aging star of an 80s musical group that seems similar to to Wham! To watch him sing and dance in 80s style clothes is entertainment enough. He tries to revive his career by writing a hit song for a young pop star, but has a problem with the lyrics to go along with his music. Drew Barrymore is a young woman who just can't find what she's looking for and is the substitute plant waterer in his house. She's young enough to not be impressed with who he is, but her older sister (Kristen Johnson) definitely is. Barrymore suggests some lyrics for him while walking around watering, and out of desperation, he makes her an offer.

They seemed like an unlikely pair, and while they are, that's part of the story. They're supposed to seem like an odd match, but work together just like music and lyrics really do. It's also part of the charm of the movie.

Hugh Grant is a modern-day Cary Grant. He has built up a body of work that is amazing in its breadth - particularly in the romantic comedy genre (About a Boy, Two Week’s Notice, Bridget Jones Diary, Love Actually, Notting Hill, Nine Months, Four Weddings and a Funeral) that no one else can compare to. And it doesn’t matter who his costar is – Rachel Weisz, Sandra Bullock, Renee Zellwegger, etc. – Grant makes the chemistry flow with them.

Drew Barrymore is Grant’s female equal. She is so darn cute (Meg Ryan for the new millennium?) and has also been building up a body of work in this area (Fever Pitch, 50 First Dates, The Wedding Singer, Never Been Kissed). She also has excellent chemistry with her costars - Jimmy Fallon, Adam Sandler and Michael Vartan.

Put the two together, a good script and a great supporting cast, and you have an excellent movie. Music and Lyrics sings. It is fun from the first minute to the last (although I wonder what some of the stuff in the closing credits was about) and is one of the best romantic comedies in quite some time.