‘DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS?’ (2009)

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Despite dislike of the stars, the promotion for this leading up to its eventual theater release did look too funny to ignore, so I didn’t. did you hear about the morgans

Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009) Film Review

The Morgans are a perfect powerhouse couple. Or they are before a three-month separation. Both successful New Yorkers, Paul (Hugh Grant) is still madly in love with his wife, making him most anxious to resolve their differences, and at all costs avoid divorce. Currently he showers his wife in gifts (his latest being couples counseling), knowing the fault of her disillusionment is his. Meryl (Sarah Jessica Parker) isn’t so gullible. A real-estate agent who owns her own company, Paul’s brand of apology overwhelms her. Only, as they walk together down a street, they witness his murder! This puts them as the star FBI witnesses following the killers escape. Turns out, this is a mob hit, and the following morning, there’s an attempt on Meryl’s life, which prompts the authorities to place them in protective custody, in Wyoming.  

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Mixing a little bit of every genre with a whole lot of humor, this is actually a lot better than it leads its audience to assume. But somehow the story just “works” without being terribly repetitious. That’s not to say there isn’t still the standard share of sappy moments, the better points just act as a “cover” for most of them. It isn’t so much the characters that make this entertaining (in fact, they can be annoying) but the screenplay, which most the time is actually witty. All without going into a complete wash of cheekiness that makes us exclaim “yeah, saw that one coming!” The one thing we may tire of is Paul’s incoherent jokes.

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Since seeing him in Sense & Sensibility (read: terrible Edward!), Grant isn’t my favorite actor. He’s so often type cast as the bumbling “hero” or “idiot” who never expresses thoughts (of character) well. This role is really no different, except he has the girl already, but unfortunately it’s not enough. Despite my griping, neither he nor Parker “ruin” this. Both manage to pull off likable characters. Even still, the supporting characters are more fun, only they have such limited screen time; it’s all about these two working on trust issues. Sam Elliot and Mary Steenbburgen are fabulous as the sheriff/deputy team that protects them. Likewise, minor plot lines involving the love-hate relationship between two assistants and the Wyoming locals provided some “cute” structure for the movie.

During my rental period, I actually did watch this twice and the second time through to lesser laughter. Perhaps, it’s that the jokes aren’t as “funny” in the short turnaround, but whatever the case, this is just plain fun. The music is catchy, and the desolate scenery is a nice contrast to the busyness of the city, plus the ending is so sweet you cannot help smile. (Depending on your political leanings, there is a dig at a high-profile figure that might be annoying.)

What this lacks in profundity it makes up for in a lack of content and is yet another reason this is more likable. Overlooking its flat ending (the rodeo sequence), Did you Hear about the Morgans? is altogether quite fun. There’s lots of sweet romance moments and ultimately, a good message of forgiveness.

CONTENT: Paul cheats on Meryl during a business trip because he’s “confused.” There’s a handful of misusing God’s name [“oh my god!”] and a use or two of sh*t, along with some British profanity; they use “screw you.” It’s suggested a couple had trouble getting pregnant [a brief, but “comical” conversation revolves around some of the things they tried to help the infertility]. There is some comedic violence with guns, and a man falls from a balcony with a knife in his back. ‘Morgans’ is PG13.