Barnes & Noble

A fresh, engaging premise, unexpected plot twists, and nimble comedic performances make this underappreciated romantic farce from director Rob Reiner a delightful surprise. Thirtysomething Sarah Huttinger (Jennifer Aniston in a role perfectly suited to her talents) discovers, quite by accident, that her family history inspired the events in The Graduate, and that her saucy, irrepressible grandmother (Shirley MacLaine) was the model for that film's suburban seductress, Mrs. Robinson. Moreover, she learns that the college student on whom the Dustin Hoffman character was based is wealthy entrepreneur Beau Burroughs (Kevin Costner), who once loved Sarah's mom -- and to whom she finds herself attracted. This doesn't sit well with her well-meaning but drab fiancé, Jeff Daly (Mark Ruffalo). Don't be fooled by the capsule synopsis: you may think you know how this movie turns out, but things don't progress along pat, predictable lines. And that's the movie's real strength. It's also more adult than the normal run of romantic comedies, displaying a refreshingly mature attitude about sex. The players, for their part, seem to be enjoying themselves immensely; Costner, following on his effective second-fiddle turn in The Upside of Anger, proves again that those who wrote him off a few years back were premature. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

A woman discovers that a part of her family history may be more complicated -- and more famous -- than she ever imagined in this comedy. Thirtysomething Sarah Huttinger (Jennifer Aniston), who has spent most of her adult life in New York City, is flying home to California with her long time boyfriend, Jeff Daly (Mark Ruffalo), for the wedding of her annoyingly perky younger sister, Annie (Mena Suvari). While Sarah and Jeff have recently announced they're engaged to be married, Sarah has been having second thoughts, and she isn't excited about the prospect of spending time with the family where she's always felt like the odd duck. As Sarah tries to decide what she should do with her personal and professional lives, she turns to her sharp-tongued and still youthful grandmother, Katharine (Shirley MacLaine), for advice, and Katharine shares a little-known bit of family history -- that Sarah's now-deceased mother left her father, Earl (Richard Jenkins), a few days before their wedding and ran off with another man for several days before coming back and marrying Earl. However, after hearing this Sarah is also treated to some long-simmering local gossip about a young man who ran off with a bride-to-be after he was seduced by her mother...and that the story became the basis for the hit movie The Graduate. Sarah begins to wonder, was Katharine the real-life Mrs. Robinson of this story? And if it's true, who was the man who had affairs with Sarah's mother and grandmother? Was it dashing and wealthy family friend Beau Burroughs (Kevin Costner), who has also turned Sarah's head? Rumor Has It... was produced from an original screenplay by Ted Griffin; Griffin was originally set to direct the film, but shortly after production began he was replaced, with Rob Reiner taking over the project. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 012569701359
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English, Français, Español
• Time: 1:37:00
• Sales Rank: 10,387

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Kevin Costner Collection: 4 Film Favorites
• Romance Collection: 4 Film Favorites

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